WHO: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and partners

WHAT: The MWRD’s Sustainability Summit will recognize resource recovery efforts and green initiatives the MWRD and stakeholders are taking to protect and manage the water environment. The Summit is designed to equip and empower partnering municipalities and environmental advocates with the latest trends in sustainability and educate the public on the work of the MWRD.

WHERE: This year’s Sustainability Summit will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at 10 a.m.

The MWRD’s Eighth Annual Sustainability Summit will highlight emerging programs in resource recovery and stormwater management and offer an educational forum for those who are interested in utilizing renewable resources. Viewers can gain a better understanding of the benefits of using sustainable resources like the MWRD’s EQ Compost and EQ Biosolids and learn about green infrastructures to combat flooding and improve water quality. The Sustainability Summit will cover sustainable landscaping methods and introduce ways to help Illinois restore the monarch butterfly population. The MWRD and partners will also discuss how they have enlisted goats and sheep to improve vegetation control at water reclamation plants, and how a revitalized Chicago Area Waterway System is now home to an increasing population of native fish.

Experts will share their tips, best practices, and success stories. Speakers include MWRD Board President Kari K. Steele, MWRD Senior Environmental Soil Scientist Theresa Johnston, Ph.D., MWRD Assistant Civil Engineer Paul Jacobs, Klaudia Kuklinska of the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, MWRD Maintenance Manager Aruch Poonsapaya, Ben Robel, of Vegetation Solutions, MWRD Aquatic Biologist Dustin Gallagher and Dr. Austin Happel of the Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research at Shedd Aquarium.

In addition to providing an outlet for sharing strategies and resources in promoting the environment, the Summit will honor individuals, organizations, municipalities and other agencies for modeling best practices in sustainability. The MWRD will recognize projects from across Cook County that speak to the MWRD’s mission in renewable resources, flood control and water quality improvements. The awards also spotlight the best examples of innovations in green infrastructure and sustainable landscaping practices and MWRD biosolids use. The MWRD’s EQ Biosolids and EQ Compost are a product of the MWRD’s treatment process. In addition to improving turf quality as a soil amendment or conditioner for establishing turfgrass and for mixing into custom topsoil blends, the local use of biosolids can also reduce carbon footprints. For more information about the Sustainability Summit contact (312) 751-6633 or email public.affairs@mwrd.org

Sustainability Summit 2020.pdf