BEVERLY — Matt O'Shea saw no less than four 100-year floods in his first term as 19th Ward alderman.
In those four years, the worst rains came in 2011 and 2012. Basements that had never seen a drop of water before filled up with a grayish mixture of sewage and stormwater, O'Shea said.
His office teamed with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District two weeks ago to combat the problem. Their solution arrived in the form of free rain barrels on Thursday afternoon.
"We are using [rain barrels] not only to conserve water but to make a dent in the amount of water going into the system," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropolous.
The water reclamation district provides the barrels free of charge, provided homeowners agree to disconnect their downspouts from the sewers. O'Shea's office set up a system for requesting the 55-gallon containers and invited constituents to submit online requests.
Howard Ludwig says if enough people use barrels it'll make a difference:
To date, some 1,700 rain barrels have been requested for Beverly, Mount Greenwood and Morgan Park. The online system will continue to take requests until the 15,000 rain barrels purchased by the district are distributed.
"We haven't seen this type of interest by other community groups," Spyropolous said.
She added that 40 percent of Cook County consists of impermeable surfaces — like roads, rooftops and sidewalks. This only adds to the already overburdened sewer system. The rain barrels are a way to provide a bit of relief and ultimately reduce the likelihood of basement flooding.
Carroll Vaughn of Beverly asked for three, terra cotta-colored rain barrels. She's lived in her home at 9601 S. Vanderpoel Ave. for 35 years.
Vaughn plans to use the water collected in the barrels in her extensive backyard garden that's home to many native plants. She disconnected her downspouts from the city sewers 15 years ago after experiencing flooding.
O'Shea wants more neighborhood residents to follow Vaughn's lead, thus reducing the amount of water that bombards the system every time a storm comes through.
"Having one home on the block with a rain barrel doesn't make a dent. Ten homes does," he said. "We want to lead the city in rain barrels."
Mary Duleba of Morgan Park began experiencing flooding on the northwest corner of her home shortly after her neighbors replaced their driveway.
Duleba believes drainage improvements along with her new rain barrel will solve the problem. She also plans to use the water to give the landscaping in the front yard a drink.
"I'm going to plant flowers when I get my act together," she said.
Residents of Beverly, Mount Greenwood and Morgan Park can request a rain barrel online at www.the19thward.com. Delivery is expected within 30 days of making a request.
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