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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Annual Budget

Every year, the MWRD creates and shares a full financial plan for the budget year. The budget year starts on January 1 and ends on December 31. Following the laws of Illinois, the MWRD maintains a balanced budget and regularly keeps track of the money coming in and going out. It has a long history of responsible financial management and is committed to providing taxpayer value to the residents of Cook County. 

Guided by the Strategic Plan, elements of the plan are incorporated throughout the budget document. The $1.4 billion budget invests in public infrastructure, tackles flooding issues, and continues a commitment to fully funding the Retirement Fund. It also receives federal funding to address flooding and optimizes critical asset life cycles through the Capital Improvement Program.

Overview

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District provides stormwater management and water treatment to the communities served.

Here are some of the areas where the budget is applied during the fiscal year:

Students at Chicago public school participate in a planting event at an MWRD-funded green infrastructure installation

Illinois Communities Served

  • 129 communities
  • 5.19 million people
  • 882.1 square miles
O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant serves a 143 square mile area in northeast Cook County

Wastewater Treatment

  • An average of 1.2 billion gallons treated every day
  • Treatment capacity of over 2.0 billion gallons per day
Laboratory analysis supports effective operations at treatment plants and meeting permit requirements.

Laboratory Analysis

  • The MWRD projects 454,500 laboratory analyses in 2024 to monitor liquid and solids process trains to improve operations and the quality of effluents and biosolids

Kayakers on the Main Stem of the Chicago River

MWRD Strategic Plan

In 2024, $15,519,400 is applied to new projects that support one of the five Strategic Plan Goals:

  • Stormwater Management: $9,013,300
  • Resource Management: $4,978,300
  • Community Engagement: $791,400
  • Enterprise Resilience: $386,400
  • Workforce Excellence: $350,000
Thornton Composite TARP Reservoir has a capacity of 7.9 billion gallons and serves the Calumet region

Infrastructure

  • Seven water reclamation plants
  • 560 miles of intercepting sewers and force mains
  • 23 pumping stations
  • 33 stormwater detention reservoirs
  • Three Tunnel and Reservoir Plan reservoirs
  • Controls 76.1 miles of navigable waterways
North Shore Channel Waterway Control Structures

2024 Taxes and Levies

The tax rate is the amount used to calculate individual tax bills, while the tax levy is the total revenue the MWRD needs to meet its budgetary requirements. The levy is derived by applying the tax rate to the total taxable base.

  • 2024 Tax Rate: 
    35.31 cents per $100 of assessed property value
  • 2024 Tax Levy: 
    $693.7 million
  • 2024 Estimated District Tax: 
    $103.23 for a $100,000 home

2024 Budget

2024 Budget Cover – Final

The Final Budget was released on January 17, 2024, in line with the budget cycle for 2023-2024.

Download the Final Budget

Budget in Brief 2024 mockup

The Budget in Brief overviews the formal budget book and the organization’s core mission, operations, and budget.

Download the Budget in Brief

To request additional information, please contact Irene Green, Budget Officer

  • Call: 312-751-6547

  • Mail: 100 East Erie Street, Chicago, IL 60611-3154