Guests of all ages may take an abbreviated tour of the plant, meet with MWRD staff for interactive activities and take home free oak tree saplings, milkweed and native wildflower seeds.

The improvements, including a ramp, a retaining wall and a few braille signs, allowed dozens of area residents to access the park for the first time.

The SEPA station aerates water to support aquatic life and enhances water quality in the Calumet-Sag Channel, while offering a scenic gathering place along the waterway.

Board meetings are open to the public and can be streamed online.

Through the MWRD’s Green Infrastructure Partnership Program, the project will install permeable paver parking lanes capable of capturing up to 112,800 gallons of stormwater per rain event.

The O’Brien plant opened in October 1928. At the time, it was the largest sewage treatment facility in the world. Nearly a century later, it still serves over 1.3 million people across 143 square miles.