MWRD FLOW - December 2024
In this edition:
Upcoming Events
Four MWRD Commissioners to be installed on December 3
The MWRD will hold its Board of Commissioners’ Annual Meeting and Commissioners’ installation ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m.
President Kari K. Steele, Chairman of Finance Marcelino Garcia, Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis and Commissioner-elect Sharon Waller will be installed at the MWRD's Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building.
Responsible for providing financial oversight and establishing policies and procedures, the MWRD Board of Commissioners strives to meet the MWRD’s objective of protecting the water environment for the citizens of Cook County. During the meeting, President Kari K. Steele will also release the President’s Annual Message for 2024.
An "In Progress" link under the Video Column will be active when there is a meeting in session. Closed captioning is available.
MWRD Board of Commissioners December Meeting Schedule
Regular Board Meetings, Budget Hearing and Special Budget Adoption Session
The MWRD Board of Commissioners will convene for its Regular Board Meetings on Thursdays, December 5 and 19, at 10:30 a.m. Public comments are welcome during the Public Comment period at the Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building, 100 E. Erie Street, Chicago. The meetings will also be streamed live with closed captioning available.
Key December events include:
- Annual Meeting and Installation: Tuesday, December 3, at 2 p.m.
- Public Hearing on the Budget: Thursday, December 5, at 2 p.m.
- Special Meeting to Adopt the Budget: Thursday, December 12, at 10:30 a.m.
An "In Progress" link under the Video Column will be active when there is a meeting in session.
Monitoring and Research Monthly Seminar set for Friday, December 13 at 10:30 a.m.
"Hydraulic Modeling of Transient Events in the MWRDGC Tunnel and Reservoir Plan System"
On Friday, December 13 at 10:30 a.m., Mason Throneburg, Co-founder/CEO, Confluency, Chicago, and Lou Storino, P.E., BCEE, MWRD Managing Civil Engineer, will deliver a presentation on "Hydraulic Modeling of Transient Events in the MWRD Tunnel and Reservoir Plan System.”
In person: Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, Lue-Hing R&D Complex, 6001 West Pershing Rd., Cicero, IL. Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance by emailing Dr. Heng Zhang at zhangH@mwrd.org or call (708) 588-4264 or (708) 588-4059.
Virtual: Go to Seminars and Presentations on December 13 for the link to access the seminar.
For additional information, please contact Dr. Heng Zhang, Assistant Director of Monitoring and Research, at (708) 588-4264 or (708) 588-4059.
The seminar is eligible for Professional Development Credits/CEUs.
Monthly Virtual Tour set for Tuesday, December 17 at 2 p.m.
Embark on a captivating virtual tour with the MWRD.
Immerse yourself in the depths of the world's largest water reclamation facility, venture through the intricate Deep Tunnel system, encounter the enchanting dancing water bear, and witness the fascinating process of electrofishing in action. Delve into the rich history that defines us and discover the compelling stories that position the MWRD as a forward-thinking utility for the future.
Latest News
MWRD Commissioner and former President Mariyana Spyropoulos, Commissioner Daniel Pogorzelski depart the Board
Mariyana Spyropoulos, former MWRD President and Commissioner, and Commissioner Daniel Pogorzelski participated in their final MWRD Board of Commissioners meeting on November 21.
Commissioner Spyropoulos, known for her leadership and long tenure, played a key role in advancing environmental initiatives and modernizing MWRD policies. The disinfection facility at the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie will be renamed in her honor in March 2025. Read more.
Commissioner Pogorzelski, noted for his involvement in community initiatives and advocacy, contributed to efforts promote sustainable infrastructure and educating the public during his two years of service. Their departures mark the end of an era for the MWRD as the organization prepares for new leadership and continued progress in water management.
MWRD, City of Calumet City celebrate completion of four green alleys
On Nov. 14, Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus M. Jones, MWRD Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn, the MWRD Board of Commissioners, city council members, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller and other participants came together to celebrate the completion of four green alleys funded through the MWRD’s Green Infrastructure Partnership Program. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, held at 664 Hirsch Ave. in Calumet City, marked a major achievement in the city’s efforts to address stormwater management and reduce flooding risks through innovative green strategies.
