The village of La Grange is advancing two major flood mitigation projects, with one positioned to go out for bid as early as this fall.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) is in active discussions with the village on a 50th Street sewer project. Major project permits have been issued, and the village expects to enter an intergovernmental agreement with MWRD to fund the work.
“We look forward to the next steps and entering that intergovernmental agreement and going out to bid,” Village President Mark Kuchler said.
The village is also moving forward on storm and sanitary sewer televising and cleaning for a large portion of sewers located south of 47th Street.
The work is funded through a $500,000 community project funding grant administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, with support from U.S. Rep. Sean Casten. It will remove debris buildup, increase sewer capacity, and help mitigate flooding. A bid award is expected at the next village board meeting.
During public comments, resident Laura West described a worsening flood crisis. The McCook Reservoir, part of the Deep Tunnel Project, filled up six times in the first six months of 2026, compared to five times total over the previous five years, she said.
“We are in trouble,” West said. “Things are happening at a rate, a pace and intensity that is not going to bode well for the village without a lot of investment on our end.”
West described the Sunset and Elm intersection as a recurring problem spot. “Every single rain, it’s a disaster,” she said. “This is over the parkway, over the sidewalk, literally touching my house at times.”
She noted that residents who had never experienced flooding before were affected this summer.
“We had one in January. Go figure,” she said, referring to flooding in a month typically considered safe. “We’re out of town. We’re worried about flooding. We’re downtown working. We’re worried about flooding. It’s a tough way to live.”
West thanked the board and Trustee Glenn Thompson for their efforts on flood mitigation but urged faster action. “Thank you again for your efforts. We have a lot, a lot more floods ahead,” she said.