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The Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (abbreviated TARP and more commonly known as the Deep Tunnel Project or the Chicago Deep Tunnel) is a large civil engineering project that aims to reduce flooding in the metropolitan Chicago area, and to reduce the harmful effects of flushing raw sewage into Lake Michigan by diverting storm water and sewage into temporary holding reservoirs.
- A Visionary History
- Groundbreaking Technology
- Extreme Weather Challenges
TARP’s roots stretch back to the early days of Chicago’s long history—and necessity—of aquatic engineering. Chicago is built upon a swamp, and for decades engineering projects like TARP have worked to maintain balance in how the city’s water fluctuates and flows. The city sits at the nexus of two major waterways: the Chicago River, which flows thro...
The foundations of TARP are a system of large tunnels and vast reservoirs designed to capture overflow in rainy weather, which is then pumped into one of the system’s seven water reclamation plants to be cleaned. And when they say big, they mean it. “You could stack 12 Soldier Field stadiums inside Thornton Composite Reservoir and more than 11 insi...
As extreme weather events become more common, TARP engineers have grappled with the challenge of designing a system to support more dramatic cycles of flooding. “Climate change alters the hydrological cycle, leading to changes to the amount, timing, form and intensity of precipitation,” Fore said. “As the agency responsible for managing both region...
The MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, also known as TARP or “The Deep Tunnel,” is a system of deep, large diameter tunnels and vast reservoirs. TARP is designed to reduce flooding, improve water quality in Chicago area waterways and protect Lake Michigan from pollution caused by sewer overflows. McCook Reservoir is located between the ...
The $4 billion Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), better known as “The Deep Tunnel,” is the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's answer to water pollution and sewer backup problems in 52 municipalities in Cook County. Begun in 1975, and at one time the nation's largest municipal water pollution control project, it ...
Fifty years ago this October, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) formally adopted the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) to reduce the worsening flooding and pollution problem caused by combined sewer overflows, and in the process protected regional waterways and Lake Michigan for generations to come.
It’s one of the largest civil engineering projects in the world—the Chicago Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) is the City's answer to water pollution and sewer backup problems. A system of deep, large diameter tunnels and vast reservoirs, the TARP is designed to reduce flooding, improve water quality in Chicago area waterways, and protect ...
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Jun 20, 2023 · Chicago was expanding rapidly, with the population rising from 30,000 in 1850 to 500,000 by 1870. This rapid growth made it necessary to create an efficient transportation system. The tunnels were constructed with two goals in mind: to improve public transportation, and to reduce the noise and pollution caused by the city’s booming population.
