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| TARP (Deep Tunnel Project) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) |
| Caption | Deep Tunnel project infrastructure |
| Location | Chicago metropolitan area, Illinois, United States |
| Status | Operational |
| Start | 1972 |
| Estimated cost | multibillion-dollar program |
| Owner | Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago |
TARP (Deep Tunnel Project)
TARP (Deep Tunnel Project) is a large-scale urban stormwater and wastewater storage and conveyance program serving the Chicago metropolitan area, designed to reduce combined sewer overflows, mitigate flooding, and improve river water quality. Initiated and overseen by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the program integrates deep rock tunnels, reservoirs, pumping stations, and treatment modifications to manage flow from tributaries and urban catchments across Cook County, Lake County, and DuPage County. The project interfaces with numerous agencies and stakeholders including the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and municipal utilities.
TARP consists of a network of deep underground tunnels, large off-stream reservoirs, surface conveyances, and treatment works constructed to intercept combined sewer overflows from the Chicago River system, the Calumet River, and Lake Michigan tributaries. The program addresses regulatory orders and consent decrees involving the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and local plaintiffs represented in litigation, while coordinating with infrastructure programs by the City of Chicago, Cook County, and regional bodies like the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Key facilities include the McCook Reservoir, the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant, and the O'Hare International Airport-adjacent conveyance tie-ins. TARP's goals align with federal statutes enforced by the United States Department of Justice and public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Conception of a deep tunnel system followed decades of flooding, industrial discharges, and urbanization; proposals arose amid debates involving the Chicago River, the Sanitary and Ship Canal, and shipping interests represented by the Port of Chicago. Early planning drew on precedents like the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's prior wastewater works and influent handling projects, while national context included directives under the Clean Water Act and municipal infrastructure programs interacting with agencies such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Construction began in the 1970s after environmental litigation and engineering studies by firms collaborating with universities like University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University. High-profile milestones included federal-state negotiations, bonds issued through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency framework, and agreements with the United States Environmental Protection Agency culminating in consent decrees that accelerated construction in the 1990s and 2000s.
TARP's design employs gravity-driven deep rock tunnels carved below the glacial till into bedrock strata, with diameters ranging to accommodate multi-million-gallon flows and storage. Engineering plans were informed by geotechnical investigations conducted by contractors and consultants with ties to institutions such as Argonne National Laboratory and Illinois Institute of Technology. Key design elements include shaft interfaces, portal structures, and redundant pumping capacity to transfer stored water to treatment at facilities like the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant and Calumet Water Reclamation Plant. Hydraulic modeling used software developed in collaboration with academic groups at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of California, Berkeley to predict interactions with the Chicago River and the Calumet River under storm scenarios, while construction methods referenced tunneling experience from projects like the Channel Tunnel and urban tunneling in New York City.
Major components comprise the North Side, Mainstream, and Calumet tunnel systems, shaft complexes, booster pumping stations, and off-stream reservoirs such as the McCook Reservoir and engineered basins near Joliet, Illinois and Blue Island, Illinois. Construction contractors with prior work on projects for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit system executed tunnel boring, shotcrete lining, and concrete containment works. Ancillary systems include real-time control panels linked to telemetry networks modeled on utility SCADA implementations used by agencies like the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and Commonwealth Edison for electric coordination. The program integrated remediation of former industrial sites, liaising with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for brownfield redevelopment and with the United States Environmental Protection Agency for Superfund adjacent concerns.
Operations are managed by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, coordinating with the City of Chicago Department of Water Management, regional emergency services, and state regulators. Routine activities include tunnel inspection, conveyance cleaning, pump testing, valve maintenance, and sediment management informed by guidelines from the American Water Works Association and asset-management practices taught at Georgia Institute of Technology. Overflow event response plans align with public notifications coordinated with the Cook County Health Department and monitoring data shared with researchers at University of Illinois at Chicago. Long-term maintenance contracts involve specialty firms experienced on projects for the United States Army Corps of Engineers and major metropolitan transit authorities.
TARP aims to reduce combined sewer overflows into the Chicago River and Calumet River, thereby lowering pathogen and pollutant loads affecting recreational areas, drinking water intakes, and aquatic habitats in Lake Michigan. Environmental assessments considered impacts on wetlands, riparian corridors, and migratory birds coordinated with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Monitoring programs link to academic research at University of Chicago and public-health surveillance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding waterborne disease risks. While TARP has markedly decreased overflow volumes and improved compliance with Clean Water Act standards, trade-offs include construction-related emissions, land-use changes, and the need for continued watershed-based pollution control involving municipal and industrial stakeholders.
Funding has relied on a blend of municipal revenue bonds, state revolving funds administered with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, federal grants influenced by agencies like the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation for related infrastructure, and local ratepayer charges set by boards involving elected commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Governance structures include intergovernmental agreements with the City of Chicago, coordination with county executives in Cook County and DuPage County, and oversight tied to consent decrees negotiated with the United States Department of Justice. Fiscal planning utilized financial advisors and legal counsel with experience representing public utilities in cases before the Illinois Supreme Court and federal courts.
Future work envisions completing outstanding reservoir capacity, implementing advanced treatment technologies at plants like Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, integrating green infrastructure initiatives promoted by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and Openlands, and leveraging sensor networks developed with partners such as Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University. Regional climate adaptation strategies coordinated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency may alter design storms and operational criteria, prompting updates to tunnels, pumping systems, and land-use planning in collaboration with municipalities including Chicago, Cicero, Illinois, and Oak Park, Illinois.
Category:Infrastructure in Chicago Category:Water supply and sanitation in the United States