The four green alleys, capable of storing up to 447,000 gallons of stormwater per rain event, are designed to mitigate flooding while demonstrating the long-term benefits of green infrastructure to the local community. This initiative is part of an ongoing collaboration between Calumet City and the MWRD to invest in sustainable stormwater management solutions.
The MWRD provided more than $528,000 toward the total project cost of approximately $660,297. These funds covered the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the green alleys.
Fitch Ratings, Standard & Poor's Global Ratings affirmed
Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed a top-tier 'AAA' rating for the MWRD citing its robust financial profile, strong revenue defensibility, and operational resilience. The MWRD's low debt leverage and strategic tax-levying capability further reinforce its credit worthiness. This recognition underscores the MWRD's fiscal stability and commitment to long-term sustainability. The MWRD has also maintained our AA+ from Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings.
President Steele brings #LovePurse initiative to MWRD to support women affected by domestic violence
MWRD staff and Commissioners donated purses filled with essential items to the #LovePurse initiative for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The #LovePurse campaign is focused on supporting women impacted by domestic violence, homelessness and/or addiction by donating purses filled with hygiene products, necessities, and notes of encouragement to women residing in domestic violence shelters. This collection was coordinated at the MWRD by President Steele and led by the Cook County Clerk's office in memory of Clerk Karen Yarbrough. #LovePurse is always seeking donations. If you need immediate help, call 911, the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 877-863-6338, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).
IT Department wins Pinnacle Award from National Association of Government Web (NAGW) Professionals
The NAGW Pinnacle Awards celebrate excellence in digital government innovation and are judged by peers and other industry professionals. The awards highlight outstanding achievements and innovation in transforming government services.
Awards were presented in categories for cities and counties and awards for state and federal organizations, microsites, and special site features. The MWRD received the award in the category of City/County Custom Website Group, Pinnacle and Members Choice.
“On behalf of the NAGW Board of Directors, we are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Pinnacle Award winners,” said Jennifer Chapman, NAGW President. “Their innovative approach and dedication to excellence in government web services not only enhance transparency and accessibility but also set a benchmark for all professionals in our field. Collectively, we are shaping the future of digital government, ensuring that everyone can engage with their government easily and effectively."
South Korean delegation tours water infrastructure
We were honored to welcome a distinguished delegation from South Korea to the Stickney WRP, Mainstream Pumping Station and McCook Reservoir this month. This visit highlights the growing international collaboration and mutual learning opportunities between our countries. Besides touring these facilities, the delegation met with staff and Commissioners and engaged in discussions about water resource management, sustainability, and innovation.
Applications being accepted for MWRD stormwater management partnership projects
Community leaders with projects that can enhance public spaces and improve stormwater management infrastructure are urged to apply to the MWRD. Applications are being accepted through early 2025 for a range of stormwater management projects that includes green infrastructure installations, flood-prone property acquisitions, and larger stormwater management projects that are both conceptual and shovel ready.
The MWRD partnerships cover a variety of stormwater management strategies and technical assistance opportunities through the following programs:
Stormwater Partnership Program helps fund the construction of traditional engineering solutions to flooding such as detention basins, storm sewer improvements, and stream channel improvements.
Green Infrastructure Partnership Program helps fund the construction of green alleys, rain gardens, permeable paving, and other natural, permeable systems that manage rainwater where it falls.
Conceptual Project Partnerships are available to local government organizations requiring assistance developing stormwater solutions, coordinating stormwater mitigation efforts, and identifying state and federal grant opportunities.
Voluntary Flood-Prone Property Acquisition Program provides funding to help municipalities acquire properties in the flood plain and give homeowners the opportunity for a fresh start.
Since receiving authority to partner on local projects over the last decade, the MWRD has approximately 250 active or completed stormwater management projects throughout Cook County working to protect nearly 19,000 homes, businesses and other structures. These partnership projects range from huge flood mitigation reservoirs to smaller scale neighborhood green infrastructure projects. These projects represent an MWRD investment of more than $533 million.
Resources
Sign up for Overflow Action Alert text messages
Sign up to receive Overflow Action Alert text messages year round. When we announce an Overflow Action Alert, you will be reminded to reduce your use of water before, during and after a storm to help prevent excess water from entering local sewers.
Join Our Team!
Are you seeking a new job?
If so, visit our online employment center to register, apply and learn more about jobs and the selection process at the MWRD. We also participate in job fairs throughout the county so stop by our table if you are in attendance! Staff in a variety of job classifications were interviewed to discuss their background and work that they do. The videos can be found on the MWRD YouTube page.
