>>> IT MIGHT COME AS A SURPRISE, GIVEN OUR PROXIMITY TO LAKE MICHIGAN, BUT CHICAGO'S NEIGHBORS ARE LITTLE WEST OF THE CITY COULD SOON BE FACING A WATER SHORTAGE.

IT COMES AMID HEADY FLOODING ON THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO IT POSES THE CHALLENGE OF MANAGING A GROWING IMBALANCE BETWEEN FLOODING AND WATER SCARCITY.

MEANWHILE, THE GREAT CITY INSTITUTE HAS REVEALED A PLAN TO RECYCLE CHICAGO'S WASTEWATER IN ORDER TO PREVENT A FUTURE WATER CRISIS SHORTAGE.

JOINING US WITH MORE, TERESA CORDOVA, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CITIZENS INSTITUTE AND [ INAUDIBLE ], DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION COORDINATOR.

I WANT TO WELCOME YOU BOTH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

YOUR TEAM CAME UP WITH A PLAN TO RECYCLE CHICAGO'S WASTEWATER.

WHAT IS BEHIND THE FRESHWATER SHORTAGE?

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT LAKE MISSION OR THE GREAT LAKES .

THIS IS OUR SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER IN THIS REGION.

IF WE GO SOUTH WEST OF HERE, THE AQUIFER, IS BEGINNING TO COLLAPSE.

THIS IS AN HONOR PUNISHABLE AQUIFER.

SO, WITH JOLIET, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH HAS A HIGH INDUSTRIAL FOOTPRINT AND IS LOOKING FOR SOURCE OF WATER, THEY CAME TO CHICAGO.

THE CITY OF CHICAGO HEADSET, ALL RIGHT, WE WILL ENTER AN AGREEMENT.

WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM WATER.

THE WATER WE ARE PROVIDING THEM IS DIRECTLY FROM OUR FRESHWATER SOURCE IN LAKE MICHIGAN.

BUT WE ARE ARGUING IS THAT THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.

WHEN AND IF THAT AQUIFER DEPLETES AND COLLAPSES, THERE WILL BE MORE COMMUNITIES SEEKING A SOURCE OF WATER AND WE JUST DO NOT HAVE THE AMOUNT OF WATER TO PROVIDE FOR PEOPLE.

WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS A PIPELINE SYSTEM THAT WILL ENABLE US TO PROVIDE FRESH DRINKING WATER AND FOR OTHER HOME USES AND THE RECYCLED WATER FROM THE RECLAMATION DISTRICT THAT WOULD BE USED.

>> CONCERNS ABOUT WASTEWATER ARE ALSO TIED TO FLOODING.

YOUR STUDY STATES THAT FLOODING AND SCARCITY CAN ALTERNATE IN THE SAME PLACE .

WHAT IS THE CONNECTION?

>> YOU KNOW, THERE IS AN IRONY THERE, RIGHT?

TO THINK THAT ONE GIVEN PLACE WILL HAVE FLOODING AND ANOTHER PLACE WILL HAVE DROUGHT AND, YET, IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, WE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING.

IN THE BERWYN CICERO AREA AND DOWN THE ROAD, THEY ARE EXPERIENCING DROUGHT.

A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE CHANGING NATURE OF STORM SYSTEMS.

THE WAY IN WHICH THEY ARE FORMING AND CONCENTRATING.

BECAUSE THE AREA MIGHT BE IN DROUGHT THERE ISN'T ENOUGH ABSORPTION OF THE WATER AND WHAT WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT , WHEN I SAY WE, WE ARE PROMOTING THIS, THEY'RE PURSUING MORE POSSIBILITIES AND ALTERNATIVES FOR HOW WE CAN APPROACH OUR FLOODING IN OUR WASTEWATER.

>> YOU'VE BEEN REPORTING ON THE FLOODING .

HOW BAD WAS IT AND WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM RESIDENTS?

>> IT WAS DEVASTATING.

YOU KNOW, CICERO IS A WORKING-CLASS COMMUNITY.

PEOPLE HERE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR YEARS TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR FIRST HOMES.

THEIR PEOPLE LIVE IN BASEMENTS DESPITE THE RISK BECAUSE THAT IS ALL THEY CAN AFFORD.

IF PRICES ARE TOO HIGH OTHERWISE.

WE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE FRUSTRATED THAT THEY ARE NOT GETTING ANY ANSWERS .

WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILL RECEIVE ANY ASSISTANCE.

PEOPLE ARE EXPRESSING THAT THEY CAN'T MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS.

THERE ARE PEOPLE OF TOLD US THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE A PLACE TO SLEEP.

THEY NO LONGER HAVE PLACES TO LIVE.

THERE WAS ONE WOMAN THAT I'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO WHO IT TOOK 15 DAYS FOR HER LANDLORD TO REPLACE THE REFRIGERATOR AND HER STOVE.

IT IS A LOT OF DEVASTATION THAT PEOPLE ARE FACING AND ANGER TOO THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO GET THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED, ESPECIALLY SPANISH SPEAKERS .

>> SPEAKING UP, THEY EXPRESS THEIR FRUSTRATION THIS WEEKEND.

AT TOWN HALL MEETING.

VERY UPSET RESIDENTS.

I WAS ABLE TO HEAR SOME OF THEIR COMMENTS.

WHAT KIND OF HELP OR ANSWERS ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN MAKE NECESSARY REPAIRS.

LIKE I SAID, MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS.

HAVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO RELOCATE OR TO FIND FOOD.

THERE IS A FOOD PANTRY HERE IN THE AREA THAT SERVICES 175 FAMILIES EACH WEEK.

WE HAVE BEEN SEEING PEOPLE GO TO THE FOOD PANTRY TO GET FOOD BUT THE FOOD PANTRY WAS ALSO AFFECTED BY THE FLOODS AND HAS CLOSED FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JULY.

PEOPLE AREN'T BEING ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS.

THERE'S ALSO THE CICERO COMMUNITY FARM .

FLOODING IN CICERO IS NOT UNUSUAL.

THERE HAVE BEEN FLOODS BEFORE.

WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PREPARED FOR, YOU KNOW, ANY ADDITIONAL FLOODS THAT MIGHT BE IN THE FUTURE.

I TALKED ABOUT THE LACK OF GREEN SPACES TOO.

ENSURING ACCESS THAT WE HAVE >> SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

I WANT TO GO BACK WITH YOU.

WE HAVE LESS THAN A MINUTE.

I WANT TO ASK YOU, WHAT KIND OF INNOVATION IS YOUR TEAM PROPOSING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF WATER SHORTAGE?

>> I MENTION THE DUAL PIPELINE SYSTEM.

I THINK THE OTHER THING, HERE SOME OF THE GOOD NEWS, WE HAVE A BOARD OF THE METROPOLITAN RECLAMATION DISTRICT.

A GREAT BOARD, [ INAUDIBLE ] AND ALSO GARCIA.

ONE OF THE THINGS WILL START TO SEE MORE OF IS THE USE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.

INFRASTRUCTURE THAT DECENTRALIZES SOME OF THE WATER AND THINGS LIKE THIS.

THERE IS A WHOLE NUMBER OF THINGS AROUND GREEN EMPHASIS.