Downers Grove will receive $37,550 in county grant money for water quality improvements on 39th Street, approved Tuesday, July 7, by the DuPage County Stormwater Management Committee just days after holiday weekend storms dumped up to 8 inches of rain across the county.
The vote came at the start of a brief meeting dominated by the committee's response to the July 3–6 storms. Chair Jim Zay reported that rainfall totals ranged from 3.5 to 8 inches across DuPage County, causing localized flooding over the Fourth of July weekend.
According to Zay and Director Sarah Hunn, the county's flood control infrastructure performed as designed and reduced riverine flooding during the multi-day storms. They thanked stormwater staff who mobilized over the holiday to support the hardest-hit areas.
The storms' reach extended well beyond Downers Grove. The DuPage River overflowed its banks and flooded the Naperville Riverwalk, according to the Chicago Tribune. National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Kluber told the Tribune that Naperville received between 4 and 6.5 inches of rain from Thursday night through Saturday. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources closed the East and West branches of the DuPage River indefinitely to boaters, citing swift currents, floating debris, and high water levels.
Downers Grove project moves forward
The committee unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement between DuPage County and the Village of Downers Grove for the 39th Street Water Quality Structures Project. The $37,550 comes from the county's fiscal year 2026 Water Quality Improvement Grant program, which also funded projects in Wood Dale and for the Oakwood Homeowners' Association in FY2026.
Committee member Sam Tornatore moved the resolution; member Paul Hinterlong seconded it. The item was sent to the county's Finance Committee for final processing.
The water quality structures are part of a broader construction effort on 39th Street between Highland Avenue and Fairview Avenue. According to the Village of Downers Grove, that project includes roadway reconstruction, storm sewer improvements, water main replacement, and a new shared-use path. Brian Gilmore, the village's engineering manager, oversees the work, which began in May 2026 and is scheduled to wrap up by November 2026.
Other committee action
The committee also approved the Upper West Branch DuPage River Watershed-Based Plan and a $65,000 contract with Gewalt Hamilton Associates for professional engineering and land surveying services running through November 2027.
Director Hunn noted during a budget discussion that if the county allocates surplus funds to the stormwater department, the money would go toward a grant program with municipalities to fund property buyouts or other flood mitigation projects.
The DuPage County Public Works Committee, also meeting July 7, separately reviewed the county's overhead sewer program and the status of wastewater treatment plants following the weekend storms.
The July 7 stormwater committee meeting lasted 15 minutes, adjourning at 7:45 a.m.
