Comment by danjayh

The crazy thing about this article is that it presents Chicago's solution (make the combined sewer bigger), then solutions that are being tried in other cities (increase permeability), and then completely ignores the entirely successful solution that's been used by Grand Rapids (and soon Lansing) on the other side of the lake: Separate the storm and wastewater sewers. Grand Rapids used to regularly have sewer overflows into the local river (not flooding, though - there was enough capacity to actually get the crap and water into the river). Over the last few decades, a separate storm sewer has been built, and this water can be treated more quickly. The storm sewer skims off things like oil, etc. and then returns the rainwater to the river and lake. No impact on the shit sewer. No shit and piss in the river, no shit and piss in the lake. It works, and it's what should be done in other cities that have this problem (and maybe a little bit of permeability on the side).