Thirteen municipalities across a 47-square-mile stretch of the Upper West Branch DuPage River could become eligible for state grant funding to tackle flooding and water pollution. The DuPage County Stormwater Management Committee will vote Tuesday, July 7, on whether to adopt the Upper West Branch DuPage River Watershed-Based Plan, the final step before the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency reviews the document.
Once both DuPage County and the IEPA approve the plan, municipalities and other stakeholders can apply for IEPA Section 319 grants to fund the projects it recommends, according to a May 5 county press release. The plan, developed with an IEPA Section 604b grant, identifies causes of water quality impairments in the Upper West Branch and proposes solutions.
What's on the agenda
Committee Chair Jim Zay, a DuPage County Board member from District 6, will preside over the 7:30 a.m. meeting at 421 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton.
The committee will take up two items related to the watershed plan, according to the July 7 agenda: approval of a Comment Response Document summarizing public feedback collected through June 4, and a final vote to adopt the plan itself.
Two additional spending items round out the agenda. The committee will vote on a $37,550 intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Downers Grove for the 39th Street Water Quality Structures Project, funded through the county's FY2026 Water Quality Improvement Grant program. It will also consider a $65,000 contract with Gewalt Hamilton Associates, Inc., a Vernon Hills-based engineering firm, for professional engineering and land surveying services running from July 14, 2026, through November 30, 2027.
Why it matters
The Upper West Branch watershed spans 62 stream miles across 13 municipalities upstream of the confluence of Ferry Creek. Multiple river segments are listed as impaired for aquatic life due to nitrogen, phosphorus, and total suspended solids, and for primary contact due to fecal coliform, according to IEPA data cited in the plan.
Elmhurst, Villa Park, and Oakbrook Terrace are co-permittees in DuPage County's broader stormwater program, which partners with 41 municipalities and townships on Clean Water Act compliance. The county's stormwater work has delivered results in the Elmhurst area: in February 2026, the Country Club Highlands Drainage Improvement Project in unincorporated Elmhurst won an American Public Works Association award after installing 2,200 feet of new storm sewer and more than 400,000 gallons of underground stormwater storage to address what the county called "severe chronic flooding" in the neighborhood.
DuPage County's Water Quality Improvement Program has awarded roughly $6.9 million to 120 projects since 2000, funding up to 25% of eligible construction costs.
How to weigh in
The Tuesday, July 7, meeting is open to the public. Residents who cannot attend in person can submit comments through the DuPage County Public Comment Form online. The stormwater management office can be reached at 630-407-6673.
