Welcome
As development continues to dominate the Illinois landscape, state, federal and local laws are enacted in an attempt to curb the adverse effects on water quality such as soil erosion and polluted storm water runoff. State regulations such as NPDES permits and the Federal Clean Water Act are prominent laws that most professional developers deal with on a daily basis. Information is readily available for these regulations through the appropriate agency web sites. However, there "other regulations" at the local level that may not be so obvious that are equally important in protecting water quality. These local regulations include Countywide Stormwater Ordinances, Floodplain and Floodway restrictions, wetland protection/mitigation laws, municipal ordinances, Drainage District restrictions and even local watershed groups promoting best management practices to reduce the adverse impacts of development.
The ilwaterquality.net website is an education/awareness tool which allows access to water quality related regulations at the federal, state and local levels. It provides access to local ordinances and technical information through direct use of the website or by a variety of links. The ilwaterquality.net website allows the user to access local ordinances for a specific county and municipality they intend to work in. As a result developers will be better able to plan their development and know in advance the regulations they will need to deal with. The website also provides technical and educational resources needed for implementation, inspection and maintenance.
As you use the website you will notice that some Counties and Municipalities do not have a website listed. This is because they do not presently have a website online. If that is the case then the County or Municipality should be contacted directly for any needed information.