Frequently honored for its work protecting the regional water environment, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) is now being praised for its web presence. 

The MWRD’s new website launched in late 2023, was honored by the National Association of Government Web Professionals (NAGW) with a Pinnacle Award in the category of “City/County Custom Website Group and the Members Choice award.

“Thank you to the National Association of Government Web Professionals for recognizing our new website, and congratulations to our staff for these notable accolades,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. “In a digital age where communications, transparency and accessibility matters, we are proud to deliver this user-friendly and informative website.”

The website offers insight into the MWRD’s work treating wastewater, managing stormwater and protecting area waterways and the source of the region’s drinking water in Lake Michigan. Meeting its Strategic Plan goals in community engagement, resource management and enterprise resilience, the website provides an enhanced user experience for residents, businesses, industry professionals, vendors, educators and local municipal and governmental partners.

Residents are provided with tools and information they can use to take action to help reduce flooding and protect water quality. Partnership opportunities on an array of stormwater management and resource recovery programs are regularly posted and business opportunities are updated weekly. Future employees can apply for jobs, and a multitude of educational resources are available for students and other learners.

The NAGW Pinnacle Awards celebrate excellence in digital government innovation and are judged by peers and other industry professionals, according to the NAGW. The awards highlighted outstanding achievements and innovation in transforming government services.

“On behalf of the NAGW Board of Directors, we are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Pinnacle Award winners,” said NAGW President Jennifer Chapman. “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.”

Awards were presented in categories for cities and counties and varying populations and for state and federal organizations, microsites, special site features and excellence in digital innovation and engagement. 

In addition to revamping the website for desktop, table and smart phone users, the MWRD made the website available in numerous languages most spoken in Cook County, including English, Spanish, Polish, simplified Chinese, Tagalog, Arabic, Korean, Russian, and Urdu. 

“The new website will make a lasting difference in meeting 21st century challenges in protecting water, by giving us an enhanced tool to collaborate with partners and educate the communities we serve,” said MWRD Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn. “We thank the National Association of Government Web Professionals for this recognition and our staff in IT, Public Affairs and interdepartmental leaders for developing a user-friendly design, improved search engine, interactive tools, and video content that connects with more visitors to our website.”

After 135 years, the MWRD remains a stalwart leader in protecting public health and the region’s prized water resources for 5.19 million people living in Chicago and 128 surrounding municipalities. Since its first assignment to reverse the flows of the Chicago and Calumet rivers, to today managing water impacted by the effects of climate change, the MWRD finds no challenge too large. Each day on average, the MWRD treats about 1.2 billion gallons of wastewater, transforming it into clean water and returning it to the environment, while managing stormwater, mitigating flooding and keeping 76 miles of waterways healthy and navigable.