MWRD commissioners adopt balanced 2024 spending plan
A $1.4 billion budget was approved to continue the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s (MWRD’s) work to transform wastewater into clean water, mitigate flooding, recover resources, protect public health and area water resources, and invest in innovation to improve water quality and lower carbon emissions.
Approximately 61.4 percent of the 2024 appropriation is supported by property tax receipts. The 2024 estimated tax for MWRD services for a $100,000 home is $103.23. The 2024 Budget prepares the MWRD for persistent inflation, demand for construction materials, and increase in the budget for chemicals, reflecting both higher costs and operational needs for changing permit conditions. The MWRD has been able to weather these financial challenges through steady revenue streams. In 2024, the MWRD anticipates more than $100.0 million in revenue through land rentals, user charge, and interest income across all funds.
The $1.4 billion budget includes the Corporate Fund appropriation of $497.3 million and the Capital Improvement Program, a $495.4 million plan which includes a Capital Improvements Bond Fund, Construction Fund, and Stormwater Management Fund, including stormwater capital projects and stormwater partnerships.
In addition to various infrastructure upgrades at MWRD facilities, the MWRD in 2024 will continue investing in local stormwater management partnerships and green infrastructure while also addressing regional projects like the Addison Creek Channel Improvements and the Robbins Heritage Park and Midlothian Creek Restoration, each of which has benefited from federal support. In 2024, the MWRD will also advance its work to study carbon management, emerging contaminants, energy neutrality and nutrient reductions in the Illinois River Basin with partners from the agricultural sector.
The budget was prepared within the framework of the MWRD’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, which established a blueprint for the MWRD to follow in meeting its mission of protecting public health and the region’s water environment.
In 2023, Fitch Ratings reaffirmed the MWRD’s AAA credit rating, and Moody’s Investor Services upgraded the MWRD’s credit rating to Aa1. Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings also upgraded the MWRD’s credit rating from AA to AA+ in late 2022. Additionally, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) recognized the MWRD with a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 48th consecutive year.