Have you ever wondered about where the drains, or storm water inlets, lead? You see the grates all over the Village in the streets, curb lines, and ditch lines. They all lead to the wetlands, creeks, and lakes in our community. These aquatic resources are part of what make up Antioch’s quality of life and have been identified in our Community Vision as something to be valued and protected.
The Village of Antioch is fortunate to be surrounded with abundant and diverse ecological wetland environments. Many of these environments are sensitive and protected by law against harmful contaminants. The Red Wing Slough, Des Plaines River, Sequoit Creek, and Chain-O-Lakes are all recipients of the storm water runoff that flows from our properties and into the storm drains when it rains.
Due to all of these sensitive environments, the Village of Antioch takes storm water management seriously. The Village participates in the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, Phase 2 (NPDES II) and enforces the Lake County Watershed Management Ordinance. These programs provide guidelines for communities, the construction industry, and residents on how to protect the watershed and the environment. This protection includes construction site erosion control measures, operational hygiene of industry and Village operations, and regulating what can enter the storm sewer system. The Village has nearly 70 miles of storm sewer and more than 3,700 storm water inlets, and it monitors dozens of discharge points where the storm system releases to the wetlands, creeks, and lakes.
Antioch has been a leader in storm water management and watershed protection. Antioch was the first in the state to ban fertilizers containing phosphorus in 2007. Many of the private developments in the Village have state-of-the art storm water management systems that not only clean the water prior to discharge into the environment, but also provide naturalistic habitats to augment opportunities for our aquatic species. The Village’s waste water pollution control facility is also an example of the commitment to the environment. The wastewater facility utilizes a biological removal process that uses very few chemicals and almost no chlorine to further protect the waters that surround us.
Please do your part to help us in the protection of the watershed. Never dump anything into the storm drains. Use only phosphorus-free products on your lawn and garden. Remember that our wetlands, creeks, rivers, and lakes are sensitive resources for all to enjoy and part of what makes Antioch a great place.
