There was a celebration Thursday as phase one of a multi-million dollar public project to reduce flooding was completed.

The event brought together key industry experts, including hydrologists, engineers, planners and sustainability leaders, sharing valuable insights on building resilient, eco-friendly communities for the future.

The MWRD and project partners will celebrate the progress made on the Robbins Heritage Park and Midlothian Creek Restoration Project.

The 600-acre-foot reservoir, designed to capture 195 million gallons of storage capacity, was completed in 2023.

MWRD aquatic biologists conduct fish monitoring periodically at 26 locations throughout its service area, which includes the Chicago, Calumet, and Des Plaines River Systems.

The group visited the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan McCook Reservoir, and the Mainstream Pumping Station where they discussed water reclamation efforts and explored shared goals in sustainability and infrastructure.

The 18-person team’s latest finding has helped science inch closer to answering a question that’s perplexed researchers for years: Can the bacteria that cling to plastic bottles in rivers eat up all of that plastic and help get rid of that pollutant?

For The Love of Water (FLOW) is a summary of news from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.