Water Supply Planning
Agencies + Organizations
State Agencies
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is responsible largely for protecting and utilizing Illinois’ resources through proper management and conservation. Their domain extends over wildlife, forestry, and preservation. They are responsible for regulating fishing, hunting, boating, and other natural recreation.
IDNR also runs the Office of Water Resources (OWR), the leading state agency for water resource management. They are responsible for water supply planning, navigation, floodplain management, drought management, and interstate water planning. They review and distribute permits for withdrawals from public water and, in partnership with ISWS, are responsible for collecting and reporting on high-capacity surface and groundwater intake across the state. The OWR also runs the Water Supply Planning Program which funds regional water supply plans. It divides the state into ten water supply regions and one subregion to provide a more granular scale on which to study water supply and demand.
Illinois State Water Survey
The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) is an arm of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois. Their mission is to conduct rigorous research on Illinois’ water supply. Through the Illinois Water Inventory Program (IWIP), the ISWS collects data on water intakes in the state that are ‘high capacity’ or pumping at least 70 gallons per minute. The ISWS works with IDNR to identify water availability in the state and compare it to water demand to assess where water supply risks exist and guide these regions towards solutions.
State Water Plan Task Force
The State Water Plan Task Force (SWPTF) is a group of state agencies that collaborate to address water-related issues. There are thirteen core issues identified by the task force, and each issue is assigned to a lead agency’ whose role best fits. For each issue, SWPTF recommends courses of action to address them and works toward implementing those recommendations. The purview of the task force includes assessing and recommending solutions for issues related to water quality, climate change, sustainability, ecological health, and long-term funding.
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is responsible for protecting the quality of the environment to promote health, welfare, property, and quality of life in Illinois. They do this primarily by working to prevent pollution of the state’s air, water, and land resources. The IEPA maintains data and provides recommendations to municipalities, businesses, and residents on how to preserve air and water quality. The agency connects residents with information about their local public water supply and provides private water users with necessary information on how to maintain water quality within their own systems. While the IDNR is responsible for monitoring and managing water quantity in Illinois, the IEPA is responsible for monitoring and managing the water quality. Both responsibilities directly affect the availability of potable water in Illinois.
The IEPA offers a variety of grants and low-interest loans that are designed to help communities fund infrastructure to reach their water quality goals. These opportunities include grants for building and improving sewer and storm water management, replacing lead service lines, and eliminating contaminants.
Illinois Emergency Management Agency
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency ‘s goal for Illinois is to create a “better prepared state” for all types of disasters whether they are natural, technological, or man-made. They accomplish this by running programs that improve mitigation, response, and preparedness within Illinois. They also operate 24-hour emergency communications and operations centers and are also responsible for the planning and response to nuclear hazards and emergencies involving ionizing radiation.
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development (DCEO) exists to improve economic opportunity throughout the state of Illinois by being a valuable resource to both employers and employees. They invest in communities and labor, bringing businesses into the region. The agency has departments that address Community and Business Development, Equal Opportunity Monitoring and Compliance, and Broadband Development to Human Resources.
DCEO offers access to many grants that could be used for water supply planning, as many of the grants they offer exist to promote the infrastructure necessary for economic development. For example, the DCEO’s Community Development Block Grant is intended for improvement of public infrastructure and gives explicit priority to water, sanitary, and storm sewer projects.
Federal Agencies
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The US Army Corps of Engineers is a branch of the US Army that focuses on providing engineering services for both the military and the broader public. Although they were founded to focus on wartime infrastructure during the Revolutionary War, they have since expanded to many domains within civilian and military infrastructure. Their projects run a wide range from environmental conservation, hazard clean-up, and wartime infrastructure.
One of the Corps’ largest areas of focus is water management, and they are one of the nation’s largest water supply agencies. They build a wide variety of structures that reserve, divert, and control water for retention, stormwater, and navigation purposes. Because of their hydroelectric infrastructure, they are a major source of electric power in the United States. Currently, they operate 135 reservoirs that provide municipal and industrial water supply. Combined, these produce 6.1B gallons of water a day to American communities.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment. The EPA develops and enforces national environmental regulations, conducts research, and provides technical assistance to states, communities, and utilities.
While water supply planning focuses primarily on water quantity, the EPA plays an important role in safeguarding drinking water quality and supporting water infrastructure improvements. The agency provides guidance on public water systems, source water protection, drought resilience, and emerging water issues. The EPA also administers funding programs that help communities invest in drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.
U.S. Geological Survey
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is the nation’s primary science agency for studying natural resources, hazards, and environmental systems. Through extensive monitoring networks and scientific research, the USGS collects data on streamflow, groundwater levels, water use, drought conditions, and other factors that influence water availability.
USGS information helps planners, utilities, researchers, and decision makers better understand water resources and long-term trends. The agency’s data and mapping tools are frequently used to support water supply planning, drought preparedness, watershed management, and aquifer studies throughout Illinois and across the country.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) helps communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters and other emergencies. FEMA works closely with state and local governments to strengthen community resilience and reduce risks associated with hazards such as flooding, drought, severe storms, and infrastructure disruptions.
Although FEMA is not a water management agency, many of its programs support activities that improve community resilience and protect critical water infrastructure. FEMA’s planning tools, technical assistance, and grant programs can help communities prepare for water-related hazards and recover more effectively following disasters.
Organizations
Illinois Farm Bureau
The Illinois Farm Bureau is a membership organization serving the farmers of Illinois. They help their members by providing both advocacy and information. On the advocacy front, the Farm Bureau represents the state’s farmers in local, state, and federal politics to connect stakeholders to those who can affect policy change. The Farm Bureau also strives to provide the most up to date and important information to its members in all subjects that relate to farming such as the economy, environment, and politics.
The Bureau also prioritizes education and promotion of sustainable farming practices including management of water quantity and quality. They highlight how farmers can conserve water quantity and quality and spread awareness of sustainable farming practices.
PrivateWellClass.org
PrivateWellClass.org is a program run by ISWS as a resource for private well owners to learn about best practices, connect to grants, and access training workshops. The PrivateWellClass offers a free, virtual course to educate private well owners on their own time. It covers topics such as caring for a well, testing and treating water for quality, and extending a well’s lifespan. They also host webinars on a regular basis that include topics ranging from how to construct a well to how to finance a well. The PrivateWellClass runs a ‘pledge to test’ campaign that encourages well owners to test their wells once a year in return for discounts on testing kits and chances to win prizes.
