Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

MWRD Resource Recovery Program

Recovering Resources, Transforming Water.

The MWRD continues its legacy of innovation and ingenuity through its Resource Recovery Program. In 2016 the Board of Commissioners adopted an ordinance to provide for the recovery and reuse of resources at the MWRD water reclamation plants.

The MWRD views used water as a collection of raw resources to be recovered and reused beneficially. Through its Resource Recovery Program, the MWRD is aiming to reduce greenhouse gases and create a more sustainable environment. The agency is accepting non-hazardous high strength liquid organic material (HSOM), high strength liquid waste (HSLW), vegetative material, such as yard waste, and wood chips. The MWRD uses these materials to produce its exceptional quality composted biosolids and renewable energy (biogas). It’s also producing fertilizer from phosphorus recovered during the water treatment process to reduce its release into the waterways.

The MWRD’s Resource Recovery Program offers a greener alternative for disposal of these resources. We accept deliveries from qualified municipalities and industrial, trade, agricultural, and other commercial companies.

Keep your waste haul local and out of landfills and incinerators. Partner with the MWRD to discard your material in an environmentally friendly manner.

Apply now for the program that fits your needs. Contact each program listed below directly for more information:

Biological Phosphorus Removal (Bio-P)

The MWRD’s Bio-P removal process is a by-permit-only program with delivery locations ready to receive high-carbon strength organic materials (HSOM). Industry users can apply now to deliver HSOM in an environmentally friendly manner at either one of the following two locations: