NBC Chicago: Chicago-area residents have been asked to reduce water use as a series of showers and thunderstorms are expected to deluge the area.

According to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, an “Overflow Action Day” is now in effect, with another round of showers and thunderstorms expected to arrive Tuesday evening and last into Wednesday morning.

According to the Storm Prediction Center, Chicago will be at an "enhanced" risk of severe weather on Tuesday, with all manner of weather hazards in place including tornadoes, large hail and gusty winds, in addition to rainfall rates of 1-to-2 inches per hour.

According to the Overflow Action Alert, MWRD officials are asking residents to take steps to reduce their water usage in coming days in an effort to limit the amount of water that goes into sewer systems.

Those steps include reducing the amount of time residents spend in the shower, but also apply to other things as well, including running dishwashers less frequently, reducing the number of times toilets are flushed, and delaying doing laundry until the rain has moved out of the area.

If too much water enters those systems, it can lead to flooding, including into the basements of residences and businesses.

Particularly severe flooding can result in the release of untreated or partially treated wastewater into the Chicago River or Lake Michigan, something the agency actively seeks to avoid.

According to the alert, there are a number of other steps residents can also take to reduce the amount of water entering sewage systems. Those include the installation of rain gardens or rain barrels on properties. Landscaping with native plants or planting more trees will also help to absorb more water.

Even replacing paved surfaces with water-absorbing materials can also help, according to the MWRD website.

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