Hundreds of visitors flowed into the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant (SWRP) to see how the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) sustainably transforms the region’s wastewater into clean water, recovers resources and protects the environment.

The MWRD held an open house at SWRP earlier this month, providing interactive demonstrations, presentations and tours of the facilities to educate all ages on the critical work that takes place each day to serve 2.2 million people living in central Chicago and 46 surrounding suburbs. More than 360 people visited SWRP as part of the open house to learn about this important work.

“Many thanks to all visitors who attended our open house to learn more about our essential work in protecting Cook County waterways by treating wastewater and managing stormwater,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. “Each open house provides a chance to highlight MWRD career opportunities and welcome the communities we serve."

SWRP is considered one of the world’s largest plants for the volume of water and the secondary treatment offered. What takes about six weeks in the environment can be done in about 12 hours at SWRP through filtering, screening and a biological process that relies on added oxygen and a population of microorganisms. 

The facility can treat up to 1.44 billion gallons of wastewater and stormwater in a day, amounting to 1 million gallons per minute. In addition to reclaiming water, the MWRD recovers energy, nutrients that can be used for fertilizer and biosolids used as soil amendments. In 2024, the MWRD treated over 250 billion gallons at SWRP alone. 

“We manage unpredictable circumstances like major storms and water pollution through a wide range of infrastructure and technologies that require different skills and expertise,” said MWRD Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn. “At the open house, we share why this work matters and encourage residents at home on the importance of water conservation and how they can protect drains and sewers from unwanted pollutants that can flow to our facilities and impact the environment. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to this informative event.”