AbstractA totally new concept, called the Deep Tunnel Plan for Flood and Pollution Control, is being implemented by the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Chicago. The plan envisions temporary storage of combined sewer overflows in a system of tunnels excavated in solid rock, deep under the City. After the end of a storm, the stored water would be pumped to the surface where it would be treated to remove pollution before being discharged into the waterways.Early planning studies indicate that the most favorable location for the tunnels is the Galena‐Platteville Dolomite which is the uppermost member of the Cambrian‐Ordovician aquifer. The protection of this highly‐developed aquifer from any possible contamination is therefore mandatory for the feasibility of the Deep Tunnel Plan.Preliminary investigations using an electric analog model, constructed on the basis of available data, indicate that aquifer protection can be provided by a system of recharge wells which would maintain flow into the tunnels at all times. Further detailed studies are in progress to verify and refine those preliminary conclusions. These studies include (a) detailed exploratory drilling; (b) controlled aquifer tests in selected zones; (c) pumping tests for specific capacity in the zone to be tunneled; (d) recharge injection tests; and (e) analog model analysis for future effects of the tunnels and recharge opera
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