Imagine starting your day in Chicago or a Cook County suburb and turning on the faucet, only for no water to come out. For many of us, that sounds unimaginable. But for some Cook County residents, especially in neighborhoods facing flooding, aging pipes or lead concerns, the challenges around water are already real and constant.
On Oct. 16, we participated in Imagine a Day Without Water, a national day of action reminding us that water connects us all. It’s a moment to reflect on how essential water is to our health, our communities and our shared future and to recognize that maintaining those systems takes ongoing care, investment and partnership.
Here in Cook County, we have one of the most complex and historic water systems in the country. Much of it was built more than a century ago and has served generations of families and businesses. But as our climate changes and storms grow more intense, that infrastructure is under new strain. Too often, that burden falls hardest on neighborhoods that have already faced decades of disinvestment and environmental challenges.
At the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, we see firsthand how collaboration can make a difference. We’ve made important progress in reducing pollution, improving stormwater management and expanding green infrastructure — projects such as rain gardens, bioswales and permeable pavement that reduce flooding and make neighborhoods more livable. But this work takes all of us, residents, local governments, labor partners, community groups, and our state and federal allies, pulling in the same direction.
The good news is that progress is happening. Through efforts such as Rebuild Illinois and the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, our state is investing in infrastructure that keeps our water clean and our communities safe. These projects not only repair pipes and sewers, but also create good jobs and provide opportunities for residents to be part of building a stronger, more sustainable region.
Still, there’s more to do. Expanding green infrastructure can also help neighborhoods better manage heavy rain, reduce heat and create beautiful shared spaces for everyone to enjoy. Every family, in every community, deserves safe, clean water and protection from flooding.
Let’s commit to working together, to support one another, to share knowledge and resources, and to build a Cook County where every resident can count on clean, reliable water. Because water isn’t just a resource; it’s a shared responsibility and a promise we make to each other.
— Kari K. Steele, president, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
We need wetlands
Every day, I become more concerned about our access to clean water in Illinois. Lake County News-Sun reporter Joseph States recently wrote an article outlining the water and energy concerns related to a Grayslake data center development project in Lake County. As a young person and environmental professional who wants to see a livable future for me and coming generations, development projects like this make me concerned for the preservation of our precious waters in Illinois.
In thinking about clean water, I am reminded of a natural force that protects this essential resource in our own backyards — wetlands. Wetlands are essential habitats that act as the kidneys of the global ecosystem, filtering out pollutants and toxins before they reach our rivers and lakes. Millions of Americans get their drinking water from Lake Michigan, and wetlands play a critical role in protecting clean water within the Great Lakes region as a whole.
Although these ecosystems are crucial in protecting clean water in Illinois, they are misunderstood and do not have enough protection. In fact, wetlands lost federal protections under the Clean Water Act following a U.S. Supreme Court Decision in 2023. This circumstance, along with industrial development, urban sprawl and other human activity, has left only around 10% of Illinois’ historic wetlands remaining.
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Luckily, there is a solution! The establishment of a statewide wetlands protection program can create a system of accountability and mitigation measures that would ensure the preservation of our remaining wetlands. Access to clean water is a basic human right, and protecting our crucial wetlands ecosystems in Illinois is a great way to ensure that we will still have it in the coming decades.
I and other young Illinoisans are calling on Gov. JB Pritzker to establish the wetlands protection program. Our clean water depends on it.
— Casey Gallagher, Chicago
Importance of vaccines
As a polio survivor, I am disheartened to acknowledge a future in which polio may return. While tremendous progress has been made against vaccine-preventable diseases, in this era of global health challenges — from reduced funding to competing priorities to the proliferation of anti-vaccine sentiment — we’re at risk for the resurgence of diseases such as polio.
Although Rotary and its Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners have reduced polio cases by 99.9% worldwide thanks to large-scale immunization campaigns, Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to report cases of wild polio.
Meanwhile, outbreaks of other vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles are occurring worldwide. These diseases anywhere are a threat everywhere, including to America, because they don’t respect boundaries.
That’s why, on World Polio Day, Oct. 24, I urge readers to join me in championing immunization and publicly supporting polio eradication. Visit endpolio.org to learn what actions you can take to help stop the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases and prevent future generations from the paralyzing effects of polio that I continue to live with.
— Ina Pinkney, chef and author, Chicago
Commonsense proposal
Chicago can be a welcoming city and a safe city at the same time.
Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, has proposed a commonsense compromise on immigration that deserves broad support. His idea is straightforward: Offer legal status to our undocumented neighbors who have lived here peacefully for years and have clean records, while working with federal authorities to remove those who commit serious crimes or are tied to gangs and cartels.
Just imagine — all levels of government working together for our common good, driven by common sense, as opposed to our so-called leaders on both sides polarizing the issue for votes.
Thank you to Ald. Lopez for showing us the real leadership that is currently missing in City Hall, Springfield, and the White House.
— Carmen D. Caruso, Chicago
A great American city
My family and I made a recent visit to the city of Chicago. We had two marathoners, a toddler and family members supporting the runners. We stayed in a lovely home in a neighborhood northwest of the city. We are from Boston. Some of us had been to Chicago before, but for others, it was the first time. We all fell in love, either again or for the first time, with Chicago.
The people, the places and the diversity were invigorating. We found that people in Chicago are nice. Welcoming. Proud. Proud of community. Communities with parks and schools and Halloween decorations. Where people and their children and their dogs walk along the comfortable and safe tree-lined streets.
Strangers said “Hi!” and “Excuse me!” and “Thank you.” They smiled at us. Chicago felt like a town. Not one of the biggest cities in the United States but a much smaller, quaint place reminiscent of where we grew up or where we wished we had. And, we knew it was rich in culture. The restaurants with worldly cuisine. The public art. The zoos. The museums, and the families with backgrounds and lineages from all over the world. All making it work in Chicago.
On marathon day, there were hundreds of thousands of people in the city as we traveled about trying to see our runners. There was jubilance and friendly exchanges, and it was so organized. Nothing could have felt safer.
So, Chicago, this note is to say: Thank you! Thank you for being a great American city. We will be back.
— Julia Ridge, Boston
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