Budget
Annual Budget
Every year, the MWRD creates and shares a full financial plan for the budget year. The budget year starts on January 1 and ends on December 31. Following the laws of Illinois, the MWRD maintains a balanced budget and regularly keeps track of the money coming in and going out. It has a long history of responsible financial management and is committed to providing taxpayer value to the residents of Cook County.
Guided by the Strategic Plan, elements of the plan are incorporated throughout the budget document. The 2026 Budget is a $1.8 billion fiscally responsible spending plan that invests in public infrastructure and considers the long-term environmental and financial implications of permit compliance. It also receives federal funding to address flooding and optimizes critical asset life cycles through the Capital Improvement Program.
New for 2026 budget, the MWRD is introducing an interactive online budget dashboard.
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Overview
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District provides stormwater management and water treatment to the communities served.
Here are some of the areas where the budget is applied during the fiscal year:
Illinois Communities Served
- 129 communities
- 5.19 million people
- 882.1 square miles
Wastewater Treatment
- An average of 1.2 billion gallons treated every day
- Treatment capacity of over 2.0 billion gallons per day
Laboratory Analysis
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The MWRD projects 452,000 laboratory analyses in 2026 to monitor liquid and solids process trains to improve operations and the quality of effluents and biosolids
MWRD Strategic Plan
In 2026, $12,875,500 is allocated to new projects that support one of the five Strategic Plan Goals:
- Stormwater Management: $8,281,500
- Resource Management: $4,013,000
- Enterprise Resilience: $301,000
- Community Engagement: $250,000
- Workforce Excellence: $30,000
Infrastructure
- Seven water reclamation plants
- 560 miles of intercepting sewers and force mains
- 23 pumping stations
- 34 stormwater detention reservoirs
- Three Tunnel and Reservoir Plan reservoirs
- Controls 76.1 miles of navigable waterways
2026 Taxes and Levies
The tax rate is the amount used to calculate individual tax bills, while the tax levy is the total revenue the MWRD needs to meet its budgetary requirements. The levy is derived by applying the tax rate to the total taxable base.
- 2026 Tax Rate:
34.47 cents per $100 of assessed property
value - 2026 Tax Levy:
$758.7 million - 2026 Estimated District Tax:
$105.13 for a $100,000 home
2026 Budget
The 2026 ED Recommended Budget was released on October 21, 2025, in line with the budget cycle for 2025-2026.
To request additional information, please contact Irene Green, Budget Officer
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Call: 312-751-6547
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Mail: 100 East Erie Street, Chicago, IL 60611-3154