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News Coverage 2015 |
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December 2015 |
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2015_December_WE&T_OConnor_reuse panel.pdf
2015 Fall Clarifier_Pagilla.pdf
2015 Fall Clarifier_Pershing Garden.pdf
15 1202_Beverly Review_energy savings.pdf
2015 Fall Clarifier_Lab Committee.pdf
2015 November_Opflow_Calumet.pdf
2015_December_WE&T_panel discussion.pdf
15_December_WE&T_Shore_keynote.pdf
“Bellwood Mayor Frank Pasquale,” Fra Noi (IL)
Summary: A profile of Bellwood Mayor Frank Pasquale which details his leadership on the Addison Creek Restoration Commission, and a successful partnership with the MWRD to reduce flooding along Addison Creek.
http://www.franoi.com/government/bellwood-mayor-frank-a-pasquale/
“What Happens after You Flush? The Work Never Stops at St. Paul Wastewater Treatment Plant,” Star-Tribune (MN), link to video
The Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant can process 251 million gallons per day using a ramped-up biological process that mimics what occurs in nature. The plant, which handles the bulk of Twin Cities sewage, is about to undergo $137 million in upgrades.
Full article text: Most Twin Cities residents don’t think twice
about what they flush down the toilet, as long as it doesn’t return. But
processing human waste is a sophisticated, full-time job for one of the nation’s
largest treatment plants, in St. Paul.
The Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant, owned and operated by the
Metropolitan Council, is preparing for $137 million in improvements over several
years. The upgrades, the second phase of projects identified more than 10 years
ago, target everything from air systems to electrical distribution at the
77-year-old plant.
Such maintenance is common at the facility, but offers a window into the web of
operations — from tiny microorganisms to massive incinerators — that purify the
wastewater of a third of Minnesota’s population. The process churns 24 hours a
day on the sprawling campus tucked between the Mississippi River and Pigs Eye
Lake, at the tail end of an industrial road.
It’s the kind of place with buildings labeled “sludge processing,” where staff
members say things like “there’s really a high BTU value in scum.” But it also
has a good reputation, winning perfect-compliance awards for three consecutive
years from a national industry group that tracks plants adherence to state
discharge permits.“
For a typical plant, there’s hundreds of opportunities every year for something
to not be quite what it’s supposed to be,” said Glen Daigger, a professor at the
University of Michigan who has worked at the plant as a consultant. “For a plant
to go years and years and be in full compliance, it’s a pretty difficult thing.”
That’s important, since the final product ends up in the Mississippi River about
24 hours after it arrives. “The [treated] water is cleaner than the river it’s
going into,” said Mike Mereness, assistant general manager of operations at
Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, which oversees all the plants.
The plant’s 250 million gallon daily capacity makes it the 10th-largest in the
country — the largest is in Chicago — and it normally handles about 170 million
gallons a day. It is by far the largest of eight plants owned by the Met
Council, serving more than 60 Minnesota cities.
‘We’ve had bowling balls’
Arriving water has already traveled from smaller city sewers to larger pipes
owned by the Met Council. Its first stop at the plant is a series of screening
bars half an inch apart that catch larger debris and deposit it ontoconveyor
belts.
That grayish pile of material, largely unidentifiable except for plastic pieces,
rags, condoms and feminine hygiene products, is sent to a landfill. “We get
rubber duckies. We’ve had bowling balls. Two-by-fours, etc.,” Mereness said.
Flushed medications are a bigger concern, Mereness said, since many can’t be
fully removed in the treatment process.
He added: “We’ve had phone calls where somebody said, ‘I’ve flushed my diamond
ring down the toilet. Can you keep an eye out for it?’ And we’ll say yeah, but
the reality is we don’t find those diamond rings very often.”
As water settles in special tanks, gritty “sludge” and floating “scum” are
removed. Then oxygen is added to support microorganisms that feast on nutrients
and organic matter, such as feces, dissolved in the cloudy water. Another round
of settling removes the microorganisms. A mixture of the sludge and
microorganisms are then incinerated, helping power or heat the facility
depending on the time of year.
The biological process is a ramped-up version of what occurs in nature because
of ideal conditions in the tanks. But the population of bacteria, protozoa and
rotifer microorganisms must be limited. Otherwise, Mereness said, “You get too
many people at the table and not enough food.” Renewing the plant A public
hearing on the package of improvements, which must be approved by state
regulators, is planned for January. The changes over seven or eight years
include replacing old equipment in the aeration tanks, updating the electrical
and drainage systems, and adding a second pipe accepting water from the South
St. Paul area. The upgrades will also allow the plant to burn fatty material
that is now sent to a landfill.
Renewing the plant is a constant job. Improvements added up to about $135
million between 2004 and 2014, and about $200 million in the decade before that,
according to the Met Council.
Most of the funding comes from payments made by cities, which pass along those
costs to residents. The average annual rate for households served by the Met
Council was $242 in 2013, though it was about $290 in Minneapolis and St. Paul —
the largest cities served by the Metro plant.
Those are below the national average rate of $435 in 2013, as tracked by the
National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). The Metro plant has
received three consecutive NACWA “gold” awards for full compliance with its
state discharge permit, ranking it among the top third of plants represented by
the association, said Mark Hoeke, a consultant for NACWA.
Scott Strand, executive director of the Minnesota Center for Environmental
Advocacy, whose organization is suing the state for not imposing more stringent
phosphorus limits on sewage treatment plants, speaks positively about the Metro
facility.
“I think they’re timely with making upgrades when they’re necessary,” Strand
said. “They do a good job of monitoring.”
http://www.startribune.com/what-happens-after-you-flush-the-work-never-stops-at-st-paul-plant/363206821/
“Celebrating National Success in 2015,” Healthy Schools Campaign
Summary: Healthy Schools Campaign is committed to creating the conditions of student health and wellness so that every child has the opportunity to attend a healthy school. We bring a simple approach to this vision: empower, advocate and build. We empower school stakeholders, advocate for policy change and work to build the capacity to implement these changes. In May, we hosted the first National Green Schoolyards Summit here in Chicago. Given our work in Chicago to transform schoolyards, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to share and learn with other green schoolyard leaders from across the country. This summit brought together leaders and experts from across the country to share and learn about several
different types of green schoolyard models, and to explore innovative partnerships and funding streams that support the development of green schoolyards. We also heard about the impact these schoolyards are making—from improving standardized test scores, to increasing teacher satisfaction and retention, to managing stormwater and increasing physical activity—as proof that green schoolyards are both school and community assets. We will publish a report about this summit in early 2016. The summit was also an incredible opportunity to showcase Space to Grow, the green schoolyard initiative we launched in Chicago last year in partnership with Openlands. In October, we debuted our first Space to Grow schoolyards at four Chicago elementary schools, and work is currently underway on six more to open this fall. By navigating the intricacies of a large urban city like Chicago and tapping creative sources of funding, Space to Grow has captured the attention of other cities and organizations from across the country.
Thanks to the early success of Space to Grow and its unique program model — which brings together leadership and funding from three public agencies: Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Department of Water Management and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago — Chicago has joined this important movement. With exciting schoolyard projects taking place in cities across the country — from Berkeley, California; to Houston, Texas; to Chicago; to New York City; and lots of cities in between — a national conversation was an important step in helping this important work that does so much to improve our schools and communities become a national priority. And we’re going to keep the conversation going. A full report of the summit that will include learnings and outcomes from our time together in Chicago, and next steps for the green schoolyards movement, will be available
https://healthyschoolscampaign.org/policy/education/celebrating-national-success-in-2015/
“News Now,” Canton Daily Ledger (IL)
Summary: The Fulton County Board approved a lease with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago that deals with the use of the Fulton County Campgrounds. Fulton County State's Attorney John Clark said the lease is similar to the others with MWRD, but this one will last for 39 years. It will begin Jan. 1 and end Dec. 31, 2054.
http://www.cantondailyledger.com/article/20151222/NEWS/151229883
2015 Fall Clarifier_WEF Awards_Avila.pdf
2015 Fall Clarifier_Presidents Corner_Storino.pdf
15 1119_Regional News_Walsh.pdf
“How Catfish and Algae Are Cleaning Up the Chicago River; The two are something like an odd couple in the fight to
restore the river to health,” The Atlantic
Full article text:
Baby channel
catfish at the first big release in October 2014
(Friends of the Chicago River)
In the world of
angling, voracious
channel catfish are considered an easy catch. Thanks to the
catfish’s ability to “manage some degradation”—as Margaret
Frisbie, executive director of the nonprofit
Friends of the Chicago River, puts it—releasing the hardy
fish into Chicago’s river system is a simple way to show the
effects of water pollution and measure signs of progress.
“The channel catfish is the canary in the coal mine,” Frisbie says. “If they can survive, other things can happen.”
In a city like Chicago, which took a mandate from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2011 to start the cleanup of the notoriously polluted three-pronged branch of the Chicago River,
that’s important.
A decade ago,
Frisbie, who began working with the advocacy group in 2000,
dreamed up and had built a 42-foot-long
floating fish hotel: an island made of coconut fibers filled with native plants, demonstrating how downtown Chicago could offer a habitat where fish could easily thrive. Now that vision
is becoming a more permanent reality.
Earlier this year, backed by a $300,000 grant, Frisbie’s group and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources completed a
two-year-long project of releasing 195,000 baby channel catfish
into the river system and creating 400 nesting cavities made of
permeable concrete tubes, which mimic submerged logs.
“You should have
seen it,” says Frisbie. “They came up from southern Illinois in
a truck, and were shot out of pipes into the river.”
This year and last, a total of almost 200,000 catfish were released into the
Chicago River. (Metropolitan Water Reclamation District)
This is the
biggest fish release in the Chicago River’s history, and Frisbie
says it will take four or five years—the time it takes a catfish
to mature—for advocates to see the long-term effects. Back in
the 1970s, there were only an estimated five to seven species in
the water (channel catfish not among them), compared to more
than 70 species today. That long-term gain in ecological health
is what made the project possible. “It wasn’t worth doing until
we knew it would be successful. We’ve finally gotten the river
to the point where we could do this,” Frisbie notes.
Although channel
catfish are native to the region, until recently they have been
in limited in numbers due to poor water quality and lack of
habitat. Two of the biggest contributors to the river’s
degradation: phosphorus and nitrogen, which reach the river
through, among other things, human waste, and cause algae to
grow like mad.
Scientists
actually refer to phosphorus and nitrogen as nutrients. Dale
Robertson, a research hydrologist for the U.S. Geological
Survey, describes it this way: “At first, the nutrients help the
algae to grow overabundantly, and the fish can eat more. But
then the algae becomes so much, then it dies and decomposes,
taking the oxygen out of the water. It’s like putting food into
an aquarium—if you put too much in, you have problems.”
Right now,
Chicago is dealing with an aquatic buffet where the food is
rotting.
Phosphorus is a
mineral found in humans, animals, and plants. Although it is a
pollutant and can cause algae blooms (the reason many states
have banned it in dish detergent), it is also an essential
element which helps repair tissue and build strong bones and
teeth, and a non-renewable resource that can be recovered and
reused.
Unlike other
states in the Midwest, Illinois hasn’t set limits on how much
phosphorus can be allowed in rivers and streams. There are
plenty of factors that contribute to Chicago’s high phosphorus
and nitrogen levels. The city is only starting to disinfect its
treated sewage before dumping it back into the river. Another
factor is combined sewer overflows. Although these have declined
substantially in recent years, raw sewage is still regularly
released into Chicago’s river system.
Unlike other
states in the Midwest, Illinois hasn’t set limits on how much
phosphorus can be allowed in rivers and streams.
In anticipation
of state regulation, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
(MWRD) will open the world’s largest phosphorus recovery plant
in February. The district will add chemicals to sewage to make a
fertilizer product it can sell.
It’s also begun
testing another method to help recover phosphorus. Surprisingly,
the idea involves cultivating algae inside one of its plants.
The algae eats the phosphorus while it's in wastewater. After
being cultivated, the algae can be scraped off conveyor-like
belts and sold for a profit.
“We already know
algae recovers phosphorus and nitrogen from the wastewater, and
when you don’t want it to grow, it will grow and it becomes a
nuisance,” says Tom Kunetz, assistant director of engineering
for MWRD. “But if we can control the growth of the algae ... it
can become a benefit to us.”
A six-month pilot
that concluded earlier this month didn’t yield enough algae to
be commercially viable. However, in September, the district
started a one-year study at its O’Brien plant using a
revolving algal biofilm reactor (nicknamed RAB) that was
developed at Iowa State University.
Vertical conveyor
belts, about six feet tall and three feet wide, revolve in a
continual loop, dropping into 1,200 gallons of wastewater and
then climbing into the air as multiple types of algae grow
on them.
The
algae-growing conveyer belts of the RAB system (Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District)
The algae scrapes off “like a sticky tomato paste,” Kunetz says, adding that it can then be composted and used as a fertilizer or as organic
waste to feed anaerobic digesters.
If this method ends up being permanently deployed, Kunetz says it would help
reduce phosphorus and nitrogen levels in Chicago’s wastewater,
and potentially in other cities’, too.
That means
catfish—among other species—will be able to breathe a little
easier. Next summer, the state Department of Natural Resources
will begin conducting tests near the catfish nesting sites to
see if the fish are eating and hatching babies.
In the meantime,
Frisbie and her fellow river advocates will research other
cities’ approaches and discuss more ways Chicago might reduce
its phosphorus levels.
“We have to take
what other people have done and figure out the answer for our
own water system,” she says. “We are on a voyage of discovery at
this point. We are at the very beginning.”
http://www.citylab.com/weather/2015/12/how-catfish-and-algae-are-cleaning-up-the-chicago-river/420996/
2015_October Irish American News_Thornton_2.pdf
15 1009_Archer Journal_Green Clean.pdf
15 1031_Crusader_VP McGowan_DC.pdf
“Then & Now: Bubbly Creek—Chicago,” Herald-News (IL)
Bubbly Creek—Chicago then.
Full article text: The opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal stimulated
agricultural development in the region and helped to generate
the growth of new business enterprises tied to agriculture. As
towns formed along the canal route, farmers settled in the area
and helped spur the economic growth of the Illinois Valley. The
efficiency of Chicago’s grain elevators, such as the Rock Island
Elevator, allowed the city to compete successfully with St.
Louis where grain was loaded in sacks by hand. Settlement
patterns also increased the demand for lumber in the region. The
I&M Canal allowed for lumber from Michigan and Wisconsin to be
easily processed and shipped on water to markets south, east and
west of Chicago.
The eastern end of the I&M
Canal was located in the Chicago community of Bridgeport. While
little remains of the canal in the location, small remnants
still can be found in the area.
The old turning basin,
located near the 2800 block of South Ashland Avenue where the
South Branch of the Chicago River joins the Sanitary and Ship
Canal, still is visible.
To the right of the turning
basin is the southern fork of the South Branch known as Bubbly
Creek. The South Fork of the South Branch of the Chicago River
is a 6,600-foot channel that begins near 38th Street at the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s
Racine Avenue Pump Station and flows north to the South Branch
of the Chicago River.
Before modern waste
management practices, sanitary sewage, industrial waste and
animal waste from the adjacent Union Stockyards were disposed in
the creek for conveyance downstream. Bridgeport was home to the
Chicago Union Stock Yards and the big “disassembly” factories of
Swift, Armour and Morris. The organic material from the
stockyards remaining at the bottom of the creek still generates
bubbles that have earned the south fork the nickname of “Bubbly
Creek.”
While much of the
contamination was from the Union Stockyards, there were other
plants along the South Branch and Bubbly Creek that had
manufactured gas for streetlights and other uses throughout
Chicago. Those industrial plants left behind organic compounds,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons metals and other inorganic
material that also contaminated the area.
Plans for a multimillion
dollar restoration plan have recently stalled while the
Environmental Protection Agency determines the extent of water
and sediment contamination in the area. The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers had proposed restoring about 44 acres of water
surrounding land in part by covering the creek bottom with 6
inches of sand and 6 inches of rocks.
The then
photograph shows a view of Bubbly Creek and the old turning
basin. The now image shows a similar view today.
http://www.theherald-news.com/2015/12/18/then-now-bubbly-creek-chicago/ac6au1d/?page=2
“Experiment Looks at Effect of Pharmaceutical on Fish,” Post Bulletin (Minn.)
Lina Wang, a first-year graduate student, checks
the rate of flow of a solution into a tank inside the aquatic
toxicoloy lab at St. Cloud State University. An ongoing study
is monitoring the effects of pharmaceuticals and common
chemicals in varying concentrations on populations of fathead
minnows.
Full article text: An experiment that started last month in St. Cloud State
University’s Aquatic Toxicology Lab expands upon 2012 studies
that determined fish might be affected by pharmaceuticals
entering rivers and lakes through wastewater treatment plant
effluents.
Details of the 2012
study, led by lab director and St. Cloud State anatomy professor
Heiko Schoenfuss, appeared in this month’s scientific journal
Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry.
Using larval and
adult fathead minnows, it looked at individual and combined
exposure to sleep aids, muscle relaxants, painkillers and
antidepressants—chemicals previously detected in the
environment. Juvenile fish didn’t get as big or escape as fast.
Adult females had larger livers. Adult males didn’t defend their
nests as rigorously and produced a chemical protein, plasma
vitellogenin, associated with female egg production. The work is
part of a long-term U.S. Geological Survey effort to determine
the effects of emerging contaminants, inform water-resources
managers, and, ultimately, help develop effective water
management practices.
Schoenfuss’ related
research dates back 20 years. The experiments that started Nov.
18 will expose three generations of fathead minnows to three
concentrations of a 10-chemical mix—including prescription
drugs, BPA, (bisphenol A, an industrial chemical used to make
some plastics), surfactants (used in cleaners to cut grease),
DEET (mosquito repellant) and hormones (naturally produced in
humans). That particular cocktail was based on what’s found in a
typical stream flowing into the Great Lakes. The experiment also
includes one control group, and one group with exposure to
ethanol only. (The latter is included as a control for ethanol
because the chemical mixes are dissolved in ethanol.) Each set
of conditions is replicated 20 times.