Salt Smart this winter
As the Chicago area braces for wintry conditions, residents and businesses will look to road salt to provide a stable, safer path along sidewalks, walkways, and streets. The MWRD advocates for a prudent approach to the management of road salt.
Road salt can provide safety, but it also has unwanted ramifications for the local water environment. Rock salt (sodium chloride) and salt runoff can be harmful to pets, bodies of water and soil along roadways and sidewalks. In addition, excessive road salt can impact vegetation, as well as contaminate groundwater and drinking water.
According to the Salt Smart Collaborative, chloride levels in northeastern Illinois rivers, lakes and wetlands have been on the rise for decades. The challenge with protecting Lake Michigan and the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) is that road salt use increases with urban development, and the more development, the more miles of roads and walkways that need winter deicing. All that salt eventually makes its way to area waterways, and MWRD water reclamation plants cannot always filter it out before releasing it as clean water into the CAWS.
Follow these guidelines to protect the environment:
1. Shovel first. Salt should only be used after the snow is removed and only in areas needed for safety.
2. Size up. More salt does not mean more melting. A 12-ounce coffee mug of salt should be enough for a 20-foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares (250 square feet).
3. Spread. Distribute salt evenly, not in clumps. Clumped salt is wasted salt.
4. Sweep. If there is leftover salt on the ground after the ice melts, then too much salt was used. Sweep up leftover salt to keep it out of local rivers and streams.
5. Switch. Untreated salt stops working if the temperature is below 15 degrees. When temperatures drop that low, switch to sand for traction or choose a different deicer formulated for colder temperatures.
Tips to prepare your home for excess rainwater; Read our "Green Neighbor Guide"
Fall is the ideal time to tackle projects that can make your home more resilient to stormwater.
Some actions can be as simple as not over-fertilizing your lawn and garden, installing a rain barrel or planting a native tree. No matter what you choose, the MWRD "Green Neighbor Guide" focuses on stormwater management projects that you can install on your property.
Detailed instructions are offered for disconnecting downspouts; installing rain barrels or cisterns to capture stormwater for reuse; installing dry wells and rain gardens to allow stormwater to filter into the ground; and replacing asphalt and concrete surfaces with permeable paving to reduce stormwater runoff.
What is the key to pollution prevention when it comes to are Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of manmade fluorinated compounds that are designed to be stable and have been in commercial use since the 1940s. The stability of the chemicals makes them difficult to degrade which is why they are often called “forever chemicals.” PFAS are in commercial, consumer, and industrial products and and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they are widely present in the environment; nonstick cookware, cosmetics, sunscreens, washing clothes, and fire-fighting foams can introduce PFAS into the environment.
Like other water utilities across the U.S., the MWRD is addressing how best to manage PFAS in the water environment. The MWRD’s seven water reclamation plants (WRPs) do not produce nor use PFAS but are passive receivers of these chemicals discharged to local sewers. As a result, wastewater can contain trace amounts of these chemicals from industrial, commercial and household sources. The MWRD’s WRPs were not designed to remove these chemicals during the treatment process.
The key to pollution prevention is addressing the source of PFAS.
The MWRD is closely following and proceeding based on the developing science on the potential impacts of PFAS. The MWRD is also working to identify and reduce industrial discharges of PFAS, learning how the discharge from these sources can be reduced and encouraging federal and state regulators to focus on stopping these chemicals at the source. The MWRD’s pretreatment program regulates industrial discharges to protect the treatment process and valuable resources the MWRD recovers.
Permanent Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Dispose of your household chemicals responsibly and recycle your old computers.
The public may drop them off at the City of Chicago's permanent Household Chemicals & Computer Recycling Facility at 1150 N. North Branch Street (two blocks east of the Kennedy Expressway at Division Street).
Household chemicals and computers often contain hazardous substances, such as lead, mercury, and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which can contaminate our air, soil, and water. Through proper disposal methods or recycling, these hazardous substances are reprocessed and reused in an environmentally-responsible manner.
The Household Chemical and Computer Recycling Facility accepts a range of items, including household cleaners, oil-based paints, solvents, cell phones, compact fluorescent light bulbs, computers, and related equipment, to name a few. It does not accept business/commercial sector wastes, explosives, fireworks or latex paint.
