Watershed Management Ordinance and Infiltration/Inflow
Watershed Management Ordinance (WMO)
The Watershed Management Ordinance (WMO) applies to all development within the boundaries of Cook County, Illinois, and qualified sewer construction within the MWRD’s corporate boundaries or service agreement areas. Components which are regulated under the WMO include qualified sewer construction, drainage and detention, volume control, floodplain management, isolated wetland protection, riparian environment protection, and soil erosion and sediment control. The WMO went into effect on May 1, 2014.
The WMO was last amended on January 9, 2025. A summary of the amendment is here. Current versions of the WMO (redline and clean) can be viewed here.
To view the Technical Guidance Manual, click below:
Watershed Management Ordinance Permit Application Submittal System (WPASS)
To submit a new permit application through WPASS, click below:
Resubmittals addressing review comments for permits under review are also submitted through WPASS using the unique link provided during the review process.
Detailed instructions are provided below:
For any questions or assistance with submitting the permit application please email us at wpass@mwrd.org or call 312-751-3255.
Permit Fees
Fees are required when a permit application is submitted unless a project is publicly financed or is submitted as a Single Family Home application. To view of schedule of permit fees, click here Appendix F. Fees may be paid electronically or with a business check. A fee payment voucher must be provided with any permit application that requires fees. The voucher includes instructions for submitting fees in the form of business checks, and should be submitted with any payments made via business check.
To make an electronic payment for a new permit application, resubmittal, or revision, click below:
Helpful Resources
If you need to review previously issued permits for your site, submit a PI request. If you would like confirmation as to whether a permit is required for your project, you may request a permit determination. Information on how to prepare a complete permit application is available in WMO Article 3 and in Article 3 of the Technical Guidance Manual. Please also refer to the minimum submittal checklist and the permit issuance checklist for guidance in preparing complete, acceptable permit applications.
Construction Under WMO Permits
The MWRD Local Sewer Systems Section’s Field Office must be notified at least two (2) days prior to beginning work under a permit or permit revision. Send an email with the project name, location and permit number to WMOjobstart@mwrd.org, or call 708-588-4055. Request for Final Inspections (RFI) and related documents can also be sent to WMOjobstart@mwrd.org.
Click here to view a guide for Permittees and Co-Permittees about their responsibilities following issuance of a WMO permit.
The MWRD conducted information sessions about compliance with permit requirements and the role of municipalities during construction. Slides from these information sessions are available here.
The WMO Stormwater Management Report provides the cumulative progress of the implementation of the WMO, including the number of permits issued, the number of acres developed/redeveloped, and the total volume control storage, detention storage and compensatory storage approved under WMO permits.