“In the environment,
we know that compounds show up as very complex mixtures,”
Schoenfuss said, standing among three rows of 16-liter tanks
where 104 pairs of first-generation minnows swam, water ran and
monitors tracked.
“These are
complex-mixture experiments, but they are all stemming from that
original question of what do these pharmaceuticals do in the
environment, what is the adverse effect that fish may experience
from being exposed to pharmaceuticals and other compounds in the
environment,” Schoenfuss said.
Samples of the
chemical concentrations, measured in parts per trillion, are
mailed weekly to the USGS’ National Water Quality Lab in Denver,
where Edward Furlong of USGS’ methods research and development
program, has helped formulate and analyze the latest chemical
cocktail for the SCSU experiments.
“We want to
understand how (the chemicals) are transported and transformed
in the environment and, ultimately, are there effects that are
displayed,” Furlong told the St. Cloud
Times (http://on.sctimes.com/21Q3MvC ).
The current
experiment runs through early August, and involves another SCSU
professor, two graduate students and four or five undergrads. It
requires attention 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It
requires six to eight hours of work a day.
The $250,000 cost
includes chemicals and analysis. Funding comes from the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Science Foundation, the
Minnesota Natural Resources Trust Fund and the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Collaborators
include the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological
Survey.
Because the results
affect both regulatory agencies and industry, researchers aim to
secure balanced funding—from agencies, from industry and from
academic sources.
Grad student Lina
Wang, 23, of Mankato, set up the system, which is organized in
three well-labeled rows. She is pursuing a master’s degree in
biology with a focus on ecology and natural resources.
“Our hope is to be
able to compare an adult exposure to an entire life-cycle
exposure,” Wang said. “When we go into the environment, most of
these fish are most likely being exposed to these chemicals
throughout their entire life.”
A second lab space
contains the work of grad student Troy Lehto, 27, of Cokato, who
is pursuing a master’s of science with a focus on cellular and
molecular biology. He’s studying the effects of pharmaceuticals
on larvae, one drug at a time.
“The ultimate
question from the perspective of a toxicologist is, do we need
to worry about the compounds being produced in the environment,”
Schoenfuss said.
The chemicals
include sulfamethoxaole (an antibiotic), methocarbamol (a muscle
relaxant), temazepam (a sleep aid), diclofenac (an
anti-inflammatory), a control group and a mix of all four drugs.
The experiments Lehto is working on are behavioral—they consider
how the chemicals affect the ability of young fish to feed and
avoid predators. Gene expression is another part of the study.
Analysis takes place about 21 days after hatching, when the
minnows are about a half-inch long and weigh about one-third of
a gram.
With three
generations of adult fish, study will focus on the number of
eggs produced, the number fertilized, the number of offspring,
any changes in the adults’ organs, bloodwork, age of sexual
maturity, survival rate and sex ratio. Gene, blood and tissue
analysis takes place in the Aquatic Toxicology Lab.
“Just like a
physician would ask what other drugs are you taking, in order to
truly understand the environmental impact of these
pharmaceuticals, we have to look at them in the context of all
of the other pharmaceuticals and other non-prescription
pollutants that you would find in an aquatic environment,”
Schoenfuss said.
“It’s our intent to
get closer to the environmental question. The first question is:
Does this compound have an effect by itself? But then we have to
put it into the context: When combined, will the individual
effect be exacerbated, will it be moderated? We really don’t
know. These are very, very complex mixtures. And we don’t have
any theoretical tools at this point to predict how a compound
would act in mixture of that sort without running these
experiments,” Schoenfuss said. The experiment that started Nov.
18 will be conducted entirely in the lab, and then followed with
field studies on an as-yet-undetermined river that is a
tributary to the Great Lakes.
http://www.postbulletin.com/archives/experiment-looks-at-effect-of-pharmaceuticals-on-fish/article_1cec0209-807b-5335-b97d-76b399454a25.html
“2015 Photos of the Year,” Chicago Tribune
This photo of the Thornton Reservoir
connecting tunnel taken during the grand opening on Sept. 1,
2015 is featured as one of the most popular photos of the year
in the Chicago Tribune.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/photo/ct-chicago-tribune-photos-of-the-year-20151209-photogallery.html
“Reservoir’s
First ‘Drink’ Fills Deep Tunnel’s Promise,” Journal & Topics (IL)
Full article text: The Thornton
Composite Reservoir, added to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan system in September, took
on its first water storage duties following the recent heavy
rains. Its initial test run, starting on Thanksgiving, captured
400 million gallons of combined sewer overflow and filled 17 ft.
of the reservoir, to about 5% of its capacity.
It’s a gift some 43
years in the making, especially important when communities have
single, combined sewer systems to drain sewage and stormwater.
The Chicago area’s
“Deep Tunnel” system was started in 1972, digging subterranean
tunnels which could provide temporary storage to relieve
overwhelmed sewer systems in the Chicago area. If they overflow
into rivers or Lake Michigan, drinking water can become polluted
too.
The long range plan
was to connect the north-south drainage tunnels into huge
reservoirs which could contain the water until it evaporated or
until the regular sewer systems cleared enough capacity to move
water into the MWRD sewage treatment plants.
Thornton, installed
in a stone quarry, 5.5 miles from the Calumet sewage treatment
plant, will provide 7.9 billion gallons of storage, protecting
14 communities and an estimated 556,000 residents.
Four wheel gates
were constructed to provide links to the operational deep
tunnels. Each weighs about 100 tons and can withstand 300 ft. of
water pressure. Water velocities entering the reservoir can be
as high as 30 ft. per second.
Time lapse video of the project can be seen at youtube.com.
“We thank our predecessors with the board of commissioners who had the
foresight in 1972 to adopt a plan than made flooding and water
quality genuine issues to prioritize,” said MWRD President
Mariyana Spyropoulos.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_71e88cfc-a440-11e5-a8e8-33d63eebc29e.html
“MWRD Infrastructure Projects to Improve Sustainability and Efficiency,” Daily Whale (IL)
MWRD Pres. Mariyana Spyropoulos
Full article text: President of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago Mariyana Spyropoulos said the district is in the
midst of infrastructure updates that will improve the
sustainability and efficiency of the region’s water management
system.
Spyropoulos’ comments came during an address at the City Club of
Chicago on Tuesday. She explained the MWRD has always been
dedicated to protecting the environment, and the district has
planned its infrastructure updates to better carry-out that
mission. Current efforts include improvements in both gray
infrastructure—made of concrete and other traditional building
materials—and green infrastructure—organic infrastructure
including rain gardens and plant-based systems.
On Tuesday, Spyropoulos said the MWRD’s recent infrastructure
improvements are an extension of efforts to implement innovative
water-management solutions that dates back to the district’s
establishment in 1889. One of the district’s best known early
projects was the reversal of Chicago and Calumet rivers in 1900.
A recent example of the district’s gray-infrastructure updates
is its development of the Thornton and McCook Reservoirs, which
together will provide over 10 billion gallons of flood water
protection. The district’s Tunnel and Reservoir Project is one
of the country’s largest public works projects for water
reclamation and flood control, the MWRD president said on
Tuesday.
MWRD is also in the midst of a number of green infrastructure
projects designed to complement its gray infrastructure.
Spyropoulos told the City Club audience that those green
projects include installation of more water-permeable pavements,
development of rain gardens and green roofs, and the MWRD’s
popular rain barrel distribution program. Those projects are
aimed at helping area residents prevent flooding and conserve
water.
One example of the district’s green infrastructure projects is
its Space to Grow program. Under the program, the district works
to replace concrete school grounds with pervious surfaces and
landscaping. Such improvements help to reduce neighborhood
flooding and sewer overflows while providing students with new
space for outdoor activities.
The district is also working to encourage consumers to reduce
the amount of fresh water they use to water fields and in
manufacturing. In an effort to raise additional revenue and
reduce the burden the MWRD places on taxpayers, the district is
developing a plan to extract phosphorus from waste so that it
can later sell the mineral. The district is also developing
methods to turn post-consumed food scraps removed during water
treatment processes to energy, part of a larger effort to make
the district energy neutral by 2023.
Spyropoulos opened her speech with a quotation from Thomas
Fuller, English churchman and historian, “We never know the
worth of water ‘til the well runs dry.” She ended her
presentation by joking that she would prefer if the quotation
now stated, “We never know the worth of water until we visit the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.”
http://www.dailywhale.com/content-preview/459dcdf5c58d4a1268d8e1ab35b4fe2d/
“Bid Sought for Roosevelt School,”
Oak Park.com (IL)
Full article text: River
Forest Elementary School District 90 has taken the next steps
toward long-awaited renovations to the exterior of Roosevelt
Middle School.
The school board on
Dec. 14 directed staff to start drawing up bid documents for the
latest iteration of a proposal that first was brought to the
school board in January 2013.
In addition, project
engineers will prepare documents showing the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District how the district intends to improve storm
That application
will expire at the end of the month, and it's unlikely that
documents will be ready before then, said Jamil Bou-Saab, a
principal with Terra Engineering, which has been working with
the district on the project since its inception.
Under current
village rules, applications including some aspect of storm water
mitigation must be reviewed by the Development Review Board.
Village trustees are mulling possible changes that will make the
planned development process easier to understand. That would
benefit everyone, including District 90, Village President
Catherine Adduci said.
Bids are expected to
come back to the school board later this winter. Estimated costs
are put at about $1.85 million, a bottom line that seemed to
stun some school board members. That amount was more than
$300,000 higher than bids that were rejected earlier this year
when the district elected to get new costs for the project.
In addition to storm water improvements, Roosevelt will keep its
current configuration of 36 parking spaces. Nine will be set
aside for temporary parking for visitors to the River Forest
Public Library or the school. Presently, the entire lot can only
be used by faculty and staff from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The lot opens
to the community after 4 p.m., unless there is a school event.
The smaller Lathrop Avenue lot to the south will have 14 spots,
all to be used by school staff. A library book drop would be
added.
Many of the other elements of the Roosevelt Middle School
project will be the same, including a walkway to the north of
the gym and an improved playground.
A student gathering spot, an element that the school district
previously had insisted on, will not be included. Gone as well
are the harsh words that the school district shared with the
project's original detractors – River Forest Public Library –
which vowed to assist the school district in winning approval.
Adduci, who attempted in 2014 to help gain a collaborative
solution to parking and bring some consensus on the project
itself, was pleased with what has transpired thus far.
"There's no other way than collaboration to bring about an
equitable solution. I'm happy they've gotten to that point," she
said.
http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/12-15-2015/Bid-sought-for-Roosevelt-School/
“COMMENTARY: Colonel McCormick: A Softie behind the Ego,” Chicago Tribune (IL)
Robert Rutherford McCormick, aka “The Colonel,"
the late publisher of the Tribune, set up the Robert R.
McCormick Foundation, which helps nonprofits working on
literacy, job training and shelter for families facing domestic
violence.
Full article text:
He
drained my neighborhood, helped pay for my college and fathered
the convention center where my own dad used to exhibit machine
tools.
So don’t tell me what to say or think about Robert Rutherford
McCormick, aka “The Colonel,” late and legendary publisher of
the Chicago Tribune.
I’ve been making up my own mind, thank you, during the decades I
worked in the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower he had built on North
Michigan Avenue, and now in semi-retirement reading the
biographies.
The Colonel was one complex guy. At times he seemed a monomaniac
and a reactionary, labeling his newspaper the “World’s
Greatest,” likening FDR’s New Deal to Soviet Bolshevism, even
having Tribune writers refer to labor leader Walter Reuther as
“a Red.”
But anyone who tells you Col. McCormick was anti-government—that
“he must be spinning in his grave” over this or that government
project—hasn’t done his or her homework. The Colonel mastered
government; he played it like a fiddle.
Heck, his father, Robert S., was a federal diplomat and the son
grew up around embassy types in London. After college at Yale
and Northwestern Law, but before taking over the Trib, McCormick
in 1904 was elected to the Chicago City Council as a Republican.
Itching to get more done, he next took a seat on the Sanitary
District—now the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District—and as
its chairman oversaw construction of the North Shore Channel.
(My neighborhood in Evanston was once a marsh.)
Ego? You bet. Besides McCormick Boulevard along the channel, he
had his name etched not once but twice on plaques affixed to
bridges over the waterway—as chairman and as board member. It’s
said he designed the Sheridan Road bridge at Wilmette Harbor on
a notepad at his desk in Tribune Tower. It’s still beautiful.
And everyone knows why they call it McCormick Place. Just as he
foresaw radio and TV dominating media, he figured national trade
shows would take off after WWII and that Chicago could be the
gathering place. Although he died in 1955, the Tribune pushed
for construction of a big exhibit hall and spurred passage of a
city-state authority to make it happen. Some complain about its
lakefront location, but imagine Chicago without McCormick Place.
Just that one convention my dad used to work—the International
Manufacturing Technology Show—will fill thousands of hotel rooms
across the region next fall.
All of which gets me to the McCormick legacy that prompts this
column. Before he died the Colonel set up the Robert R.
McCormick Foundation. It does a lot of good things—nonideological
things—my favorite being Chicago Tribune Charities Holiday
Giving. The fund supports carefully selected nonprofits working
on literacy, job training and shelter for families facing
domestic violence. It matches 50 percent of your contribution,
and there is zero deducted for overhead. Every penny goes to
support the good work of these groups.
During my first year at the Trib, 1973, I was assigned to write
the stories for that year’s campaign. Cynics call them “sob
stories,” but writing three or four times a week about families
in need made me appreciate some things. One was how lucky I was
to be on the working end of the notepad. Another was that this
McCormick fellow, notwithstanding some eccentricities, did some
really good things.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-mccormick-foundation-colonel-charity-mccarron-perspec-1215-jm-20151214-story.html
“‘Grand
Canyon’ Ready for Storms,”
Beverly Review
Full article
text: The “Grand Canyon of the South Suburbs” now holds hundreds
of millions of gallons of stormwater—and officials said that
will drastically protect local homes from flooding during heavy
rainstorms.
The Thornton
Composite Reservoir, located at 17041 S. Indiana, Ave., along
Interstate 80/Interstate 294 near the Illinois-Indiana border,
began taking in stormwater on Nov. 26, Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) officials
reported.
About 400 million
gallons of water had streamed in by the following day, officials
said, and the reservoir has the capacity to hold 7.9 billion
gallons. In assisting 14 South Side communities, including
Beverly/Morgan Park and Mt. Greenwood, officials said, the
reservoir will guard against storm water overflowing into
people’s homes and will collect run-off in a 90-square-mile
area.
The Thornton Composite Reservoir, which sits just
north of Interstate 294/Interstate 80 near the Illinois-Indiana
border, took in 400 million gallons of water from Nov. 26 to
Nov. 27, officials said, reaching a level 17 feet high. Beverly
native Patrick Thomas, public affairs specialist with the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
(MWRD), said the water level will go down to about 10 feet, as
it eventually is sent to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant,
400 E. 130th St. The reservoir has been dubbed the “Grand Canyon
of the South Suburbs,” officials said, and is as big as 17
Soldier Fields, the home of the Chicago Bears. Treated water,
Thomas said, will be distributed into local waterways like the
Cal-Sag Channel, which will take it to the Illinois and Des
Plaines rivers, then the Mississippi River, all the way to the
Gulf of Mexico. Beverly native Kevin Fitzpatrick, an engineer on
the project, said the reservoir will prevent basement flooding
in local homes and improve water quality.
Kevin
Fitzpatrick, a Beverly resident who served as the managing civil
engineer on the project, said his hometown will see a
difference.
“We’re very
excited about it,” Fitzpatrick said. “It has been a long time
that we have been working on this. We do think the benefits on
the South Side will be noticeable, both in terms of reduced
basement flooding as well as better quality of water in the
waterways.”
The release of
water into the reservoir on Nov. 26-27 came after about 17 years
of work, officials said; construction began in 1998, when MWRD
officials asked Hanson Material Services to start the hole
needed for the reservoir, but the quarry dates back to the
mid-1800s.
Under the plan,
water can be stored in the reservoir for about 30 days and will
eventually end up about five miles away at the Calumet Water
Reclamation Plant, 400 E. 130th St; there, it will be treated,
then released into nearby rivers and bodies of water.
According to
officials, the reservoir is about 2,400 feet long, 1,600 feet
wide and 320 feet deep. That, Fitzpatrick said, leaves plenty of
room for water.
“A 100-year storm
would fill it about two-thirds of the way,” Fitzpatrick said,
“so it’s got quite a bit of capacity.”
The new
reservoir, officials said, is set aside from the rest of the
quarry. A dam that is 32,000 cubic yards of roller-compacted
concrete was constructed below the Interstate 80/Interstate 294
stretch that runs above the quarry to separate the two, with the
reservoir on the north side.
Water is
prevented from escaping through the bottom of the reservoir by a
natural layer of shale, a sedimentary rock, officials said. The
water travels through the Deep Tunnel, an MWRD project also
called the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) that officials said
consists of more than 100 miles of tunnels deep below the
region; at 1,000 feet into the tunnel, officials said, the
tunnel size transitions from 30 feet in diameter and splits into
two tunnels that each house two thick wheel gates that can
withstand 300 feet of water pressure and isolate the tunnels
from the reservoir when necessary. Each of the four gates weighs
approximately 100 tons. That project, officials said, also
includes two other reservoirs: the Gloria Alitto Majewski
Reservoir, a northwest suburb development that holds 350 million
gallons, and a yet-to-be completed McCook Reservoir, in the west
suburbs, which will hold 10 billion gallons. The tunnels
themselves, officials said, hold 2.3 billion gallons, meaning
the “Deep Tunnel Project” can account for 20.55 billion gallons
of water.
