Streeterville neighbors praise MWRD Melas Centennial Fountain
A newly renovated community landmark representing the region’s prized water resources and the service of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) was recognized by its neighbors along the north bank of the Chicago River.
The Streeterville Organization of Active Residents (SOAR) honored the MWRD with a beautification award for its work renovating the Nicholas J. Melas Centennial Fountain. The award was presented to MWRD Chairman of Finance Marcelino Garcia and MWRD staff at SOAR’s Annual Meeting held Jan. 30, at Harry Caray's 7th Inning Stretch and Chicago Sports Museum in Water Tower Place Mall, 835 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago.
“Our Melas Centennial Fountain enhances the beauty of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan while serving as a reminder of the essential work of the MWRD to protect our water resources and impact the development of the Chicago metropolitan area,” said President Kari K. Steele. “We appreciate the recognition from SOAR, the community’s passion for the fountain, and thank our staff who diligently worked to rebuild and restore the beloved fountain.”
Located on the north bank of the Chicago River at McClurg Court, the fountain is named after former MWRD President Nicholas J. Melas and was dedicated in 1989, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the MWRD’s establishment. In summer months, the fountain periodically sends an impressive 80-foot water arc across the river that can be seen from Lake Shore Drive and the surrounding skyscrapers.
During the pandemic, the fountain was significantly damaged during rainstorms and required full replacement of all of the equipment. Through the efforts of MWRD engineers, trades, laborers, and contractors, Centennial Fountain was brought back to life in August of 2024. MWRD, city officials and local aldermen, the Melas family and the fountain’s architect Dirk Lohan celebrated the return of the fountain with a grand reopening attended by neighbors, tourists and boaters dotting the main stem of the Chicago River and Riverwalk.
“The fountain is a remarkable symbol that tells the history of the MWRD’s first 100 years of protecting the public health and our water environment,” said Chairman Garcia. “Thank you to SOAR for this recognition and thank you to our engineers, trades, laborers and contractors who skillfully redesigned, reassembled and brought the fountain back to life.”
The American Society of Civil Engineers in 1999 named the MWRD work in reversing the flow of the Chicago River in 1900 as a “Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium.” The MWRD constructed local waterways, including the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Cal-Sag Channel and North Shore Channel, around the turn of the 20th century for the purpose of reversing the flow of the river with the main intent of providing drainage for the Chicago region and conveying used water. Thanks to years of investment, testing and innovation, the quality of the water has drastically improved to accommodate a range of activities along the river not imagined decades ago.
