Kane‑DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District reviews stormwater work, partnership with North Aurora

Tommy Burdum, resource conservationist with the Kane‑DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District, gave the board a brief annual update on the district’s NPDES/ILR10 work and its municipal partnership with North Aurora.

Burdum said soil‑and‑water conservation districts were created in the 1930s and that the Kane‑DuPage district operates as a local unit of government overseen by five elected directors. He described the district’s role as reviewing engineering and drainage plans for new development, ensuring best management practices are included before ground is broken, meeting with contractors prior to construction, performing random inspections while sites are active and conducting a closeout inspection to confirm permanent stabilization.

“We are run by an elected board of directors,” Burdum said, and noted the district coordinates with federal partners such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service and state partners including the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency on stormwater compliance.

Burdum said the district has partnered with North Aurora since 2002 and that the program focuses on projects over two acres; the village handles smaller projects in the 1–2 acre range. He said the district currently has 12 active projects that require ILR10 (NPDES) permitting and eight projects under review or inspection.

He closed by offering the district’s assistance to landowners, residents and agricultural producers with conservation questions and urged anyone with concerns to contact the district by phone or email.

Next step: the presentation concluded; no formal action was required of the board at this meeting.