Workers look out from the “Deep Tunnel” into the Thornton Composite Reservoir, 17041 S. Indiana Ave., below Interstate 294/Interstate 80. The reservoir began taking in storm water late last month, officials said, and will help prevent flooding in South Side neighborhoods, including Beverly/Morgan Park and Mt. Greenwood. According to officials, the reservoir, which is part of a massive quarry, can hold 7.9 billion gallons of water. (photo courtesy of MWRD)
According to Pat Thomas, MWRD public affairs specialist and former editor of The Beverly Review, after the water is treated at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant, it is released into local waterways, then flows to the Des Plaines and Illinois rivers, then to the Mississippi River, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Thomas said that, without the reservoir, 400 million gallons of untreated water that settled in the new project on Thanksgiving and the day after could have ended up in waterways or residents’ basements.
In a prepared statement, MWRD President Mariyana Spryopoulos said the new project would offer great benefits.
“We are happy to put our latest engineering marvel to work. The Thornton Composite Reservoir is the world’s largest reservoir and has drawn intrigue from across the world,” Spyropoulos said. “We thank our predecessors with the Board of Commissioners who had the foresight in 1972 to adopt a plan that made flooding and water quality genuine issues to prioritize. In past years, that polluted, untreated water would enter our waterways or worse, our basements. Because of TARP, combined sewer overflows have been drastically reduced, and the addition of Thornton will again lead to more water-quality improvements upstream.”
According to officials, the TARP project cost $3.8 billion, with about half coming from federal money; the Thornton reservoir project was projected at $429 million.
In a September news release celebrating the ribbon cutting of the project, U.S. Rep Mike Quigley said the project would help wildlife and recreation.
“We commend the MWRD on this project and the investment of time and resources from federal and local officials. These investments will pay significant dividends locally in terms of flood reduction, but also help clean the regional waterways,” Quigley said. “This is another positive step in the right direction for our waterways. As water quality has improved, our waterways have become home to increasingly healthy and diverse fish populations and increasingly excited boaters, kayakers and other visitors seeking recreation.”
Some day, said Friends of the Chicago River Executive Director Margaret Frisbie, Chicago residents may be swimming in the Chicago River, an unthinkable act in years past.
“We are one huge step closer,” Frisbie said, “to donning our swimsuits and heading into the river to take a dip.”
Here's a link to view millions of gallons of water flowing into the reservoir from Nov. 26-27,
http://www.mwrd.org/irj/portal/anonymous/Home
http://www.beverlyreview.net/news/featured_news/article_ba2fce4e-a33c-11e5-bb45-576b441d5bd0.html
“Biosolids Nutrient Management Workshop,” IWEA e-News (IL)
Full article text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is hosting a Biosolids Nutrient Management Workshop at their LASMA Visitors Center, 7601 South La Grange Road, Willow Springs, IL on Jan. 25, 2016. 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Workshop participants will: review results of MWRD studies and discuss recommendations for POTWs to adopt; plan for a biosolids nutrient management fact sheet; and develop a statement of how biosolids nutrient management is an active part of point source contribution to the [Illinois Nutrient Reduction Loss] Strategy. More information is available in the
Draft Biosolids Nutrient Management Document. POTWs and land application contractors who would like to participate in the workshop should contact Albert Cox, MWRD at 708-588-4068 or
coxa@mwrd.org.
http://www.memberleap.com/Calendar/moreinfo.php?eventid=1184
“In the Loop: Deep Tunnel,” WYCC TV (IL) link to video
Full article text: “In the Loop” is WYCC Chicago’s weekly public affairs show. In this segment, they examine the Deep Tunnel stormwater system and interview MWRD Pres. Mariyana Spyropoulos, Senior Civil Engineer Adel Awad, Friends of the Chicago River Exec. Director Margaret Frisbie and Center for Neighborhood Technology President Scott Bernstein about TARP and other stormwater management alternatives like green infrastructure.
https://vimeo.com/147523349
“Flushed Resource Restores Ecosystem,” ECN
Full article text: Every city has abandoned industrial sites. Encouraging life to return to these barren areas is a challenge. It requires a healthy topsoil for plants and animals to flourish. Cities, with their heavily compacted and often contaminated soils, often struggle to restore blighted spaces. Quality soil is necessary—but not abundant in cities. Enter biosolids.
The Lake Calumet Cluster Site (LCCS) was the home of five U.S steel plants on the southeast side of Chicago. Now it's an 87-acre wasteland of glassy slag—a rocky byproduct of steel manufacturing.
“It’s a mess,” says Nick Basta, “Sixty percent of the land is bare rock.”
The site used to be a wetland, but years of infill, dumping, and excavation has rendered the area inhospitable to plants and animals. It is on the EPA’s national priority list. Over the last few years, the city has tried to restore the area. The hope is that it will become a stop for migratory birds along Lake Michigan's shoreline.
Restoration efforts of this scale are difficult. The original plan put forth by the restoration team was a two-inch layer of compost on the site. To Basta, this wasn’t the answer.
“I love compost, but it’s just not good enough,” he said. A good soil provides the right combination of depth, nutrients, and texture to support bacteria, fungus, insects, and worms. Compost lacks essential plant nutrients, and is easily dispersed by rain and wind. A soil teeming with microscopic life is ideal for restoring plant and animal communities.
Basta and his team from the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University, along with Lakhwinder Hundal and Kuldip Kumar from the Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), decided to manufacture their own soil with help from the nearby wastewater treatment plant.
Chicago’s MWRD makes creative use of the enormous amount of waste Chicago generates. One example is biosolids—a rebirthing of sewage into a clean, pathogen-free, nutrient-dense growing material. Two years of physical, chemical, and biological treatment turns what was once sludge into a rich growing medium. These biosolids have a wealth of organic matter and are full of plant nutrients. It’s an ideal base for diversity. In July 2015, Illinois
legislation declared biosolids an approved resource for healthy lawns and growing crops.
Basta and his team collaborated with MWRD to create a soil blend using biosolids. “We called it the dream treatment,” said Basta. They tilled it into test plots just outside the LCCS site. Researchers created a second plot with compost—a thick, organic-rich material degraded from hardwood trees. The team scattered native plant seeds on both plots.
The biosolids plots proved to be the best home for healthy bacteria, fungus and plants—important indicators for a thriving ecosystem. Worms were happy in both the compost and biosolids plots.
“The next step is blending the biosolids and the compost,” said Basta.
The city of Chicago already uses biosolids for golf courses and baseball diamonds. Basta hopes that biosolids can restore the degraded surface area of LCCS, and the poor quality soils typical in Chicago’s dense urban areas.
“You have to bring in the soil,” said Basta “Why not connect the dots and bring in what’s available locally?”
Read more about the “dream treatment” in a special section of the Journal of Environmental Quality, “Soil in the City.”
http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2015/12/flushed-resource-restores-ecosystem
“Imagine a Day without Water Art Poster Contest Winners Announced,” Augusta Free Press (GA
Full article text: The City of Charlottesville, the Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA), and Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority (RWSA) participated in “Imagine a Day without Water,” a national campaign to educate and inspire the community about the value and importance of water in our everyday lives. The campaign involved an event in October as well as an art contest where students from the City and County were asked to creatively convey a day without water. The contest was a great success with over 570 poster entries and with representation from almost all City and County Public Schools, private schools, and other organizations, grades 1st through 8th. Judges from the City, ACSA, RWSA, StreamWatch, and Piedmont Council for the Arts helped evaluate the artwork for creativity, originality, and incorporation of the contest’s message: “Image a Day without Water”. One winner was chosen from the four grade divisions: 1st – 2nd, 3rd – 4th, 5th – 6th, and 7th – 8th. In addition, the top 50 entries were available to the public to view online and vote for a favorite art poster. With close to 1,200 online votes, a fan favorite was selected. All 5 winners will receive a $200 gift card, water conservation goodie bag, and have their artwork displayed around Charlottesville including City Hall, JMRL – Central Library, Public Works Administration Building, ACSA Building, and RWSA Building.
The winners for the 2015 Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest:
• 1st – 2nd Grade: Harper Jewel Ullrich, Jackson-Via Elementary, 2nd Grade
• 3rd – 4th Grade: Reese Coggeshall, Virginia L. Murray Elementary, 3rd Grade
• 5th – 6th Grade: Phoebe V. Rebhorn, Paul H. Cale Elementary, 5th Grade
• 7th – 8th Grade: Esther Juwon Lee, Jack Jouett Middle School, 7th Grade
• Fan Favorite: Krishabh Ban, Venable Elementary, 2nd Grade
In addition, teachers were encouraged to promote student participation by entering them into a drawing for a $200 gift card to be used for classroom projects. Odds for winning were increased with greater student participation. Four teachers were selected, and the winners of the teacher participation gift cards are the following: Cristin McGarey from Burnley-Moran Elementary, Brandy Garbaccio from Crozet Elementary, Tamara Murray from Charlottesville Day School, and Kathryn Durkee from Community Public Charter School. The student winners along with the four teachers will be recognized at the Imagine a Day without Water Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, December 15th from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm at the Water Street Center located at 407 East Water Street. The event is open to the public and water saving giveaways will be available to all attendees.
“This campaign has been a huge success as we have seen tremendous community engagement from Charlottesville and Albemarle schools,” stated Jill Greiner, the City’s Water Conservation Program Coordinator. “It was very exciting to see so many students and schools participate, and I am hopeful it started some important conversations amongst students and families on the value of water. (MWRD is a partner of the Day without Water campaign.)
http://augustafreepress.com/imagine-a-day-without-water-art-poster-contest-winners-announced/
“Chicago’s Future with Smart Sewage Management to Power Future,” Citi Io
The Calumet plant, where MWRD will expand its anaerobic digester to save energy. The digesters are in the foreground. (Metropolitan Water Reclamation District)
Full article text: Chicago’s wastewater authority plans to slash its energy bill by using bacteria to convert sewage into natural gas. There are a lot of things in the 1.2 billion gallons that pour through the world’s largest water-treatment plant every day: grime swept off Chicago sidewalks, sewage scoured from thousands of miles of pipes—and enough energy to cut an annual $50 million electricity bill to zero.
That’s if engineers at Chicago’s
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District can achieve their goal to become energy neutral in the next eight years. The public agency has pledged, by 2023, to slash itsenergy consumption and produce whatever remaining power it needs onsite, becoming the largest wastewater treatment authority in the country to do so.
“There’s more energy in the sewage that comes into a wastewater treatment plant than is required to treat it.”
MWRD isn’t the only sewage treatment agency doing this. DC Water and Hampton Roads Sanitation District in Virginia are also taking aggressive steps to recast wastewater as energy.
“There’s more energy in the sewage that comes into a wastewater treatment plant than is required to treat it,” according to Paul Kohl, a project manager for the Water Environment Research Foundation, an independent research organization. “We think we ought to be able to go ahead and get that back out.” By some estimates, there’s two to 10 times as much energy contained in wastewater as an agency needs to use to treat it.
While water treatment accounts for just 3 percent of total energy use in the United States, WERF points out that drinking water and wastewater plants can be a municipal government’s largest energy consumers, eating up more than a third of the energy used by the public sector. Many treatment processes are energy intensive, from aerating huge vats of liquid with 3,000-horsepower blowers to pumping sludge out of the system so it can be recycled as “biosolids.”
And that economic incentive is a big reason why typically slow-moving public agencies like MWRD—which was sued by environmental groups before it started disinfecting the water it discharges into the Mississippi River system—are eager to invest in energy neutrality. Not only does it negate a $50 million electricity bill (MWRD’s biggest expense after payroll), it helps them hedge against future spikes in the cost of energy.
“Some people do it for the environmental benefit, but I was raised as a business person,” says David St. Pierre, MWRD’s executive director. “Having your own energy source, we can convert it to anything we need. So if the market drives costs, we can really kind of control that unforeseen cost of energy in the future.”
The district already gets almost a third of its energy through anaerobic digestion: harvesting gas produced by special bacteria that help break down the noxious components of wastewater. But it plans to double down on that strategy, investing $10 million to expand anaerobic digestion efforts at its Calumet plant on Chicago’s South Side.
“The plan is to build a pipeline system that could scrub some of the methane produced in MWRD’s digesters and sell it back to the grid.”
It’s even in late-stage talks with local haulers who will pay MWRD to take their waste—mostly spent grain that’s left over from local breweries—which has a multiplying effect on the amount of gas produced when mixed in with sewage and stormwater. The plan is to build a pipeline system that could scrub some of the methane produced in MWRD’s digesters and sell it back to the grid.
Incorporating organic waste from outside the wastewater treatment process is an unusual, and logistically difficult, step. Earlier this year, the city of Gresham, Oregon, celebrated achieving net-zero-energy (MWRD’s biggest expense after payroll), it helps them hedge against future spikes in the cost of energy.
“Some people do it for the environmental benefit, but I was raised as a business person,” says David St. Pierre, MWRD’s executive director. “Having your own energy source, we can convert it to anything we need. So if the market drives costs, we can really kind of control that unforeseen cost of energy in the future.”
The district already gets almost a third of its energy through anaerobic digestion: harvesting gas produced by special bacteria that help break down the noxious components of wastewater. But it plans to double down on that strategy, investing $10 million to expand anaerobic digestion efforts at its Calumet plant on Chicago’s South Side.
“The plan is to build a pipeline system that could scrub some of the methane produced in MWRD’s digesters and sell it back to the grid.”
It’s even in late-stage talks with local haulers who will pay MWRD to take their waste—mostly spent grain that’s left over from local breweries—which has a multiplying effect on the amount of gas produced when mixed in with sewage and stormwater. The plan is to build a pipeline system that could scrub some of the methane produced in MWRD’s digesters and sell it back to the grid.
Incorporating organic waste from outside the wastewater treatment process is an unusual, and logistically difficult, step. Earlier this year, the city of Gresham, Oregon, celebrated achieving net-zero-energy status at its wastewater treatment plant, largely thanks to the fats, oils, and grease it trucked in from Portland-area restaurants. Rather than just add incrementally to the gas produced, mixing organic wastes fires up the microbial activity that produces biogas, exponentially improving a digester’s output.
If it works at Calumet, MWRD will bring the whole system to its flagship Stickney plant, the world’s largest, and generate enough power on-site to offset three-quarters of its energy use. It will get the rest of the way to energy neutral by reducing demand, St. Pierre says, and should pay off the initial investment in just a few years.
Anaerobic digestion isn’t new—more than 1,200 wastewater treatment agencies across the country already use it—but just a few sell gas or electricity back to the grid, as MWRD plans to. Fewer still produce enough energy onsite to offset their energy consumption. But as more of them see wastewater as a potential source of revenue that could hedge against climbing energy costs, the aggressive steps taken in Hampton Roads, D.C., Chicago and elsewhere should become more widespread.
Still, St. Pierre says, their program isn’t wholly cost-driven.
“We’re an environmental agency, and our plants should be able to support themselves.”
This feature originally appeared in
CityLab.
http://www.citi.io/2015/11/20/chicagos-history-with-smart-sewage-management-to-power-future/
“Flushed Resource Restores Ecosystems,” Science Codex, Florida Water Daily
Aaron Mali (front) and Oulu Coquie (back) till biosolids into test plots, one of the first steps in transforming a blighted area into a functioning ecosystem.
Full article text: Every city has abandoned industrial sites. Encouraging life to return to these barren areas is a challenge. It requires a healthy topsoil for plants and animals to flourish. Cities, with their heavily compacted and often contaminated soils, often struggle to restore blighted spaces. Quality soil is necessary—but not abundant in cities. Enter biosolids.
The Lake Calumet Cluster Site (LCCS) was the home of five U.S steel plants on the southeast side of Chicago. Now it’s an 87-acre wasteland of glassy slag--a rocky byproduct of steel manufacturing.
“It’s a mess,” says Basta, “Sixty percent of the land is bare rock.”
The site used to be a wetland, but years of infill, dumping, and excavation has rendered the area inhospitable to plants and animals. It is on the EPA’s national priority list. Over the last few years, the city has tried to restore the area. The hope is that it will become a stop for migratory birds along Lake Michigan's shoreline.
Restoration efforts of this scale are difficult. The original plan put forth by the restoration team was a two-inch layer of compost on the site. To Basta, this wasn’t the answer.
“I love compost, but it’s just not good enough,” he said. A good soil provides the right combination of depth, nutrients, and texture to support bacteria, fungus, insects, and worms. Compost lacks essential plant nutrients, and is easily dispersed by rain and wind. A soil teeming with microscopic life is ideal for restoring plant and animal communities.
Basta and his team from the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University, along with Lakhwinder Hundal and Kuldip Kumar from the Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), decided to manufacture their own soil with help from the nearby wastewater treatment plant.
Chicago’s MWRD makes creative use of the enormous amount of waste Chicago generates. One example is biosolids—a rebirthing of sewage into a clean, pathogen-free, nutrient-dense growing material. Two years of physical, chemical, and biological treatment turns what was once sludge into a rich growing medium. These biosolids have a wealth of organic matter and are full of plant nutrients. It's an ideal base for diversity. In July 2015, Illinois legislation declared biosolids an approved resource for healthy lawns and growing crops.
Basta and his team collaborated with MWRD to create a soil blend using biosolids. “We called it the dream treatment,” said Basta. They tilled it into test plots just outside the LCCS site. Researchers created a second plot with compost—a thick, organic-rich material degraded from hardwood trees. The team scattered native plant seeds on both plots.
The biosolids plots proved to be the best home for healthy bacteria, fungus and plants—important indicators for a thriving ecosystem. Worms were happy in both the compost and biosolids plots.
“The next step is blending the biosolids and the compost,” said Basta.
The city of Chicago already uses biosolids for golf courses and baseball diamonds. Basta hopes that biosolids can restore the degraded surface area of LCCS, and the poor quality soils typical in Chicago’s dense urban areas.
“You have to bring in the soil,” said Basta “Why not connect the dots and bring in what’s available locally?”
Read more about the “dream treatment” in a special section of the Journal of Environmental Quality, “Soil in the City.”
Source: American Society of Agronomy
http://www.sciencecodex.com/flushed_resource_restores_ecosystem-171480
http://floridawaterdaily.com/2015/12/10/soil-from-biosolids-aids-in-brownfield-remediation/
“Flushed Resource Restores Ecosystem,” American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, Newswise, YubaNet, Phys.org
Basta and Dawn Busalacchi showcase a mound of biosolids--a nutrient-rich growing medium recycled from sewage.
