The project was the result of a partnership between the forest preserve district and the DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup. The funds for the roughly $9.5 million cost were raised from local wastewater treatment entities, including the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

This impressive feat of engineering not only safeguarded Chicagoans’ public health but it also transformed the city economically.

Here in Cook County, we have one of the most complex and historic water systems in the country. Much of it was built more than a century ago and has served generations of families and businesses.

Every drain in your house, whether it’s a sink, a toilet, the shower go into a sewer. And ultimately, those sewers come to the MWRD. In an average year, the Stickney facility is treating about 250 billion gallons of wastewater.

President Kari K. Steele shares insights on leadership, climate challenges, and the future of Chicago’s water systems.

In places where combined sewer overflow is an issue, using water-consuming appliances at appropriate times can help keep waterways clean. Some municipalities, like the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, offer alert programs so residents can reduce their water usage and help prevent such overflows from happening.

Ralph Exton, Executive Director for the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference, joins Your Money Matters. Ralph shares how Chicago is the definition of a water city, the innovations between water and AI, and more.

It has taken decades of cooperation between environmental groups and elected officials — including at least four mayors — to clean up the river.

The study analyzed the species of fish that spawn in the Chicago River to sustain resilient and biodiverse fish communities.

Communities can apply for reimbursement to offset the costs of constructing new stormwater infrastructure, including innovative green infrastructure solutions such as permeable pavement, rain gardens, or bioswales.