ALBANY PARK — Chicago is under a flash flood watch, with heavy downpours forecast for Wednesday.
This calls for an Overflow Action Day, recommended by Friends of the Chicago River.
Because all of the city's water travels through the same pipes, cutting consumption can make a difference when stormwater threatens to overwhelm the system.
And yeah, that means not flushing after every bathroom break.
Other conservation tips during heavy rains: Hold off on doing laundry, taking showers or running the dishwasher.
Got a storm drain in the street outside your home? Check to make sure it's cleared of debris.
At issue: Neighborhoods like Albany Park and North Park have experienced two "100-year" floods in the last decade, with water pouring into the Chicago River, streets and basements when sewers couldn't handle major rainfalls.
Patty and Matt Bubala debate how far people are willing to go to reduce water usage:
Daily actions that can lessen the water load:
• Take shorter showers and install a low-flow shower head.
• Turn off the faucet when you're not using it while brushing your teeth, washing your face or scrubbing dishes.
• Wear clothing — like jeans — more than once before washing.
• If you have a dishwasher, load it up to the max. Washing the occasional bowl or coffee mug instead of fully loading up the dishwasher wastes water.
Overflow actions also can happen outside the home: Install a rain barrel; make sure your downspout isn't directly connected to the sewer system; and add native plants, which have deeper roots and absorb more water, to your garden.
As of Wednesday morning, the Chicago River's measured depth at the Albany Avenue gauge was just 1.43 feet. "Action" stage is 5 feet, flood stage is 7 feet. In April 2013, the river crested at 8.85 feet.
RELATED:
• Flood Wall Proposed While Albany Park Tunnel Under Construction
• New Albany Park Tunnel Project Will Prevent Flooding, City Says
• Phew, Chicago River Tops Out Under 6 Feet; Flood Averted ... For Now
• Chicago River Flooding: 'This Never Had to Happen'
• Crews Transport Residents by Boat as Heavy Rains Flood Northwest Side
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