Full article text: Every city has abandoned industrial sites. Encouraging life to return to these barren areas is a challenge. It requires a healthy topsoil for plants and animals to flourish. Cities, with their heavily compacted and often contaminated soils, often struggle to restore blighted spaces. Quality soil is necessary—but not abundant in cities. Enter biosolids.
The Lake Calumet Cluster Site (LCCS) was the home of five U.S steel plants on the southeast side of Chicago. Now it’s an 87-acre wasteland of glassy slag—a rocky byproduct of steel manufacturing.
“It’s a mess,” says Nick Basta, “Sixty percent of the land is bare rock.”
The site used to be a wetland, but years of infill, dumping, and excavation has rendered the area inhospitable to plants and animals. It is on the EPA’s national priority list. Over the last few years, the city has tried to restore the area. The hope is that it will become a stop for migratory birds along Lake Michigan’s shoreline.
Restoration efforts of this scale are difficult. The original plan put forth by the restoration team was a two-inch layer of compost on the site. To Basta, this wasn’t the answer.
“I love compost, but it’s just not good enough,” he said. A good soil provides the right combination of depth, nutrients, and texture to support bacteria, fungus, insects, and worms. Compost lacks essential plant nutrients, and is easily dispersed by rain and wind. A soil teeming with microscopic life is ideal for restoring plant and animal communities.
Aaron Mali (front) and Oulu Coquie (back) till biosolids into test plots, one of the first steps in transforming a blighted area into a functioning ecosystem.
Basta and his team from the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University, along with Lakhwinder Hundal and Kuldip Kumar from the Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), decided to manufacture their own soil with help from the nearby wastewater treatment plant.
Chicago’s MWRD makes creative use of the enormous amount of waste Chicago generates. One example is biosolids—a rebirthing of sewage into a clean, pathogen-free, nutrient-dense growing material. Two years of physical, chemical, and biological treatment turns what was once sludge into a rich growing medium. These biosolids have a wealth of organic matter and are full of plant nutrients. It’s an ideal base for diversity. In July 2015, Illinois legislation declared biosolids an approved resource for healthy lawns and growing crops.
Dawn Busalacchi and Jennifer Carlson scatter native seeds on test plots. The plots were designed to test which growing medium—compost or biosolids—worked best for supporting diverse ecosystems.
Basta and his team collaborated with MWRD to create a soil blend using biosolids. “We called it the dream treatment,” said Basta. They tilled it into test plots just outside the LCCS site. Researchers created a second plot with compost—a thick, organic-rich material degraded from hardwood trees. The team scattered native plant seeds on both plots.
The biosolids plots proved to be the best home for healthy bacteria, fungus and plants—important indicators for a thriving ecosystem. Worms were happy in both the compost and biosolids plots.
“The next step is blending the biosolids and the compost,” said Basta.
The city of Chicago already uses biosolids for golf courses and baseball diamonds. Basta hopes that biosolids can restore the degraded surface area of LCCS, and the poor quality soils typical in Chicago’s dense urban areas.
“You have to bring in the soil,” said Basta. “Why not connect the dots and bring in what’s available locally?”
Read more about the “dream treatment” in a special section of the Journal of Environmental Quality, “Soil in the City.”
https://www.agronomy.org/science-news/flushed-resource-restores-ecosystem
https://www.crops.org/science-news/flushed-resource-restores-ecosystem
https://www.soils.org/discover-soils/story/flushed-resource-restores-ecosystem
http://www.newswise.com/articles/flushed-resource-restores-ecosystem
http://yubanet.com/enviro/Flushed-resource-restores-ecosystem.php#.VmmTJ0uFPcs
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-flushed-resource-ecosystem.html
“Inspiring Art through Innovation: Chicago’s Phosphorus Recovery Yields Engaging Public Art,” Value of Water Coalition Blog
Commissioner Debra Shore, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
December 9, 2015
Consider phosphorus. It’s the 11th most abundant element on Earth, absolutely essential for human survival because plants need it to grow. But the amount of accessible phosphorus is limited and there are no substitutes. When we run out of phosphorus, we run out of food. Yikes!
Phosphorus in streams and rivers is harmful – a form of pollution – because it causes algae to grow, which sucks up oxygen leaving little for aquatic life. Phosphorus on farm fields and lawns is vital.
To address this problem of phosphorus in waterways, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) has invested $30 million in plant retrofits at its Stickney Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) and has partnered with Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies Inc., a Vancouver-based company that has developed an innovative phosphorus recovery process. Beginning next year, the MWRD will remove 1,150 tons of phosphorus annually from wastewater treated at the Stickney plant and convert it into a slow-release fertilizer that will reduce pollution and generate revenue. Even better, the fertilizer made with these phosphorus crystals is NOT water-soluble, meaning when it is applied to farm fields, there won’t be harmful runoff polluting nearby streams.
At MWRD, we are proud of this groundbreaking – even game-changing – achievement. But explaining highly-technical projects to the public is not always easy. We have to engage people’s hearts as well as their heads – and talking about dollars invested and tons of phosphorus recovered doesn’t always get us where we need to go.
Happily, in Chicago, a group of artists has interpreted the technical process of phosphorus recovery in an art installation to build awareness of a critical water quality issue, highlight new technologies that can be part of the solution, and suggest ways people can get involved. Titled Cycle P15, after phosphorus’ atomic number, the art piece was a featured installation of Chicago Artists MonthChicago Artists Month and was sponsored by public relations firm Terracom, Ostara, and engineering firm Black & Veatch.
Cycle P15 is artwork in the form of an interactive game, inspired by classic games like Twister. The players themselves become the game pieces, guided by colored circles on the floor, which acts as the game board. Players advance in the game by answering water and phosphorus-related trivia questions. The colored circles contain images representing steps in the phosphorus-recovery process, and they eventually lead the players to an easel that displays three augmented-reality (AR) artworks. (AR is a cutting-edge medium that allows players to watch images transform into animated artistic expressions). All of the game’s elements work together to tell the story of how phosphorus transforms from a life-giving nutrient to a pollutant, and back again to a nutrient.
The interactive installation serves as a creative way to celebrate MWRD’s innovation and engage the public, and hundreds of people visited the installation while it was on display throughout November.
http://thevalueofwater.org/content/inspiring-art-through-innovation-chicago’s-phosphorus-recovery-yields-engaging-public-art
“Hazardous Industrial Site ‘Cleaned up’ with Biosolid Soil,” Science World Report
Full article text: Industrial sites can be a pain to clean up. They’re often littered with refuse and chemicals that can pose major environmental hazards. So how can they be cleaned up? Researchers have found that using biosolids could be a way to clean up sites.
The Lake Calumet Cluster Site (LCCS) was the home of five U.S steel plants on the southeast side of Chicago. These days, it’s an 87-acre wasteland of glassy slag, which is a rocky byproduct of steel manufacturing. In fact, 60 percent of the land there is bare rock.
In the past, the area used to be a wetland. But years of infill, dumping and excavation has rendered the area inhospitable to plants and animals.
Over the past few years, the city has tried to restore the area. The hope is that it will become a stop for migratory birds along Lake Michigan’s shoreline. However, restoration efforts of this scale are difficult. While at first restorers thought compost may be the key, it soon became apparent that it wouldn’t be enough.
A good soil provides the right combination of depth, nutrients and texture to support bacteria, fungus, insects, and worms. Compost lacks essential plant nutrients, and is easily dispersed by rain and wind. That’s why researchers decided to manufacture their own soil with help from the nearby wastewater treatment plant.
In this case, the researchers used the enormous amount of waste Chicago generates in order to create biosolids, which is a rebirthing of sewage into a clean, pathogen-free, nutrient-dense growing material. These biosolids have a wealth of organic matter and are full of plant nutrients, which make them perfect for this project.
The researchers tested the new soil on a test plot, which revealed that it was the best home for healthy bacteria, fungus and plants. In fact, it did far better than another test plot scattered with compost. The next step is to blend the biosolids and the compost in order to restore the region.
The findings are published in the Journal of Environmental Quality.
http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/34337/20151209/hazardous-industrial-site-cleaned-up-biosolid-soil.htm
“MWRD Moves Forward with Plan to Acquire Burbank Homes,” Oak Lawn Patch, Burbank Beat (IL
Full article text: In a July letter to homeowners living adjacent to the Melvina Ditch Reservoir, Burbank Mayor Harry Klein warned that the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) would be acquiring 15 Burbank homes to make improvements to the Melvina Ditch Reservoir.
At the time, MWRD Executive Director David St. Pierre said Klein’s letter was premature. However it now appears the MWRD is moving forward with plans to acquire those 15 homes.
A Burbank resident whose home has been targeted for acquisition, said he received a letter Monday from the MWRD via FedEx, informing him that inspectors will soon be appraising his property.
The letter states, “The proposed plan...requires the acquisition of your property. Prior to presenting a formal offer to you for the purchase of this property, the District needs to perform an interior inspection to complete an appraisal.”
Appraisals are needed to determine the market value of the homes the MWRD plans to purchase. Illinois law requires a governmental body to first attempt to agree with the owner on “just compensation” or fair cash market value for the property. If unsuccessful, it may ask a court to set compensation.
The homes will be demolished in order to expand the reservoir located at 87th Street and Melvina Avenue to help alleviate flooding that has plagued the City of Burbank in recent years.
The MWRD presented six different reservoir expansion alternatives, labeled A–F, at a public meeting last summer held at Reavis High School. Officials solicited feedback and asked Burbank residents to submit an informal ballot on which option they favored.
The letter to affected homeowners sent this week by the MWRD states, “Based on the feedback provided at the public meeting, and support from the City of Burbank, the District is moving forward with the design of Alternative E.”
MWRD engineers say Alternative E will provide an additional 64 million gallons of water storage and protect over 500 properties from reservoir overtopping. It will also reduce overflow across 87th Street into Oak Lawn. The MWRD estimates the proposed project will cost $22.7 million.
The MWRD said that negotiations for an intergovernmental agreement between the District and the City of Burbank for the project are ongoing.
http://patch.com/illinois/oaklawn/mwrd-moves-forward-plan-acquire-burbank-homes
http://www.burbankbeat.net/news/mwrd-moves-forward-with-plan-to-acquire-burbank-homes
“A Rosier Future for Montreal’s Sewage?” Montreal Gazette (Canada
A city worker climbs onto the huge bank of racks that dry the sludge created as millions of litres of waste water are cleaned daily at the Montreal sewage treatment facility, one of the largest single facilities in the world, seen Friday Nov. 23, 2007.
Full article text: Where most see sewage, Sylvain Ouellet sees black gold.
Every year, Montreal incinerates 267,000 tonnes of sewage sludge, the muddy substance left over after the city’s mammoth waste water treatment plant filters the solids from the sewage water, product of our toilets, storm drains and snow dumps. What remains is 45,000 tonnes of ashes, dumped in a landfill, and copious amounts of global warming gases. The plant’s incinerator produces a quarter of all the greenhouse gases emitted by city operations, said Ouellet, the environmental critic for municipal opposition party Projet Montréal.
Rather than burning or dumping it, Chicago has been drying all of its sludge for more than 30 years, creating biosolids, similar to topsoil but richer in nutrients, that is given for free to build parks and to restore old mining properties, or converted into fertilizer pellets for retail sale.
Milwaukee has been selling its sewage sludge since 1925, creating a fertilizer known as Milorganite sold to farmers, golf courses and homeowners. Saguenay sends most of its treated sludge to farmers’ fields. Other municipalities collect the methane gas to produce energy.
Montreal uses a portion of the heat created in the incineration process to warm its waste water plant, saving about $2 million a year in energy costs. But the city could be doing much more, Ouellet says.
“Several cities, such as Chicago, have already understood the potential of this sludge, notably in terms of recovering phosphorous (to use as a fertilizer), for energy production or using the fertilizer potential of biosolids,” he said.
In 2020, Montreal’s waste water plant incinerator will be at the end of its useful life. The cost of replacing it is roughly a quarter of a billion dollars. Because of the complexity surrounding the reuse of sewage sludge, the city needs to open the discussion to public consultation now, Ouellet argues. As an example of how long the process can take, he said, Montreal expects to have city-wide composting in place by 2019—11 years after it first started looking into the idea.
“We have a chance now to create locally a green economy by taking the time to reflect on how we want to use our sewage sludge,” Ouellet said. “There is enormous economic potential that we would be crazy not to exploit. But to do so, we have to avoid the trap of simplicity, that would direct us to just rebuild a similar incinerator.”
Reusing sewage sludge efficiently and cost-effectively is complicated, in part because many balk at the idea of spreading something derived from human feces on their fields or vegetable gardens. Converting sewage sludge to agriculture grade biosolids can be either very costly, as Chicago has learned, or requires large amounts of time and space for drying lagoons where the sludge must air out for up to two years. Chicago’s drying areas cover more than 93 acres. Montreal’s sub-zero winter climate would pose challenges to the drying process as well.
Mention the idea to Richard Fontaine, the director of Montreal’s waste water division, and he rolls his eyes. Montreal’s plant bills itself as the third largest in the world, and deals with too much sludge to convert it all into biosolids to be used as topsoil, he told the Montreal Gazette.
“It’s a complex issue, and there is a lot of study required,” he said.
There is also the issue of harmful pathogens and metals found in sewage run-off, particularly in a city like Montreal with numerous industries and pharmaceutical companies.
“Some of the recent studies now show there is very low risk in land-applied biosolids, so there is no human or environmental risk from bacteria,” said Dr. Bu Lam, manager of municipal programs for the Canadian Water Network, a government funded organization of researchers specializing in water management. “In terms of emerging substances (such as those found in personal care products or pharmaceuticals), there is not a whole lot of literature or background research on the topic yet. … So with biosolids, the question becomes, what happens if some of those substances accumulate (over years or decades)—will it have an impact on the environment and the organisms in the environment.”
In Chicago, lawmakers created legislation forcing industries to remove heavy metals like mercury and lead and other pathogens from their waste water before dumping it in the sewage system, so the biosolids wouldn’t be contaminated.
For most municipalities, there is rarely a one-size fits all approach, Lam said. Partial composting, partial landfill application and part energy recapture is sometimes the most prudent bet. In Canada, roughly a third of municipal sewage sludge is incinerated, a third is landfilled, and the other third is spread on agricultural fields, Lam said. In Quebec, one-third is spread on agricultural land, 22 per cent is put in landfills and 48 per cent is incinerated, particularly in large cities like Montreal, Quebec and Longueuil, according to a 2012 study by environmental research agency Irstea. In France, 70 per cent of sludge is spread on fields.
The City of Montreal declined a request for an interview on the topic. In October, city council rejected Projet Montréal’s motion for a public consultation because officials said the city is already studying the issue and planning consultations. There can’t be just one solution, councillor Jean-François Parenteau said during October’s council meeting.
The Montreal Metropolitan Community’s environmental commission will hold a public consultation as part of the Montreal regional plan on managing garbage and recyclables and sludge, which is slated for publication in the spring. The city’s standing committee on water, the environment and sustainable development is also holding a public consultation on the plan, and will be studying the issue in the fall of 2016.
Ouellet worries it’s not soon enough.
“If we want advanced technologies, we need to be asking the questions right now,” he said.
http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/a-rosier-future-for-montreals-sewage
“How Chicago Turns Sewage into Topsoil,” Montreal Gazette (Canada)
Full article text:
15 1208_Biosolids_Montreal Gazette.pdf
15 1208_Biosolids Future_Montreal Gazette.pdf
15 1208_Biosolids Green Spaces_Montreal Gazette.pdf
“Chicago Turns Sewage into Topsoil—and Now, a Business,” Montreal Gazette, Vancouver Sun (Canada
Full article text: Greater Chicago has been converting its sewage sludge into biosolids for use as soil enhancer on farmers’ fields, golf courses and parks for more than 30 years. It cleared a major hurdle last month when Illinois passed a bill allowing the city’s biosolids to be sold to the public to use on lawns and vegetable gardens.
Scientists at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), a government entity separate from the city of Chicago that manages the regions waste water, say the converted sludge improves the sustainability of ground soils, stimulates plant growth and lasts three to five years longer than regular chemical fertilizers, at a fraction of the cost. The MWRD gives it away to farmers and more than 50 parks in the Chicago area used it in 2015. Stringent testing to make sure it lives up to the United States’ Environment Protection Agency standards ensures it’s safe, even if children eat it.
   
   
  
To produce it, the MWRD removes the solids from waste water, then deposits them in dozens of underground “digesters” for 25 to 50 days. The heat is kept at 30C to destroy pathogens, making them into biosolids. The greyish-black biosolids are dried either in centrifuges or by sitting in lagoons for 18 months, and then air-dried on paved surfaces for another few months. Air-dried biosolids look like topsoil, composted biosolids look like standard compost, and by this time in the production process, there is no more human excrement in the product, scientists say.
Even municipalities with biosolids experience can falter, however. Chicago’s foray into creating a giant, 60-foot tall sewage-cooking machine run by a private corporation that would speed up the drying process and allow the sale of fertilizer to private markets ended up being 10 years late and 40-per-cent over its projected operating budget due to increased energy costs. It is projected to cost taxpayers $264 million in construction and operating costs over 20 years. But Manju Sharma, director of maintenance and operations for the MWRD, said the plant has become successful, transforming 40 per cent of the city’s biosolids into marketable fertilizer pellets.
“It turned out to be an okay contract for us,” she said.
http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/chicago-turns-sewage-into-topsoil-and-now-a-business
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/local-news/chicago+turns+sewage+into+topsoil+business/11572109/story.html
“MWRD of Chicago Budget Praised,” Bond Buyer Magazine
CHICAGO – The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's proposed $1.21 billion budget has won a key endorsement. The Chicago Civic Federation said in a Dec. 3 analysis the budget is reasonable and maintains ample reserves and praised the district for continuing to be fiscally responsible in providing proper funding for pensions and prefunding retiree health benefits.