During business hours, an attendant will help unload your vehicle and accept your materials. Materials should not be left outside the facility unattended. Scheduled business hours are:
- Tuesdays 7 am - Noon
- Thursdays 2 pm - 7 pm
- The first Saturday of every month 8 am - 3 pm
Doing Business with the MWRD
The MWRD procures materials and services required for operations in compliance with the Purchasing Act. The mission of the Diversity Section is to ensure that minority-owned (MBE), women-owned (WBE), small (SBE), and veteran-owned (VBE) business enterprises are given equal opportunities to participate in the performance of the MWRD’s construction program and professional service contracts over $100,000.
Our procurement process is designed to ensure the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars, so we encourage you to register to become a vendor. Sign up for a weekly email listing new contract announcements by emailing forea@mwrd.org.
Please report waterway blockages, illegal or suspicious dumping to waterways or sewers, or odors.
Call 800-332-DUMP (3867) or in Spanish 855-323-4801
Prepare your Rain Barrel for winter
Before the first frost hits, it’s time to ensure your rain barrel is ready to weather chilly winds and changing temperatures. Follow these steps to protect your investment and be ready to utilize spring rains for your garden, flowers, and lawn!
Disconnect and Clean
Empty the rain barrel completely to avoid cracks and leaks caused by freezing water as it expands. Even a small amount of ice can lead to a cracked rain barrel. Unhook hoses, the spigot, and downspouts to prevent damage. Apply olive oil to the spigot’s ball valve. To prevent melted snow from getting into the barrel during freeze-thaw cycles, reattach the section of downspout that was cut off during installation if you still have it. Make sure the water flows away from both your foundation and your neighbor’s property. If you don’t have this part anymore, you might want to install a downspout diverter designed for winter use. Clean the barrel to remove dirt or leaves that could block it. Ensure the lid and screen are securely closed.
Store and Protect
Think about putting the barrel in a basement, garage, or under a deck. If you choose to store it outside, either flip it upside down or on its side to stop water from getting in. If the barrel is on the ground, raise it a bit to prevent it from freezing to the surface. Make sure the barrel is firmly secured as strong winds might make an empty rain barrel roll away. You can add an extra layer of protection against the cold by wrapping your barrel with insulating material or bubble wrap.
Plan for Spring
During winter, check the barrel from time to time for any cracks, leaks, or problems. If you find any issues, fix them quickly to avoid more damage. When winter is almost over and the chance of frost is gone, reconnect the rain barrel and get it ready for the upcoming rainy season.
Tour an MWRD facility
Each year, our seven water reclamation plants process approximately 450 billion gallons of wastewater. With a daily treatment capacity exceeding 2 billion gallons, the MWRD plays a critical role in protecting our region’s water quality. Learn more about the work of the MWRD on our YouTube channel, watch a virtual tour, or schedule a group tour.
Schedule a speaker
MWRD staff are eager to share information about our work and to provide residents of all ages with information and resources they can use to help reduce flooding and improve water quality.
We offer in-person and virtual presentations about our work and areas of responsibility. Our presentations include subjects such as:
- Overview of the MWRD
- Careers in water
- History of water in the Chicago region, including reversing the Chicago River
- How sewers work
- The Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, also known as the Deep Tunnel
- How wastewater treatment works
- Recovering resources from wastewater
- Stormwater management flood control
- Green infrastructure
- What you can do to protect water quality and reduce flooding
Contact us to schedule a speaker for your group or class. Please submit requests at least three weeks in advance.
Request a community event representative
The MWRD actively engages with communities across Cook County throughout the year, participating in events such as back-to-school fairs, environmental expos, farmers markets, municipal gatherings, career days, and STEM-related activities. Our representatives provide engaging materials and interactive activities designed for all ages, offering insights into our work, areas of responsibility, and practical tips on how to enhance local water quality.
Extras
Historical Photo of the Month
An eastward view along Washington Street at the intersection of State Street in Chicago on July 9, 1916.
December 2024 Calendar
A female red-winged blackbird visits a prairie within the stormwater detention areas of Heritage Park in Wheeling, where the MWRD helped provide much-needed compensatory floodwater storage upstream of the Des Plaines River to protect communities from flooding and improve grounds for the Wheeling Park District.
