09/09/2021
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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
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- Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Established in 1889, the MWRD is an award-winning, special purpose government agency responsible for wastewater treatment and stormwater management in Cook County, Illinois.
Address
100 E Erie St
Chicago, IL
60611
General information
MWRD's seven modern water reclamation plants provide excellent treatment for residential and industrial wastewater, meeting permitted discharge limits virtually at all times. The treatment process is protected by a pretreatment program to guard against hazardous substances and toxic chemicals. These are strictly regulated pursuant to federal and state requirements. MWRD routinely monitors all industries and non-residential sources to assure that wastes are disposed of in an environmentally responsible and lawful manner. Treated wastewater, along with runoff from rainfall, enters local canals, rivers and streams that serve as headwaters of the Illinois River system. Stormwater in the separate sewered area is controlled to reduce flood damages by a number of stormwater detention reservoirs. In the combined sewer area, MWRD's tunnel and reservoir project has significantly reduced basement backup and overflows to local waterways. Flow within MWRD's waterway system and the Lake Michigan discretionary diversion flow are controlled by three inlet structures on Lake Michigan: Wilmette Pumping Station, Chicago River Controlling Works and O’Brien Lock and Dam. The single outlet control structure is the Lockport Powerhouse and Controlling Works. While exercising no direct control over wastewater collection systems owned and maintained by cities, villages, sewer districts and utilities, MWRD does control municipal sewer construction by permits outside the city of Chicago. It also owns a network of intercepting sewers to convey wastewater from the local collection systems to the water reclamation plants. Call (312) 751-5106 to report blockages or stream debris to MWRD’s 24-Hour Small Stream Maintenance program. Call MWRD toll free at (800) 332-3867 or (800) 332-DUMP to report illegal dumping in a stream, illegal dumping in a sewer, and other water pollution concerns.
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The MWRD is located primarily within the boundaries of Cook County, Illinois. We serve an area of 883 square miles which includes the City of Chicago and 125 suburban communities, including 5.25 million people plus a commercial and industrial equivalent of 4.5 million people. The MWRD's 554 miles of intercepting sewers and force mains range in size from 12 inches to 27 feet in diameter, and are fed by approximately 10,000 local sewer system connections. The MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Project (TARP) is one of the country’s largest public works projects for pollution and flood control. Four tunnel systems total 109 miles of tunnels, 9 to 33 feet in diameter and 150 to 300 feet underground. One reservoir is in operation and construction is in progress on the two remaining reservoirs. The MWRD owns and operates one of the world’s largest water reclamation plants, in addition to six other plants and 23 pumping stations. The MWRD treats an average of 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater each day. The MWRD's total wastewater treatment capacity is over 2.0 billion gallons per day. The MWRD controls 76.1 miles of navigable waterways, which are part of the inland waterway system connecting the Great Lakes with the Gulf of Mexico. It also owns and operates 30 stormwater detention reservoirs to provide regional stormwater flood damage reduction. The MWRD owns approximately 9,500 acres of property in Cook County for its operations. MWRD recycles all biosolids in land application programs in northeast Illinois.