The proposed budget relies on the maximum property tax increase allowed under state law for the third year in a row, with the total levy increasing by 3.3%, or $18.5 million, to $577.8 million. The budget marks a 1.5% increase over fiscal 2015 spending levels and includes an extra contribution to the district's retirement fund beyond what is required under state law. The federation praised the district's long-term planning, especially given the struggles of overlapping governments that rely on the same tax base including Chicago, Cook County, and the Chicago schools, all struggling under massive pension burdens.
"The Civic Federation has long recommended that all governments develop long-term financial and strategic plans," said president Laurence Msall. "Focusing only on short-term budget decisions can have adverse long-term impacts, as has been amply demonstrated with the multiplicity of public pension crises around Illinois."
The federation remains concerned that the district's 2012 pension fund overhaul could still face a legal challenge. Reforms adopted by Chicago and its park district that cut benefits have been challenged with the fate of Chicago's changes pending before the Illinois Supreme Court. The
MWRD overhaul did not cut benefits but it did raise employee contributions which could be challenged.
"The district's focus on stabilizing the financial condition of its post-employment benefits has been a key part of the MWRD's strategy to maintain its high bond ratings and minimize borrowing costs," the federation wrote. "Therefore, the Civic Federation urges the district to evaluate the possible impact of a partial or full reversal of its pension funding reform law and incorporate those findings into its five-year financial forecast."
The district's current plan puts it on a path to achieve 100% funding by 2050.
Moody's Investors Service in a recent report said the district's strong financials and independent governance are key strengths that have staved off the credit hits suffered by Chicago and other local governments. Like Chicago and its sister agencies, the district is saddled with a substantial pension burden but its underlying strengths and its success in adopting reforms have kept its rating in high-grade territory. Moody's rates the district Aa2. Moody's said the district's adjusted net pension liability, a calculation Moody's uses to assess the health of a government's pension system, is $2.1 billion and represents a 3.1 multiple of operating fund revenues.
MWRD closed fiscal 2014 with operating fund reserves of $357 million, or a strong 54% of operating fund revenues. In fiscal 2014, 84% of operating fund revenues came from property taxes, with a more modest 11% coming from charges for services. The district's nearly $3 billion of general obligation debt carries top marks from Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor's. Moody's was not asked to rate the district's last sale.
http://www.bondbuyer.com/news/regionalnews/mwrd-of-chicago-budget-praised-1091244-1.html
“Kenilworth Ready to Go with Porous Asphalt, ‘Green Street’ Tech,” Chicago Tribune (IL)
After Kenilworth streets and basements flooded in 2008, especially on the east side of town served by an aging combined sewer, village officials developed a multi-year flood control program. The “Green Streets” porous streetscape part of the plan could start in early 2016.
Full article text: After more than a year of retooling its long-term flood control proposal, including dropping plans for permeable paver streets and parkway rain gardens, Kenilworth has re-launched its “Green Streets” initiative and its storm sewer separation project.
This time, the program will use porous asphalt streets, porous turf parkways and underground temporary detention areas to help cut basement and street flooding in east Kenilworth neighborhoods and to help clear pollutants from surface water before it enters the sewer systems, officials said.
Kenilworth is one of the first communities in the Chicago area to use the porous parkway, temporary water detention and asphalt street technology in a flood-control plan, Village President Bill Russell said.
“I think this will be a watershed program, no pun intended, that will have an effect that will go way beyond Kenilworth,” Russell said.
The Illinois Environment Protection Agency is aware of only one other community, Carbon Cliff, Ill., that has committed to using porous streets as part of a flood and water-control policy, IEPA spokeswoman Kim Biggs said Dec. 1, though she cautioned that the department only has records from communities that receive EPA funding for such projects.
Porous pavement was more apt to be used in parking lots, she said.
“It’s a new best management practice,” Biggs said. “We weren’t even looking at permeable pavement 20 years ago.”
Unlike Kenilworth, Carbon Cliff, a village of slightly more than 2,000 people near East Moline, is rebuilding its deteriorated streets with permeable paving technology, according to a brochure put out by the village.
Kenilworth officials originally planned to use permeable pavers as part of their flood-control strategy, Russell said, but in the spring of 2014, residents told the board they were worried that pavers and rain gardens would change the look and nature of Kenilworth.
Russell said in August of 2014 that some residents were also concerned about how the plan would treat Kenilworth’s parkway trees.
Russell and Kenilworth Village Manager Patrick Brennan said in August of 2014 that the village board put the plan on hold to regroup. In 2015, village trustees decided to go with porous asphalt and porous turf parkway segments, Brennan said Nov. 30.
In November, trustees agreed to seek bids for a general contractor for the project, Russell said.
Bids should go out in mid-December and be back in village hands in January, Brennan said. If the board chooses a contractor at that time, construction could start early in 2016, he said.
He said the village won’t have a solid cost estimate until after they get both the returned bids, and a preliminary engineering estimate, expected within the next two weeks.
“Our rough guess right now is between $6.5 (million) and $7 million,” he said.
Kenilworth will replace sections of Cumberland and Melrose avenues, and Roslyn Road, all east of Cumnor Road, with permeable asphalt, which will sit atop multiple layers of crushed stone, according to village officials.
Officials said parkway sections along those streets will also be rebuilt to soak in surface water and filter it through specially mixed, or “amended,” absorbent soil and gravel to help separate pollutants from the water, and send it more slowly into Kenilworth’s sewer systems.
The streets will be built over new storm sewers, which will separate storm water from east Kenilworth’s existing combined sewer system. The new sewers, while not themselves part of the Green Streets project, are part of the overall Kenilworth 2023 flood control program developed after 2008 flooding filled village streets and basements with water and sewage, Brennan said.
“We did an analysis of the east side of Kenilworth, which we knew had a flooding problem and deteriorated infrastructure,” Russell said. “There are lines that are original equipment. It’s untenable that a community such as ours would have infrastructure that deteriorated.”
Most street and parkway work will be paid for with the remainder of a 2013 $9.75 million bond sale, Brennan said.
Roughly $2 million has already been spent on water main improvements on the west side of town, he added. Some funds for the Cumberland-Roslyn-Melrose storm sewer project will come from a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District partnership grant of $993,000 for green infrastructure improvements.
The combination of permeable paving and parkways will help improve the efficiency of the new storm sewers, an engineer with the project said Nov. 25.
Joy Corona, water resources project manager for Lake Forest-based Bleck Engineers, said the combination of street and sewer projects “should eliminate sanitary sewer backup, especially compared to the current combined sewer system.”
Corona said street pavers are more durable than porous asphalt, but that asphalt is less expensive and will last for many years.
T. Carter Ross, vice-president of communications for the Maryland-based National Asphalt Paving Association, said that porous asphalt can usually last as long as regular asphalt with the right care, a life of between 10 and 20 years, depending on how heavily used a street is.
Ross and Kevin Burke, executive vice president of the Springfield-based Illinois Asphalt Paving Association, echoed Biggs in saying few communities have turned to porous paving technologies for streets.
“The major user in Illinois has been the city of Chicago with their green alley program,” Burke said. “There’s been a lot of discussion about porous pavement, but I’m not aware of any large-scale programs.”
“I think it’s very exciting. There are some challenges in construction, because a lot of the failure in these types of systems comes when the construction isn’t done right,” Corona said. “Nobody wants to be the first (to use a new technology) … but it might inspire other communities.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/wilmette/news/ct-wml-kenilworth-green-streets-tl-1210-20151207-story.html
“Buffalo Creek Partnership Seeks Municipal Help in Protecting Stream,” Pioneer Press (IL)
Patty Werner (center), a Lake County Stormwater Management commissioner, speaks to a few of the visitors at the Dec. 2 unveiling of the plan for the Buffalo Creek, which took place in Buffalo Grove Village Hall.
Full article text: As a senior consultant for engineering and environmental services with surveying firm Cardno, Mary Knysz has spent many hours on the Buffalo Creek’s banks, gathering water samples to study which areas have become the most polluted.
But at the start of the month, she and the rest of the Buffalo Creek Clean Water Partnership—an all-volunteer organization which she helps lead—laid out their plan for what municipalities can do to protect their asset. This set of goals, Knysz and other partners said, should also protect properties along the waterway, and even the people who come into physical contact with it.
“It’s definitely a long-term plan that can be chipped away at every year,” Knysz said. “That’s the only way anything will get done.”
The basis of the partnership’s ideas, which are now
online, is to stop erosion, reduce the amount of pollution that seeps in, and limit the frequency and severity of the creek’s flooding.
The advocacy group has begun lobbying the nine involved municipalities in hopes that each will adopt—and enforce—all of their plan’s tenets.
The partnership earned grant funding from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to study 26.8 square miles of drainage area along the creek’s 11-mile stretch, plus its tributaries. The stream’s north and south branches, as well as contributors like the Farrington Ditch in Buffalo Grove, begin in Lake County.
It flows generally to the southeast, touching the edge of the Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling before dumping into the Des Plaines River.
It is meant to be regulated by the Buffalo Creek Reservoir, the Lake County Forest Preserve’s pair of man-made pools set inside a park on the northwest corner of Lake Cook and Arlington Heights roads.
Those ponds are scheduled to become the site of a new flood-control effort: the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District says it is preparing $17 to $18 million to excavate one of the two islands in the western pool, move the dirt to another part of the park, plant native vegetation on the new soil, and create 180 acre feet of new storage capacity in that pool.
Justin Kirk, a senior civil engineer with the MWRD, said his office is working through permits with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Army Corps of Engineers, the county and more, and hope to open the project for bids from contractors in May.
As part of that work, Kirk said the park’s existing nature trail will be expanded to encircle the lake, and the existing wetlands will gain more native trees.
“The wetlands there aren’t very high quality,” Kirk said.
Nor, in some regards, is the water of the creek itself. Knysz said it suffers from six pollutants—fecal coliform, chloride, phosphorous, dissolved oxygen, suspended solids and ammonia—and some sections can have dangerous levels of E. colibacteria.
Knysz said she made several trips to the Buffalo’s banks to collect water samples, and almost always wore gloves when reaching into the stream. But once, in 2014, she reached in without gloves, and happened to have a small cut on her hand. A day later, Knysz was in a nearby hospital, suffering from E. coli.
“The infection went all the way up my arm,” Knysz recalled.
Much of the contaminants in the creek are from the residents of the watershed, and Knysz details several of the moves homeowners can make to protect their water.
• Pick up after your pets. Most of the fecal matter in the stream comes from wild geese, but every effort helps, she said.
• Reduce the use of fertilizers on lawns, and of salt on driveways
• Plant native vegetation—those species will naturally need less water to survive
• Use rain gardens and rain barrels to contain storm water runoff
Many of the same principals apply, at a much larger level, to the small group of governments that surround Buffalo Creek, Knysz said. She and the rest of the group said they hope to earn those agencies’ best efforts in the near future.
“Water does not stop at political boundaries,” Knysz said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/buffalo-grove/news/ct-bgc-buffalo-creek-tl-1210-20151207-story.html
“World’s Largest Storm Reservoir Begins Filling Up,” Associated Press
Full article text: A nearly century-old limestone quarry south of Chicago is beginning its new life as a massive reservoir for capturing stormwater overflows.
The Thornton Reservoir began taking in water during a rainstorm in late November, trapping 400 million gallons of combined sewer overflow before pumping it to a treatment plant. And that's only a small fraction of its 7.9 billion gallon capacity.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago says the new stormwater reservoir is the largest in the world. It serves as an escape hatch when Chicago's Deep Tunnel system fills to the brim, which happens during some heavy storms.
It will help stop stormwater tainted with sewage from running into Lake Michigan and other area waterways, as well as flooding basements.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/cbs_chicag-massive-new-reservoir-to-20150901-premiumvideo.html
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151206/news/312069973/
http://www.nwherald.com/2015/12/06/worlds-largest-storm-reservoir-begins-filling-up/akabwb/
“Watch 400 Million Gallons of Poo Water Fill a Gigantic Pit Near Chicago; The city is spending $3.8 billion to clear up a sewage problem,” Inverse
Full article text: Chicagoans can rest easy. In the event that heavy rains overload the city’s sewers, the excess water
will no longer overflow into the environment, polluting ecosystems and sometimes filling basements with toxic floodwater.
Instead, it will go here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnOlXJxjDxk
This is the Thornton Composite Reservoir,
also known as the “Grand Canyon of the South Suburbs.” It’s ostensibly a 7.9 billion-gallon bathtub commandeered from a quarry, designed to hold rain and sewage overflow until it can be piped elsewhere for treatment.
Over a rainy Thanksgiving weekend, the reservoir took on water for the first time, filling with 400 million liters — mostly stormwater, tinged with a soupçon of sewage.
At 17 feet deep, the reservoir was at only 5 percent of capacity. That intake pipe has a diameter of 30 feet.
The problem is one that a lot of cities face. In the past, sewage and storm water systems were designed as one. When heavy rains push the systems beyond capacity, the excess is allowed to overflow into the environment — which, in the case of Chicagoland, includes Lake Michigan.
This is a pretty gross and unhealthy situation, and one that Chicago is spending $3.8 billion to fix.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s full initiative involves building more than 100 miles of tunnel and three reservoirs for the city. The Thornton Composite Reservoir will ensure that 182,000 homes and businesses don’t have to suffer stinky floods in the future.
Photos via MWRD Public Affairs / YouTube
https://www.inverse.com/article/8881-watch-400-million-gallons-of-poo-water-fill-a-gigantic-pit-near-chicago
“VIDEO: Thornton Reservoir Filled with 400 Million Gallons of Storm Water,” CBS Chicago/WBBM (IL) link to video
Full article text: A momentous occasion almost went unnoticed after steady rains in the Chicago area last week.
A total of 400 million gallons of raw sewage and rainwater spilled for the first time ever into the Thornton Reservoir last week.
If it hadn’t ended up there, Deep Tunnel civil engineer Kevin Fitzpatrick says the storm water would have ended up where it has in the past—area waterways like the Calumet River and the Cal-Sag Channel and many people’s basements.
“It will definitely keep pollution out of there. We hope to continue to see resurgence of the water quality in these waterways as we’ve been noticing over these last few decades and hope quite a few more fish species come back,” he said.
Deep Tunnel civil engineer Kevin Fitzpatrick says the rainwater and sewage combo in the reservoir is slowly draining towards a reclamation plant where it is being cleaned.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District says the Thornton Reservoir filled to a depth of 17 feet as a result of last week’s rain but that left the reservoir only 5 percent full.
The reservoir’s capacity is nearly 8 billion gallons of raw sewage and rainwater.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/12/04/video-thornton-reservoir-filled-with-400-million-gallons-of-storm-water/
“Thornton Quarry ‘Engineering Marvel’ Put to Work,” nwi.com (IN)
Full article text: A little more than two years after the "last blast" at Thornton Quarry, "Chicago's Grand Canyon" officially became a working reservoir. Stormwater poured into the Thornton Composite Reservoir for the first time over Thanksgiving weekend. More than 400 million gallons of combined sewage and stormwater flowed into the former limestone quarry that nearly every Region resident has driven over on Interstate 80/294 at one time or another.
"We are happy to put our latest engineering marvel to work," MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos said. "The Thornton Composite Reservoir is the world's largest reservoir and has drawn intrigue from across the world. We thank our predecessors with the Board of Commissioners who had the foresight in 1972 to adopt a plan that made flooding and water quality genuine issues to prioritize. In past years, that polluted, untreated water would enter our waterways or worse, our basements. Because of TARP, combined sewer overflows have been drastically reduced, and the addition of Thornton will again lead to more water quality improvements upstream."
Construction of the deep-water tunnel and reservoir near South Holland, which had been one of the largest aggregate quarries in the world, was substantially completed in September.
After the first major storm last week, water rose 17 feet high in the Thornton Reservoir instead of flooding basements and spilling into rivers and streams. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago estimates it protects 556,000 people and 182,000 properties throughout the south suburbs and Chicago's south side. It also keeps sewage out of the Calumet Rivers and Calumet-Sag Channel.
While 400 million gallons of water may sound like it's time for Noah to hurry up and finish building his Ark, that's only 5 percent of the reservoir's 7.9 billion gallon capacity.
The water will remain in the reservoir, which provided the raw materials to build many of the buildings and roads in greater Chicagoland, until it is pumped 5.5 miles away to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant to be cleaned.
http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/thornton-quarry-engineering-marvel-put-to-work/article_17c69304-98ea-53f2-9405-10305d002a58.html
“Thornton Quarry Reservoir Online Completion as Regional Flood Control,” Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle (IL)
Full article text: The story "New Thornton Quarry reservoir ‘like no place else in the world’" published in the Chronicle on June 16 took a look at the H-F area’s most notable geological feature and how it is being adapted to help prevent flooding in Chicago and the South Suburbs. Since then, the quarry has officially become a reservoir, although it doesn't yet hold much water.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is transforming the north lobe of the Thornton Quarry into a massive reservoir in an area that is one-half mile long by one-quarter mile wide by 350 feet deep. Following heavy storms, rainwater will be pumped into the quarry via a deep tunnel extending north to an MWRD treatment plant at 130th Street.
The Thornton Quarry is located just east of Homewood, bisected by I-80/94 east to State Street.
Now that it is operational, the reservoir will be able to hold billions of gallons of stormwater and sewage that otherwise might flood homes and basements after major rain events. In September, MWRD officials and state and federal politicians gathered at the quarry for a ribbon-cutting marking the completion of the $429 million project. Justin Brown, an MWRD public affairs specialist, told the H-F Chronicle work continued following the ribbon-cutting on the gigantic underground gates that will regulate the flow of water into the quarry. The iron gates are 25 feet high, two feet thick and located more than 300 feet below ground. In mid-November, Brown said the quarry is now officially online and ready to take water. “They’re still fine-tuning the gates but it is ready to fill if we get enough rain to fill the tunnel,” he said, adding that only time will tell when the reservoir will be used to its full capacity. “It will require a pretty big rainstorm to fill the tunnel system completely and begin filling the reservoir,” Brown said. “Depending on weather, it’s possible that may not happen until the spring.”
http://hfchronicle.com/article/2015/dec/04/thornton-quarry-reservoir-online-completion-regional-flood-control-structure
“Watch 400 Million Gallons of Stormwater Rush into ‘Chicago’s Grand Canyon,’” DNA Info (IL)
A view of the Thornton Reservoir.
