The Thornton Reservoir should help stop Far South Side basements from flooding. View Full Caption MWRD

CHICAGO — Officials Thursday released video of sewage and stormwater going into the Thornton Reservoir for the first time, a development that is expected to help prevent basement flooding on the Far South Side.

The video shows water entering the former quarry off Interstate 294 in suburban South Holland on Thanksgiving, eventually rising to 17 feet, or 400 million gallons. That was about 5 percent of capacity, according to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

The $429 million project has been described as "Chicago's Grand Canyon" and is reportedly the largest in the world. Officials have said solar-powered aerators will hold down odors until the water can be pumped about 5 miles to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant for treatment.

"In past years, that polluted, untreated water would enter our waterways or worse, our basements," reclamation district president Mariyana Spyropoulos said.

Put on your boots and take a look:

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