We partnered with the Village of Villa Park to analyze and address persistent flooding issues within the Sugar Creek watershed, which spans 4.2 square miles across Villa Park and Lombard. Our goal was to eliminate overland and first-floor flooding during 100-year storm events by identifying and designing targeted storage and conveyance improvements that enhance stormwater management and community resilience.

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS:

Watershed Modeling & Problem Identification
We developed an XP-SWMM model of the existing watershed and storm sewer network, identifying 15 distinct problem areas contributing to localized flooding.

Conveyance Improvements
We proposed upgrades such as larger storm sewer pipes, additional inlets at depressional storage areas, and improved overflow routing to manage storm events exceeding system capacity.

Storage Solutions
We identified opportunities for stormwater detention at nearby school and park sites to reduce runoff volume before it reaches flood-prone areas.

Grant Application Support
We assisted the Village in preparing and revising a $4 million Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant application to IEMA and FEMA, including support for FEMA’s Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) process.