Full article text: Officials Thursday released video of sewage and stormwater going into the Thornton Reservoir for the first time, a development that is expected to help prevent basements from flooding on the Far South Side. The video shows water entering the former quarry off Interstate 294 in suburban South Holland on Thanksgiving, eventually rising to 17 feet, or 400 million gallons. That was about 5 percent of capacity, according to the Metropolitan Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The $429 million project has been described as “Chicago's Grand Canyon” and is reportedly the largest in the world. Officials have said solar-powered aerators will hold down odors until the water can be pumped about five miles to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant for treatment.
“In past years, that polluted, untreated water would enter our waterways or worse, our basements,” MWRD president Mariyana Spyropoulos said in a statement.
Put on your boots and take a look:
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151203/south-chicago/watch-400-million-gallons-of-stormwater-rush-into-chicagos-grand-canyon
“Civic Federation Supports Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s FY2016 Tentative Budget,” Civic Federation
Full article text: In an analysis released today, the Civic Federation announced it supports the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s Tentative FY2016 budget of $1.21 billion. The District proposes a reasonable, balanced budget while maintaining ample reserves and continuing to be fiscally responsible by properly funding its pensions and prefunding its retiree health benefits. The full 55-page analysis is available
here.
The FY2016 budget includes the maximum property tax increase allowed under state law for the third year in a row, with the total levy increasing by 3.3%, or $18.5 million, to $577.8 million. The budget will also increase corporate fund spending, which covers the day-to-day operations of the MWRD, by 1.5% over FY2015 spending levels and includes an extra contribution to the District’s retirement fund beyond what is required under state law.
“The Civic Federation has long recommended that all governments develop long-term financial and strategic plans,” said Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation. “Focusing only on short-term budget decisions can have adverse long-term impacts, as has been amply
demonstrated with the multiplicity of public pension crises around Illinois.” The MWRD continues to use long-term financial planning through five-year financial forecasting and a Strategic Business Plan to guide operations and future projects. The District notes that the five-year financial forecast is used for planning and directs more attention to the MWRD’s financial condition beyond the next fiscal year. Its Strategic Business Plan includes policy guidelines and specific measures of expected outcomes established by the District. The MWRD’s pension funding reform package that was passed in 2012 and supported by the Civic Federation does not include changes to current or retired employees’ retirement benefits, but it does increase employee contributions to the fund as well as employer contributions. Therefore, the Civic Federation has some concerns that the law might still be challenged in court if the Illinois Supreme Court rules the City of Chicago’s pension reforms to be unconstitutional. The District’s focus on stabilizing the financial condition of its post-employment benefits has been a key part of the MWRD’s strategy to maintain its high bond ratings and minimize borrowing costs. Therefore, the Civic Federation urges the District to evaluate the possible impact of a partial or full reversal of its pension funding reform law and incorporate those findings into its five-year financial forecast. Such an assessment should include an examination of whether the District’s plan to achieve 100% funding by 2050 would still be possible without extra employee contributions and/or the increased pension levy allowed under the 2012 law. The full report also praises the District for improvements to its Tentative budget book and for maintaining a substantial fund balance for contingencies.
https://www.civicfed.org/press-room/FY2016_MWRD
“Assisted Living, Dementia Care Facility Considered for Cal-Sag Site,” The Regional News (IL)
Full article text: Whatever happened to the Boardwalk of Palos Heights? The restaurants, retail and offices development proposed a year ago last spring-summer for the former site of Crown and later Rizza Buick at Palos Heights’ northern gateway has apparently died a quiet death:
No advance to Boardwalk, no pass GO, not even a shake of the dice to see who starts. Game over.
Enter Spectrum Retirement Communities of Denver, Colo., which is interested in building a four-story assisted living and memory care residential building on 2.6 acres on the eastern portion of the 6.9-acre site at the northeast corner of Harlem Avenue and Route 83.
Spectrum LLC representative Mike Longfellow presented his firm’s plans for the 100-unit potential development to the City Council on Tuesday. The plans would have to withstand the city’s new Harlem Avenue Overlay District approval process before final approval by the council. Spectrum is the owner-operator of 30 retirement community properties in 11 states, more than a few in Illinois, Longfellow said. They are located in Cary, Lake Zurich, Streamwood and the recently opened Lombard Place in Lombard. A large one is now being built in Libertyville.
Each building is “custom designed” to fit its locale, Longfellow said. “That’s important to us. I’m an architect, I don’t like cookie cutter.”
Now Spectrum wants to build one in Palos Heights, a good fit Longfellow indicated. “We study the markets to make sure we’re a good fit to best take care of our residents. That’s our mission,” he said.
“We are excited about this site,” Longfellow said of the eastern end of the triangular Buick dealership site that points eastward from Harlem and Route 83, “leaving the corner [closest to the intersection] for commercial development.”
Spectrum has some 1,800 employees nationwide and a 96 percent occupancy rate for its senior communities, Longfellow said. “We like to work in partnership with the city.”
Although Spectrum also provides independent senior living in some of its senior communities, the proposed Palos Heights site would have only assisted living and memory care units, Longfellow said. Memory care residents are those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of
dementia. The second floor of the building would house memory care resident units, mostly studio size.
The four-story building would have a “flat-roof, urban design,” with parking in the front and at both sides of the building. Plans are for 65 parking spaces. Only about 10 to 15 percent of assisted living residents keep a car, he noted. Two community vehicles on site are used to take residents shopping.
The back of the building would be kept free of parking to allow residents a good view of the trees, Cal-Sag Channel and Worth waterfall park on the far shore. The main dining patio would be in the rear, overlooking such vistas. A walkway would lead to another patio amid trees.
“We take pride in our landscaping,” Longfellow said. The grounds are something “we focus on for our residents. This is a very important property in Palos Heights.”
The 100 resident units are not considered to be apartments, Longfellow said. The ground floor is devoted entirely to common area space—dining rooms, a salon open to the public, usually friends and family members of residents, a theatre and gathering places. “We encourage outreach with the community.”
The building and grounds would extend roughly from 71st Avenue east to 69th Court, Alderman Jack Clifford (2nd Ward) tried o pinpoint it from the rendering Longfellow and his associates showed the council.
Longfellow emphasized room would be left to the building’s west for commercial development. “We would like it to be part of an overall mixed-use development,” he said.
Mayor Robert Straz said Spectrum’s presentation was made “just to see if we have an interest” in pursuing it further. Straz noted that 16 percent of Palos Heights’ population is over age 65. People “have to go out of town” to live in assisted living or visit parents or other relatives so housed, he noted.
No aldermen spoke out against Spectrum’s proposal after several questions seemed to satisfy their concerns. All residents would be private pay, none covered by Medicare or Medicaid paying to live there, he replied to a question by Alderman Jeff Key (1st Ward).
The building would provide 60 jobs, 26 on staff at any given time, he told Alderman Dolores Kramarski (3rd Ward).
“I don’t see anything negative” coming from the council after Longfellow’s presentation, Straz told him.
http://www.theregionalnews.com/index.php/newsx/159-local-news/top-news-story/34739-assisted-living-dementia-care-facility-considered-for-cal-sag-site
“Thornton Composite Reservoir Fills for First Time over Thanksgiving,” Water World
Thornton Composite Reservoir
Full article text: Beginning on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's (MWRD's) Thornton Composite Reservoir began to fill for the first time. It reached 17' and contained 400 million gallons of combined sewer overflow prior to being transported by tunnel for treatment at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant.
The reservoir, located in the south suburbs near South Holland just north of the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), will benefit 556,000 people in 14 communities, including the South Side of Chicago and south suburbs. It will protect 182,000 homes, businesses and other facilities and improve water quality in the Calumet Rivers and Calumet-Sag Channel by collecting combined sewer overflows before entering waterways. The new reservoir holds these overflows before pumping the water 5.5 miles back to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant for treatment.
Major construction connecting the reservoir to the tunnel was complete in September. Following gate installation, testing and waiting for rain, the complete reservoir system is online and can take in up to 7.9 billion gallons of water.
"We are happy to put our latest engineering marvel to work. The Thornton Composite Reservoir is the world's largest reservoir and has drawn intrigue from across the world," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "We thank our predecessors with the Board of Commissioners who had the foresight in 1972 to adopt a plan that made flooding and water quality genuine issues to prioritize. In past years, that polluted, untreated water would enter our waterways or worse, our basements. Because of TARP, combined sewer overflows have been drastically reduced, and the addition of Thornton will again lead to more water quality improvements upstream."
The 1,300 foot tunnel meets up with the existing, operational deep tunnels. After installing the gates, crews had to remove a 10-foot thick concrete mass separating the live tunnel from the reservoir. At 1,000 feet into the tunnel, the tunnel size transitions from 30 feet in diameter and splits into two massive tunnels that each house two thick wheel gates that can withstand 300 feet of water pressure and isolate the tunnels from the reservoir when necessary. Each of the four gates weighs approximately 100 tons.
A concrete apron constructed in front of the tunnel is designed to withstand the force of the water coming out of the tunnel, which can be at velocities of up to 30 feet per second, preventing erosion of the stone reservoir floor. Solar-powered aerators were installed in the
reservoir and will float up and down with the water elevation, keeping the surface layer of water from going septic and causing odors.
Thornton Composite Reservoir
The new reservoir holds these overflows before pumping the water 5.5 miles back to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant for treatment. Communities that will benefit include Blue Island, Burnham, Calumet City, Calumet Park, South side of Chicago, Dixmoor, Dolton, Harvey, Lansing, Markham, Phoenix, Posen, Riverdale and South Holland.
About the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Established in 1889, the MWRD (www.mwrd.org) is an award-winning, special purpose government agency responsible for wastewater treatment and stormwater management in Cook County, Illinois.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/12/thornton-composite-reservoir-fills-for-first-time-over-thanksgiving.html
“Ask Geoffrey: The Story behind the Illinois and Michigan Canal,” Chicago Tonight-WTTW (IL)
Full article text: Could you please explain why and when the Illinois and Michigan Canal went out of use? – Igor Slavin, Chicago
It’s amazing to consider that that most people have never heard of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, even though it is pretty much the reason Chicago became one of the great cities of the world. But for this canal, Chicago would probably be like Galena or the Quad Cities today, or perhaps even smaller.
The canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi via the Chicago River. Much of that route is now the Stevenson Expressway through the southwest suburbs.
To understand the canal, let’s go back to 1673. The explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet are desperately paddling north on the Mississippi River, eager to return home to Michigan before winter sets in. The Native Americans showed them a shortcut.
The Indians led the explorers up the Illinois River and the Des Plaines River until they reached a muddy portage located about where the southwest suburb of Lyons is today. They slogged across that portage to the Chicago River and from there it was an easy paddle to Lake Michigan.
Joliet could see right away that if a canal were dug across that soggy stretch of land, it would create an uninterrupted waterway all the way from the East, through the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. But America wasn’t a country yet, so there was no real interest in building the canal.
Flash forward about 150 years to the early 1800s. The U.S. government wants to develop the interior of the country, so the canal idea is dredged up. Ground was broken on July 4, 1836 near today’s Bridgeport. Canal commissioner William B. Archer (as in Archer Avenue), turned the first shovel of earth. It would take 12 years to finish the canal. Many immigrant workers including lots of Irish, died digging the canal with picks, shovels and primitive explosives.
The canal opened in April 1848, and the little frontier town of Chicago became the hub of the most important inland trade route in the country. Soon it was the fastest growing city in the world. For the next thirty years, millions of tons of bulk commodities traveled up and down the canal. The canal was so successful that it surprised naysayers by paying off its debt!
Soon, another kind of transportation progress that doomed the canal: as Chicago grew into the nation’s railroad hub, the canal fell into disrepair and was used mainly by pleasure boaters. But its rebirth was already in the works.
Construction began in the late 1800s on a new and much deeper canal following the same path as the old Illinois and Michigan Canal. That new canal wasn’t built for shipping. It was built to divert Chicago’s sewage away from Lake Michigan and send it down the Mississippi instead. When it opened, it actually reversed the flow of the Chicago River.
Eventually the canal was opened for shipping and today the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is still very much in use for barges and, yes, wastewater.
Fragments of the old I&M Canal still exist and many old canal buildings have been restored in the southwest suburbs and farther along the old route.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/12/02/ask-geoffrey-story-behind-illinois-and-michigan-canal
“From the Community: Morton Grove Winter Market THIS Saturday!” Trib Local
Summary: This Saturday, December 5!
Morton Grove Farmers' Market Indoor Winter Market
Market Hours 9:00 am - 2:00 pm, Morton Grove Civic Center, 6140 Dempster St., MG
Music: 9 am - 11 am Gene Lim will sing and play guitar. All donations will go directly to the Feed My Starving Children charity. Entertainment: 10 am - 2 pm RC Juggles Entertainment. Amazing Balloon Creations by Anna Freeman. Music: 11:15 am - 12:00 pm Nancy Kabat will perform solo flute. Taste of Morton Grove tickets will be available for sale at the Welcome Booth
FREE Rain Barrels for Morton Grove residents
"Rain barrels are a type of green infrastructure that capture rainwater from your roof and save it for when you need it. By keeping this water out of the sewer system, rain barrels can also help prevent sewer overflows and flooding. You can use rain barrel water to wash your car, water your lawn, or clean work boots and tools. Rain barrel water is naturally free of chlorine, lime, and calcium and some gardeners swear their plants prefer it." - MWRD
Pick up applications at the Rain Barrel Booth. Rain Barrels are provided by the Village of Morton Grove and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD).
Please remember the less fortunate in our community. Donate new, unwrapped toys and non-perishable, unexpired food items to the bins in the Civic Center lobby. The Morton Grove Fire and Police Departments collect and distribute donations every year.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/des-plaines/community/chi-ugc-article-morton-grove-winter-market-this-saturday-2015-12-03-story.html
“Video: Thornton Composite Reservoir First Fill,” You Tube
Summary: The Thornton Composite Reservoir is online and recently took on water for the first time while our time-lapse camera was recording. A stormy Thanksgiving holiday resulted in 400 million gallons of combined sewage and stormwater flowing into the reservoir where the water level reached 17 feet. Although this is a lot of water, it's only five percent of the reservoir's 7.9 billion gallon capacity. The water will remain in the reservoir until it travels to our Calumet Water Reclamation Plant for treatment. The reservoir, located in the south suburbs near South Holland just north of the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), will benefit 556,000 people in 14 communities, including the South Side of Chicago and south suburbs. It will protect 182,000 homes, businesses and other facilities and improve water quality in the Calumet Rivers and Calumet-Sag Channel by collecting combined sewer overflows before entering waterways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnOlXJxjDxk&feature=youtu.be
“Space to Grow Program Unveils Two New Schoolyard Transformations,” Water World
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago President Mariyana Spyropoulos (fourth from left) joins community leaders and students at Orozco Academy to commemorate the opening of a new schoolyard that includes a new playground area among other $1.5 million in improvements to better capture stormwater.
Full article text: Joining school leaders and students and various organizations, officials with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) helped unveil two new schoolyard transformations that embrace the agency’s pursuit of stormwater management, solutions to flooding and civic engagement.
Ribbon cuttings were recently held and new school grounds were celebrated at Willa Cather Elementary School, 2908 W. Washington Blvd., and Orozco Academy, 1940 W. 18th St. The schools each received a $1.5 million schoolyard transformation from the Space to Grow program, an innovative public-private partnership co-managed by the Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands. The program aims to develop Chicago schoolyards into centers of school and community life that support active and healthy lifestyles, outdoor learning, physical education and engagement with nature.
Along with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM), the MWRD offers the program funding and technical support from its engineers. They completed four elementary schools in 2014 and two more finished in 2015. The DWM and the MWRD share the cost of the green infrastructure components and CPS assumes all costs associated with all recreational improvements. The partnership has received many awards, including the U.S. Green Building Council Illinois Chapter Mission Award, the National Physical Activity Plan Champions Award and Illinois Association of Floodplain and Stormwater Management’s Sustainability Award.
“We are thrilled to open these new schoolyards to this wonderful group of students and teachers and their respective communities,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. “Since 2013, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago has worked with these talented organizations to minimize flooding and reduce stormwater runoff at schools by replacing impermeable asphalt surfaces with green infrastructure, such as permeable pavement and rain
gardens. By making these improvements, we are also breathing new excitement into these communities and empowering them with the tools to manage today’s water.”
Cather, situated in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, enrolls 352 students, and approximately 97 percent are low-income, while Orozco Academy, in the Lower West Side neighborhood, enrolls 583 students, of which 90 percent are low income.
Work at Cather is designed to accommodate more than 56,000 gallons of stormwater. Improvements include: a multipurpose turf field with bases for baseball, a three-lane jogging track, permeable asphalt areas, a refurbished full basketball court with sleeves for tennis and volleyball nets, play equipment for younger and older students, an outdoor classroom area, native gardens and trees, a rain garden with native plants, vegetable gardens, benches and seating throughout the schoolyard.
The stormwater management improvements at Orozco are designed to have the capacity to hold more than 303,000 gallons of water. Improvements include: a multipurpose turf field, play equipment for younger and older students, an outdoor classroom area, permeable pavers, a rain garden with native plants, native gardens and trees, vegetable gardens, drinking water fountains and seating throughout the schoolyard.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/12/space-to-grow-program-unveils-two-new-schoolyard-transformations.html#_gus&_gucid=/content/ww/en/articles/2015/12/space-to-grow-program-unveils-two-new-schoolyard-transformations&_gup=twitter&_gsc=k8Nfsle
“Red Seal Announces Start of Provenance Work,” Pioneer Local
Full Article text: Red Seal Development is trumpeting the start of work on its planned Provenance housing project at Mission Hills, but it may be some time before actual construction starts, a Cook County official said. Any delay is precious to the opponents of the project, who have sued Red Seal and the Cook County Board, which approved the project in February. A week after the village of
Glenview became the last surrounding town to sign off on the unincorporated development Nov. 17,
Northbrook-based Red Seal announced that "with approval coming from all appropriate municipalities and the recording of the project's final plat," construction was expected to begin Monday. As of Tuesday morning, one neighbor whose property overlooks the site said no fencing had yet been erected.
