Join us for a tour
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) is the wastewater treatment and stormwater management agency for Chicago and 128 suburban communities within Cook County, Illinois. We work to mitigate flooding and convert wastewater into valuable resources like clean water, phosphorus, biosolids and natural gas. If you live within our service area, the water that goes down your toilet, sinks and drains eventually comes to us to be cleaned. Nearly 500 billion gallons of wastewater is treated by our seven water reclamation plants every year. The MWRD's total wastewater treatment capacity is over 2.0 billion gallons per day. Learn more about the work of the MWRD at any time on our YouTube channel.
Virtual Tours
Travel back in time to early Chicago to see how we reversed the Chicago River and developed wastewater treatment technology. Go behind the scenes and under water to see how we transform water; descend 300 feet into the deep tunnel system, and watch our electrofishing crew at work sampling fish on the Chicago River.
Our virtual tours are free and open to the public. Registration is required.
No time on your schedule? Watch a one hour recorded tour.
| Date | Time | Registration |
| June 13, 2023 | 2pm-3:15pm | Register |
In-Person Tours
Request a walking tour and see how we treat more than 2 billion gallons of wastewater per day. In-person tours are scheduled by appointment only at our seven water reclamation plants (WRP) that are located throughout Cook County. Tours can accommodate 10-30 people, for children in 5th grade up to adults. Tours must be scheduled a minimum of 30 days in advance to allow time for processing waivers, IDs and security checks. The availability of in-person tours is subject to change at any time based on public health reports as well as operational needs.
Tour Request Form
|
Plant |
Location | Availability | Fact Sheet |
| Calumet WRP | 400 E. 130th Street, Chicago | Tuesdays, 9 am Duration: 2 hours |
Fact Sheet |
| Egan WRP | 550 S. Meacham, Schaumburg | Thursdays, 9:30 am Duration: 2 hours |
Fact Sheet |
| Hanover Park WRP | 1200 Sycamore Ave., Hanover Park | Tuesdays, 10 am Duration: 1 hour |
Fact Sheet |
| Kirie WRP | 701 W. Oakton St., Des Plaines | Wednesdays, 9:30 am Duration: 1.5 hours |
Fact Sheet |
| Lemont WRP | 13 Stephen St., Lemont | Wednesdays, 10 am Duration: 1 hour |
Fact Sheet |
| O’Brien WRP | 3500 Howard Street, Skokie | Tuesdays, 9 am Duration: 2 hours |
Fact Sheet |
| Stickney WRP | 6001 W. Pershing Rd., Cicero | Thursdays, 10 am Duration: 2.5 hours |
Fact Sheet |
| TARP Mainstream Pumping Station ("Deep Tunnel") | 6100 River Rd., Hodgkins | Thursdays, 10am Duration: 2 hours |
Fact Sheet |
Following Department of Homeland Security protocols, all adults must supply a clear copy of their state-issued ID or passport for a security check. Additionally, we collect signed waivers from every visitor regardless of age, for both minors and adults.
Please note that our walking tours take place in the rain or shine, so please dress for the weather. Additionally, you will be visiting an industrial working environment so long pants and sturdy shoes are required.
For more information, please contact tours@mwrd.org.