On Nov. 18, developers got Cook County approval for a permit to erect construction fencing and remove trees in the way of the project. Tree removal is as far as Red Seal can go right now, and it may be a while before anything else happens, Cook County building and zoning Commissioner Timothy Bleuher said Tuesday. Red Seal has yet to file its plat of survey, he said. That requires surveying the land and submitting a grading plan, and neither has happened yet, Bleuher said. Red Seal has also yet to apply to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District for acceptance under the district's watershed management ordinance, spokeswoman Allison Fore said Monday. No earth can be turned before requirements for stormwater management and sanitary sewer construction are satisfied, she said.
"That's a long process," Blueher said of the application. "The bigger and more complex it is, the longer it takes. Worst case, it can be up to six months."
He added, however, that his experience with similar projects is limited. He said few unincorporated Cook County projects in recent years have been even a fraction of the size of Provenance's 44 acres.
Red Seal also may have a head start on the process after undergoing a long drainage-approval process to win Northbrook's subdivision code sign-off, village officials said earlier. Red Seal spokesman Max Bever declined comment on the construction schedule, other than to say that some fencing at the property was scheduled to be erected Monday. As of Tuesday morning, no fencing had gone up according to neighbor and Provenance opponent Paul Kakuris, of Mission Hills Openlands. Though Kakuris said he'd welcome the sight.
"Wait until they look at those fences and see how close they are" to current buildings, he said of residents who have not been fighting the development. "It's really going to raise their ire."
Another resident, Earl Simon, who is a party to the lawsuit against the project, said Monday that if Red Seal cuts down any dead trees on the course, he would appreciate it.
"No one would object if they cut down the dead trees, but live trees would be a shame," he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/northbrook/news/ct-nbs-mission-tl-1203-20151201-story.html
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“Olympia Fields Cuts Ribbon on Graymoor Sanitary Sewer Lateral Project,” SSMMATTERINGS (IL)
Olympia Fields held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Graymoor subdivision on Nov. 20, 2015, celebrating the completion of the Graymoor Sanitary Sewer Lateral Project.
Full article text: Olympia Fields held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Graymoor subdivision on Nov. 20, 2015, celebrating the completion of the Graymoor Sanitary Sewer Lateral Project.
On hand for the celebration were SSMMA Executive Director Edward Paesel, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Tim Bradford; Village President Debbie Meyers-Martin; U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly; State Rep. Al Riley; Col. Christopher T. Drew, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District; representatives of Robinson Engineering including Mary Clumpner and Thomas Nagle; representatives from Performance Pipelining; Olympia Fields Trustees Willett Hudson, Arthur Byrd, Willis Pennington Jr. and Shirley Nale; Village Administrator David Mekarski; Village Executive Assistant Gladys Foster; Village Public Works Director Robert Waite and local residents.
The project’s goal is to prevent stormwater leakage into sanitary sewer lines, potentially causing them to overflow into streets, basements, waterways or MWRD treatment facilities. This brings the village into compliance with a provision of the Federal Clean Water Act as well as guidelines set forth by MWRD and the U.S. and Illinois Environmental Protection Agencies.
The project included relining approximately seventy (70) existing 6″ sanitary sewer service lines within the public right of way. The work also included installation of approximately fifty-five (55) clean-outs at the right-of-way line. The sanitary sewer service lines were relined with a cured-in-place-pipeliner (CIPP), with liners launched through the sanitary sewer at the connection within the main line sewer, to reduce inflow and infiltration into the sanitary sewers.
The project was funded by a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, secured by Congresswoman Robin Kelly to repair lateral lines in the public right-of-way. Village corporate funds paid for the remaining laterals on private properties. More photos are here.
http://www.icontact-archive.com/znSu4WzEXIvW5cuD4VADy0hiwyXc-QGZ?w=4
Pharmaceutical Fish: SCSU Experiments,” SC Times (MN)
A fathead minnow swims in a tank of water Monday, Nov. 23, in the aquatic toxicology laboratory at St. Cloud State University.
Full article text: An experiment that started last week in St. Cloud State University’s Aquatic Toxicology Lab expands upon 2012 studies that determined fish might be affected by pharmaceuticals entering rivers and lakes through wastewater treatment plant effluents.
Details of the 2012 study, led by lab director and St. Cloud State anatomy professor Heiko Schoenfuss, appeared in this month’s scientific journal
Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry.
Using larval and adult fathead minnows, it looked at individual and combined exposure to sleep aids, muscle relaxants, painkillers and antidepressants—chemicals previously detected in the environment. Juvenile fish didn’t get as big or escape as fast. Adult females had larger livers. Adult males didn’t defend their nests as rigorously and produced a chemical protein, plasma vitellogenin, associated with female egg production.
The work is part of a long-term U.S. Geological Survey effort to determine the effects of emerging contaminants, inform water-resources managers, and, ultimately, help develop effective water management practices.
Schoenfuss’ related research dates back 20 years.
The experiments that started Nov. 18 will expose three generations of fathead minnows to three concentrations of a 10-chemical mix—including prescription drugs, BPA, (bisphenol A, an industrial chemical used to make some plastics), surfactants (used in cleaners to cut grease), DEET (mosquito repellant) and hormones (naturally produced in humans).
That particular cocktail was based on what’s found in a typical stream flowing into the Great Lakes. The experiment also includes one control group, and one group with exposure to ethanol only. (The latter is included as a control for ethanol, because the chemical mixes are dissolved in ethanol.)
Each set of conditions is replicated 20 times.
“In the environment, we know that compounds show up as very complex mixtures,” Schoenfuss said, standing among three rows of 16-liter tanks where 104 pairs of first-generation minnows swam, water ran and monitors tracked.
“These are complex-mixture experiments, but they are all stemming from that original question of what do these pharmaceuticals do in the environment, what is the adverse effect that fish may experience from being exposed to pharmaceuticals and other
compounds in the environment,” Schoenfuss said.
Samples of the chemical concentrations, measured in parts per
trillion, are mailed weekly to the USGS’ National Water Quality
Lab in Denver, where Edward Furlong of USGS’ methods research
and development program, has helped formulate and analyze the
latest chemical cocktail for the SCSU experiments.
“We want to understand how (the chemicals) are transported and
transformed in the environment and, ultimately, are there
effects that are displayed,” Furlong said.
The current experiment runs through early August, and involves
another SCSU professor, two graduate students and four or five
undergrads. It requires attention 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. It requires six to eight hours of work a day.
The $250,000 cost includes chemicals and analysis. Funding comes
from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Science
Foundation, the Minnesota Natural Resources Trust Fund and the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago. Collaborators include the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Because the results affect both regulatory agencies and
industry, researchers aim to secure balanced funding—from
agencies, from industry and from academic sources.
Grad student Lina Wang, 23, of Mankato, set up the system, which
is organized in three well-labeled rows. She is pursuing a
master’s degree in biology with a focus on ecology and natural
resources.
“Our hope is to be able to compare an adult exposure to an
entire life-cycle exposure,” Wang said. “When we go into the
environment, most of these fish are most likely being exposed to
these chemicals throughout their entire life.”
A second lab space contains the work of grad student Troy Lehto,
27, of Cokato, who is pursuing a master’s of science with a
focus on cellular and molecular biology. He’s studying the
effects of pharmaceuticals on larvae, one drug at a time.
“The ultimate question from the perspective of a toxicologist
is, do we need to worry about the compounds being produced in
the environment,” Schoenfuss said.
The chemicals include sulfamethoxaole (an antibiotic),
methocarbamol (a muscle relaxant), temazepam (a sleep aid),
diclofenac (an anti-inflammatory), a control group and a mix of
all four drugs.
The experiments Lehto is working on are behavioral—they consider
how the chemicals affect the ability of young fish to feed and
avoid predators. Gene expression is another part of the study.
Analysis takes place about 21 days after hatching, when the
minnows are about a half-inch long and weigh about one-third of
a gram.
With three generations of adult fish, study will focus on the number of
eggs produced, the number fertilized, the number of offspring,
any changes in the adults’ organs, bloodwork, age of sexual
maturity, survival rate and sex ratio. Gene, blood and tissue
analysis takes place in the Aquatic Toxicology Lab.
“Just like a physician would ask what other drugs are you
taking, in order to truly understand the environmental impact
of these pharmaceuticals, we have to look at them in the context
of all of the other pharmaceuticals and other non-prescription
pollutants that you would find in an aquatic environment,”
Schoenfuss said.
“It’s our intent to get closer to the environmental question.
The first question is: Does this compound have an effect by
itself? But then we have to put it into the context: When
combined, will the individual effect be exacerbated, will it be
moderated? We really don’t know. These are very, very complex
mixtures. And we don’t have any theoretical tools at this point
to predict how a compound would act in mixture of that sort
without running these experiments,” Schoenfuss said.
The experiment that started Nov. 18 will be conducted entirely in the lab, and
then followed with field studies on an as-yet-undetermined river
that is a tributary to the Great Lakes.
Wastewater treatment’s bad rap
Heiko Schoenfuss said wastewater treatment plants are sometimes
wrongly blamed for what’s found in the water. He stressed that
they’re neither cause nor culprit. Instead, they’re cleaning up
what humans deposit in the system. With an estimated 25 percent
of prescribed drugs going unused, he said consumers could make a
big dent if they simply took those unused meds to a collection
site instead of flushing them down the toilet.
Testing defenses
To test male fathead minnows’ defense of the nest, researchers
put another male minnow into a jar and lower it into the
aquarium. Circles on the aquarium floor allow researchers to
take precise measurements. They’re looking for how long it takes
the fish to respond, and how many times in one minute it butts
the glass jar with its snout.
http://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2015/11/29/pharmaceutical-fish-scsu-experiments/76100598/
“Then and Now: Powerhouse – Lockport,” The Herald-News (IL)
Full article text: A major engineering achievement of the late 19th century
was the construction of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
This canal was dug from Chicago to Lockport from 1890 to 1900
and extended to Joliet by 1907. The construction technique used
to dig through the layers of soil in this location included the
use of steam shovels and dynamite, in contrast to the building
of the I&M Canal in the 1840s where virtually all of the digging
was done by hand using a variety of domestic- and foreign-born
laborers.
The channel in this 28-mile section had a navigable depth of more than 20 feet
and had a width that varied between 110 and 201feet. At
Lockport, the channel widens to about 500 feet where large lake
vessels could easily maneuver.
The main
mechanism that controlled the flow of water through the Sanitary
Ship Canal was located at the western terminus near Lockport.
The unique feature of the work was a Bear Trap Dam that was 160
feet wide, with a vertical play of seventeen feet, and seven
sluice gates, each 30 feet wide and having a vertical play of 20
feet.
At the time of
construction, the dam was the largest of its type and provided
the means of controlling the flow of water through the canal.
The dam went into operation on the morning of Jan. 17, 1900.
Between 1903 and
1907, the main channel of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
was extended nearly 4 miles from the Controlling Works to the
Upper Basin in Joliet. The extension included the construction
of the Lockport Powerhouse, which was designed by Frederick L.
Barrett in Beaux-Arts style, using concrete blocks laid to
simulate stone.
Taking advantage of the 40-foot drop in elevation from Lockport to Joliet, the
power plant was able to develop 40,000 horsepower and supplied
Lockport with cheap power and made it a manufacturing, rather
than a commercial, city.
Built between 1905 and 1907, the red-roof powerhouse plant measures 385 feet
by 70 feet and continues to provide hydroelectric power to the
area.
The original four
horizontal Francis-style turbines inside the facility that
generated electric power were replaced by two vertical
Kaplan-style turbines, which operate today.
Recently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recognized the powerhouse
as the oldest hydroelectric project in Illinois.
In 2004, the Lockport Dam and Powerhouse were added to the National Register
of Historic Places.
The then and now photographs show similar unique views of the powerhouse complex.
http://www.theherald-news.com/2015/11/30/then-and-now-powerhouse-lockport/amqxx2d/
Wilmette
Completes Sale of 611 Green Bay Road Property to M&R
Development,” Village of Wilmette (IL)
Full article text: The Village of Wilmette has closed on the sale of its property at 611 Green Bay Road, the site of a former Ford dealership.
The closing of the sale occurred on Friday, November 13, 2015. Under the terms of the sale contract, the Village sold the property for $3.1 million, with M&R also making an $80,000 donation to the Village’s affordable housing efforts.
M&R will be constructing a five-story luxury apartment development, with retail and amenity spaces on the first floor. The development will have approximately 75 residences and over 6,300 square feet of first floor commercial retail space.
The project will be a high-end apartment and retail development featuring studio, one bedroom, two bedroom, and three bedroom apartments. The modern design of each unit will provide for an open concept with high end finishes and balconies. The building will feature tenant amenities such as a fitness center, cyber café, and amenity terrace for entertaining. The first floor retail component, fronting Green Bay Road, will be Class “A” retail space.
M&R Development was selected by the Village in September 2014 to develop the Village-owned parcel at 611 Green Bay Road from among nine proposals. M&R’s strong financial offer, experience developing apartments on the North Shore and commitment to build and manage high-end apartments made them the preferred choice. M&R Development is a fully integrated luxury apartment ownership, development and management company. Over the past 15 years, the company has developed 14 properties with total value in excess of $600 million. These projects include over 3,755 residential units, making M&R Development the largest developer of suburban rental properties in the area.
Additionally, M&R’s $80,000 affordable housing donation will fund two years of continuing housing assistance for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities, as the Village transitions to providing for these services through a new not-for-profit charity.
“M&R has already submitted plans and applications for permits,” said John Adler, the Village’s Director of Community Development. “They are presently being reviewed and we anticipate they will be ready to issue in the near future.”
“I’m very pleased to announce the completion of our sale of 611 Green Bay Road to M&R, and look forward to welcoming them to Wilmette,” said Bob Bielinski, Wilmette Village President. “This is exactly the type of transit-oriented, mixed-use development that was envisioned by the Village Center Master Plan. M&R’s development will be a great addition to the Village Center, adding to its vibrant mix of dining, shopping and entertainment and bringing new customers for our businesses. The property taxes that will be paid by the development will also help fund schools, parks, public safety and other important local services. This project is a critical step in implementing the Village Center Master Plan, and I look forward to its completion.”
http://www.wilmette.com/assets/1/news/Press_Release_-_611_GBR_Closing_with_MR_(11-19-15).pdf
15 October_BPPS_MWRD history.pdf
15 1104_Avila_MWRD Clean Bill_Beverly Review.pdf>
15 1111_MWRD ad_The Voice.pdf
“How the Smart City of Chicago is Making Itself Even Smarter,” Curbed
Full article text: A smart city is a good thing. But besides the intelligence of its citizens, what does it mean? It translates to the intelligence of the things that people have built in and for the city itself, so that there’s a certain self-reliance that can also support a symbiotic relationship with its residents that use bike paths, outdoor spaces, and LEED buildings.
Engineers at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District have their own ideas to heighten the city’s IQ. While 1.2 billion gallons of water wash through Chicago every day at a cost of $50 million per year, they want an energy neutral status by 2023. If they can successfully reduce energy consumed and produce power needed onsite, they’ll set the standard as the largest wastewater treatment authority in the nation to self-sufficiency.
And if you ask the City of Chicago what it means, you’ll get an answer that centers on an urban sensor network for local neighborhoods. They’ve partnered with the Array of Things Project, comprised of Charlie Catlett and researchers from the Urban Center for Computation and Data of the Computation Institute, a joint initiative of Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago. All these players are teaming up to make the city educated in a new way. Because to these people, a smart city is a fit city, and they want to monitor its health and actigraphy by putting a Fit Bit of sorts on Chicago.
To create a smart city, one needs once inanimate things to talk to each other that might not have previously been connected. If a light pole could monitor icy sidewalks, and warn you about them, then you’ve saved yourself a slippery trip. If you app lit the way to the safest, most populous route for a late-night walk to the El alone, then you can walk with reassurance.
These are fairly big goals that need to start somewhere. So this plan begins with nodes that will be mounted on streetlight traffic signals. Fifty nodes will be installed in early 2016 with 200 more by the end of the year, and another 500 by the end of 2017.
What do nodes do? They are intended to collect real-time data on the city’s environment, infrastructure, and activity for research and public use. Things like temperature, barometric pressure, light, vibration, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, ambient sound intensity, pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and surface temperature. Later, if all goes well, it could expand to monitor flooding and standing water, precipitation, wind, and pollutants.
All of the data will be published free for public use, so that people of various stripes—researchers, policymakers, developers and residents—can collaborate to make the city healthier, more efficient and more livable. Raw data will also be posted to the City of Chicago’s open data network and Plenario, a web-based portal that supports open data search and datasets from around the world. And it's not just the data. The software, hardware, parts, and specifications will also be published as open source to encourage participation from the public.
In case you’re wondering, the technology and policy have been designed with privacy protection in mind to avoid collection of personal data. Everything will be regularly reviewed by a privacy and security external oversight committee—chaired by Von Welch, director of Indiana University's Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research and Kevin Moran, chief technology officer for the City of Chicago—to ensure privacy and security. Because they’re an external, independent review team, they’ll be involved whenever there is a request for a new kind of data to be collected. Often
times, data and security is presented in a Pandora’s box of progress
and problems that must be opened in order to move forward. But
there’s a lot riding on this, because the National Science
Foundation awarded $3.1 million to the Array of Things project.
Anyone who wants to get smarter has to make mistakes in order to
learn, and an aggregate being, a city, is no different. It will
be interesting to see how much we have to learn yet on all
fronts of a healthier and safer city. Get ready to learn.
http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2015/11/23/draft-the-essential-elements-of-public-transit.php
"A 'Downpouring’ of Support for Rain Barrels and Water
Conservation," Faith in Place
Full article text: On Saturday, October 17, Faith in Place collaborated with the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, under the direction of
Commissioner Kari K. Steele, to distribute rain barrels to the
residents of Cook County. Of the one hundred rain barrels
distributed, over sixty went to those individuals who
participated in the Green the Church National Summit earlier
this year. Instructions on how to utilize the rain barrels, as
well as booklets on sustainable cleaning supplies, were
distributed during the event, in order to emphasize the
importance of maintaining clean and safe water.
The event was hosted by the Trinity All Nations Garden Group, with support from Covenant United Church of Christ and Trinity United Church of Christ green teams. The beautiful weather and atmosphere amongst friends and green teams made the event not only memorable, but also representative of a larger social movement toward water conversation and sanitation awareness.
Faith in Place provided information on rain gardens, and plans to follow up with water conservation programs that will continue to equip members and houses of worship with means of reducing storm water runoff.
The success of this event foreshadows the potential for future rain barrel workshops and rain barrel art competitions, as well as the establishment of a new line of commonality by electing community water ambassadors. Faith in Place is thankful for all of the volunteers who helped make the event such a success, as well as all the individuals who came out to receive rain barrels.
Are you interested in learning more about water conservation and rain barrels? Visit
our programs
page to learn more about how Faith in Place can assist your faith community with these projects.
http://www.faithinplace.org/news-events/program-updates/downpouring-support-rain-barrels-and-water-conservation
15 1120_Infrastructure Week_2016_VOW Coalition.pdf>
“Winnetka Board: No Rise in Property Taxes in 2016,” Chicago Tribune (IL)
Summary: Winnetka residents likely will not see any increase in their property taxes in 2016, according to village officials. At a Nov. 17 village council meeting, the board discussed the upcoming budget, which will be formally approved at the next village council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Timothy Sloth, finance director for the village, said the 2016 budget totals at $66.27 million, with an operating budget of 55.6 million, a slight decrease in operations from 2015. 2016 will bring in a 2 percent increase in water and electric rates and a 5 percent increase in sanitation fees. Sloth also said the budget is based on ongoing revenues and expenditures and should prove dependable.
“Winnetka Village Manager Robert Bahan said village officials worked to manage potential fallout from state budgetary issues. He said the village hopes to continue with initiatives addressing infrastructure and economic development.
“This is a very important planning year,” he said. “This allows us to continue with stormwater management and downtown revitalization.”
Winnetka Village Engineer Steve Saunders gave an update on stormwater management projects at the meeting. Saunders said watershed area and drainage improvements in northwest Winnetka are almost complete. All that remains, he said, are some landscaping improvements in the Forest Glen area.
“We should be able to wrap that up before the end of the calendar year,” he said.
Saunders also said the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District has reimbursed $1 million and is expected to reimburse an additional $1 million for Winnetka's stormwater management projects.
Saunders also gave an update on the study that Strand Associates is conducting on westward-routing stormwater solutions. He said Strand has been looking at previous reports and models. Because much of the land in western Winnetka is not village-owned, Saunders said meeting with key stakeholders is crucial before any potential projects would start.
“A key early task is to re-engage with the forest preserve, the park district and the two school districts,” he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/winnetka/news/ct-wtk-village-council-meeting-tl-1126-20151123-story.html
“Wilmette and Developer Close Sale on Green Bay Road Property,” Chicago Tribune (IL)
Wilmette village officials and Itasca-based M&R Development have released the latest rendering
of The Wilshore, the five-story, 75-unit apartment and retail
building M&R will build at 611 Green Bay Road, now that the $3.1
million property sale has closed.
Summary: Friday the 13th was lucky for Wilmette officials who officially closed
that day on a $3.1 million sale of the 611 Green Bay Road
property to Itasca-based M&R Development.
Village Manager Tim Frenzer announced the closing Nov. 19,
calling it the culmination “of almost 10 years of various
iterations of redevelopment of this property.
In a release to the media, Village Board President Bob Bielinski
echoed Frenzer, saying that the project would further Wilmette’s
master plan for its village center and generate property-tax
revenue for the village and its school and park districts.
“This is exactly the type of transit-oriented, mixed-use
development that was envisioned” by the master plan, Bielinski
stated in the press release. In the release, he also touted
M&R’s $80,000 donation to Wilmette’s affordable housing fund, a
donation that became final with the closing.
Equally important, Frenzer said Nov. 19, was finally getting the
one-time Wil-Shore Ford dealership property off village hands,
where it's been since 2011.
“We’ve taken a real estate asset and turned it into cash for the
village, which is always nice,” Frenzer said.
Construction of The Wilshore, a five-story, 75-unit apartment
building with studio through three-bedroom apartments and more
than 6,300 square feet of first-floor commercial retail space,
could begin soon. M&R has already filed for building and
foundation permits with the village and has gotten the approval
from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District it needed to
build, Frenzer said.
John Adler, Wilmette’s community development director, stated in
the release that village permits should be ready to issue “in
the near future.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/wilmette/news/ct-wml-611-green-bay-sale-closes-tl-1126-20151123-story.html
Student Congress Save-the-Date 
We'd love to see what your students know about the Chicago River. Visit Friends' website for
more information and registration materials. (The MWRD participates in this annual event.)
15 1123_Student Water Congress_CRSN e-News.pdf
“Chi-Cal Fund Announces $1.4 Million in Grants,” Reuters, Marketwired, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, Chesterton Tribune, Water and Waste Digest, Marketwatch, ArcelorMittal, IL DNR, MWRD, NFWF, Noodls, Friends of the Chicago River, Save the Dunes
Full article text: Today Chi-Cal Rivers Fund partners announced six projects selected to receive $1.4 million in grant funding that will help improve and enhance waterways in the Chicago and Calumet region. With a focus on reducing stormwater runoff, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, and improving public-use opportunities, this investment will support community-driven projects that benefit the people and wildlife of the region. Grant recipients will match the new grant funding with an additional $4.4 million, for a total on-the-ground impact of $5.8 million.
Administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the Fund is a partnership among ArcelorMittal, The Chicago Community Trust, the Crown Family Philanthropies, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Joyce Foundation, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Wrigley Company Foundation. The partnership began in 2013, and the $1.4 million announced today marks the Fund's third annual set of grants.
"As the world's leading steel company, strengthened by our Chicago roots, ArcelorMittal is committed to conserving our shared natural environment so that we may serve the multitude of needs required by all of its stakeholders," said Bill Steers, General Manager of Corporate Responsibility and Communications at ArcelorMittal. "In serving this need, the Chi-Cal Rivers Fund is a great example of a public-private partnership that brings a comprehensive consortium of partners together to address the many opportunities found in the Chicago Area Waterway System for greater collective impact."
"The Chi-Cal Rivers Fund will fund both green infrastructure and habitat improvement in the District's service area and make lasting contributions to the water environment," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "The District is proud to partner on this very worthwhile effort."
The six grants announced today will help improve stormwater management in Chicago, enhance public park space and improve access to the area's waterways in Northwest Indiana, enhance prairie and wetland habitat along the Calumet River, and improve fish habitat in the Chicago River. Collectively, the funded projects will:
• add more than 508,000 gallons of stormwater storage capacity
• improve 5 acres of public park space
• restore and enhance 566 acres of wetland and upland habitat
• improve approximately 2,640 feet of instream habitat
"The grants announced today demonstrate how actions to restore local rivers work in concert with efforts to enhance local communities," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. "These innovative projects represent the extraordinary commitments of the Chicago and Calumet regions to restoring their local waterways and surrounding habitats."
Friends of the Chicago River (Friends), in partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will use a $105,003 grant to install native emergent vegetation in the North Shore Channel and the North Branch of the Chicago River as habitat for fish and other aquatic species. The project involves the planting of 2,500 water willow and 2,000 lizard's tail at river locations between Wilmette Harbor and Goose Island. This work will create stands of high-quality habitat for aquatic organisms, protect the shoreline from bank erosion, create shelter for aquatic life during floods, and improve the aesthetics of the channel for recreational users. The selected plant species are particularly appropriate for the unique conditions of the Chicago River and will complement other recent efforts by IDNR and Friends to install 400 channel catfish nesting cavities in the Chicago River system.
The National Audubon Society will receive a $273,347 grant to enhance habitat for wetland-dependent species and improve public-use for surrounding communities at Indian Ridge Marsh and Big Marsh in the Calumet region. Project outcomes include the establishment of native marsh vegetation on 110 acres and improved and increased public access to two large public areas on Chicago's South Side. The removal of invasive plant species and the revegetation of a complex mosaic of wet meadow, marsh and submerged vegetation will improve conditions for dozens of imperiled and declining species in the region and provide flood protection, sediment control and nutrient trapping. Additionally, informational and educational signage will promote access and provide information on the river and marsh systems in the Calumet region.
Chicago Public Schools will receive a $300,000 grant for continuing efforts under the Space to Grow program to transform Chicago schoolyards into vibrant outdoor spaces that benefit students, community members and the environment. Schoolyard renovations supported by the grant will incorporate green infrastructure features, such as vegetated swales, rain gardens, permeable surfacing and underground water storage. Altogether, these features will capture significant rainfall, helping to keep the City's water resources clean and resulting in less neighborhood flooding. The schoolyards will capture and store stormwater for a combined storage capacity of approximately 500,000 gallons and prevent approximately 320,000 gallons of stormwater from entering Chicago's combined sewer system each year. The renovated schoolyards will also expand recreational opportunities by providing five acres of new park space for underserved communities.
Friends of the Forest Preserves will use a $270,000 grant to continue and expand the Centennial Volunteers Network, an organized system of volunteers that restore and monitor habitat along the North Branch of the Chicago River and the Little Calumet River. Grant funding will be used to organize volunteer days throughout the year to conduct habitat restoration activities on 267 acres at nine sites managed by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. The project will reduce invasive vegetation and increase native plant cover throughout riparian areas and adjacent habitat. Reduction of invasive species and improved diversity of native species will improve habitat connectivity and complexity, reduce erosion and improve water quality, which will benefit native wildlife and plant species. Grant funding will also help ensure the long-term care and enhancement of these sites by building an invested and trained constituency that will continue restoration efforts into the future.
Faith in Place will receive a $250,689 grant to improve stormwater management systems at five houses of worship located on Chicago's South Side. The project will perform a stormwater audit, develop a stormwater management plan, and implement at least one green infrastructure feature at each site. The project will also develop outreach and education plans to encourage more effective water management on properties surrounding the faith communities. The implementation of these activities will improve stormwater management, create demonstrations of green stormwater infrastructure elements throughout the communities, and prevent 43,000 gallons of stormwater from entering area waterways each year. It will also lead to a better understanding of stormwater management among local communities.
Save the Dunes Conservation Fund will receive $205,959 in grant funding to increase and enhance public-use and riparian habitat on four properties along the Little Calumet River in Northwest Indiana. New canoe and kayak launch sites will be constructed at three properties and 1.7 miles of interpretive trails will be created at two sites. The project will also install new pervious surface parking lots at two sites, which will reduce the amount of stormwater runoff entering the river while providing access to the boat launch sites and hiking trails. Finally, the project will enhance 189 acres of riparian habitat on three of the properties though control of invasive plants, prescribed burning and replanting areas with native species. Expected project outcomes include increased visitation and usage of local parks, natural areas and waterways, as well as improved habitat for many fish, birds and other wildlife.
Chi-Cal Rivers Fund partners plan to announce the next Request for Proposals in June 2016. For more information, please visit www.nfwf.org/chi-cal.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/16/idUSnCCN5LwPtb+1d4+MKW20151116#s42z6l7BGzz61FFH.97
http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/chi-cal-rivers-fund-announces-14-million-in-grants-2074002.htm
http://www.bloomberg.com/article/2015-11-16/armHent1oDGE.html
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chi-cal-rivers-fund-announces-150000620.html
http://chestertontribune.com/Environment/205k_grant_will_be_used_to_impro.htm
http://www.wwdmag.com/funding/chi-cal-rivers-fund-announces-14-million-grants
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chi-cal-rivers-fund-announces-14-million-in-grants-2015-11-16-10173055/print
http://usa.arcelormittal.com/News-and-media/Announcements/2015/nov/chical-rivers-fund-announces-$1.4-million-in-grants/
http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Documents/2015-11-17.pdf
https://www.mwrd.org/irj/portal/anonymous/Announcements
http://www.nfwf.org/whoweare/mediacenter/pr/Pages/chi-cal_pr_15-1116.aspx
http://www.noodls.com/view/3A7021C4DDE2E07E5CA81E4E5EB4791FF8F9E583?1039xxx1447693301
http://www.chicagoriver.org/news/2015/11/big-awards-for-river-improvement
https://www.facebook.com/savedunes/posts/10153250489178519?fref=nf
“From the Community: Lombard Native Creates Artwork Exploring Critical Water-Quality Issue & Solution,” Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, Glen Ellyn Patch (IL)
Playing Cycle P15, an art installation and game that celebrates the recovery of the nutrient phosphorus from Chicago-area wastewater. Full article text: Little did Lombard native Christine Esposito know when she first learned of the innovative recovery of phosphorus pollution from Chicago-area wastewater and its transformation into non-polluting fertilizer that it would inspire artwork. But it did.
Cycle P15 is both an art installation and game inspired by and celebrating this clean-water initiative of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). The project was selected to be part of Chicago Artists Month and will be on view at the Water Reclamation District’s Hugh H. McMillan Pavilion, 111 E. Erie, Chicago, through November 27th. Admission is free.
“When I first learned of the MWRD’s phosphorus-recovery initiative from MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore, her enthusiasm for the innovation helped kindle the same in me,” says Esposito, president of Terracom, a 25-year-old Chicago communications firm that connects innovators to help them collaborate in developing new ways to engage people in pressing environmental issues. “It really is exciting to think that you can have something that is a critical nutrient for all life that becomes a pollutant, then cycles back to becoming a nutrient again—in a way that results in both clean water and a needed product.”
A Natural Fit
Esposito says that when she received a call for proposals for Chicago Artists Month projects that focus on innovation in Chicago, the MWRD’s phosphorus-recovery initiative came to mind. She set about assembling a team of artists to create what would become Cycle P15.
Cycle P15 is designed to be a fun and engaging way to build awareness of a
critical water-quality issue, advances in addressing it and actions residents
can take to help.
Twister—without the twists--is among its inspirations, with the floor serving as the game board and colored circles guiding players’ next moves. The circles, which contain icons representing steps in the phosphorus-recovery process, emanate from an easel, where three augmented-reality artworks punctuate the play. With augmented-reality artwork, any mobile device set up with a free, downloadable app pointed at an image or object will see both the image or object and an artist’s augmentation of it. “It’s like magic,” says Esposito, “just like phosphorus recovery is.”
Trivial Pursuit™ is another inspiration, with players advancing in the game by answering water-related questions that both entertain and educate.
Game On!
The artists recently held a Cycle P15: Game On! event, where guests had a chance to play the game. After attending the event, a representative of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events approached Esposito about having Cycle P15 be part of an upcoming Up All Night With Architecture - Family Overnight event, part of the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Though the timing wouldn’t work, “It was definitely an honor that they wanted Cycle P15 to be part of the Biennial,” she said.
Esposito explains that since she founded Terracom in 1990, the firm has been dedicated to effecting positive change through strategic communications. Working with forward-thinking clients, she has brought attention to a host of environmental and sustainability issues. She says that, while the need remains—and is even more urgent—the communications landscape has changed dramatically. This shift has helped spur her to pursue new ways to
engage audiences in critical environmental issues. Art is one of them.
Logical Evolution
Terracom’s new direction is a logical evolution for Esposito. As a child, she took art lessons from renowned Elmhurst artist Eleanor King Hookham, studied piano and played violin in the Willowbrook High School orchestra. After getting a Bachelor of Music degree, she obtained a Master of Landscape Architecture degree, after which she began her career in environmental communications. Cycle P15 is a manifestation of the merging of these passions.
Along with Esposito, the Cycle P15 artists are Annette Barbier and Adrienne Ciskey. Eva Baldinger, Daveenah Guise and Alex Congi, participants in the IntuiTeens program of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, were also on the team.
Cycle P15 is made possible by the support of the Board of Commissioners and staff of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, which have provided in-kind support. Sponsors are Terracom, Ostara and Black & Veatch.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/downers-grove/community/chi-ugc-article-lombard-native-creates-artwork-exploring-crit-2015-11-20-story.html
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151120/submitted/151129855/
http://patch.com/illinois/glenellyn/lombard-native-creates-artwork-exploring-critical-water-quality-issue-solution
“Greater Chicago: Historic Infrastructure Projects Enhance Windy City Water Quality,” Water Online
 Full article
Full article text: Chicago is giving its oldest wastewater treatment facility a disinfection facelift and using the world’s largest reservoir to curb combined sewer overflows.
When the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater
Chicago announced its latest initiative in wastewater treatment
this summer, boaters, water skiers, and swimmers rejoiced.
This summer’s achievements were an added layer in the grand process of water
treatment for the billions of gallons of water that pass through
MWRD facilities every year and a momentous occasion in the
long-term quest to protect water along the Chicago Area Waterway
System (CAWS), an attraction that is drawing unprecedented
demand.
In July, the MWRD introduced disinfection via chlorination and dechlorination to
its treatment process to reduce the amount of pathogenic
bacteria in the water released from the Calumet Water
Reclamation Plant (WRP) into the Calumet River system. The
Calumet WRP serves more than one million people in a
300-square-mile area covering the south side of Chicago and
surrounding south suburbs. In operation since 1922, the Calumet
WRP is the oldest of the MWRD’s seven plants. Calumet WRP treats
an average 354 MGD and a maximum 480 MGD, enough to fill every
floor of Chicago’s Willis Tower. Using an existing chlorine
contact chamber retrofitted for more efficient contact, the
disinfection technologies neutralize or kill bacteria and other
micro-organisms in treated water. The goal is to improve water
quality and reduce health risks resulting from contact with the
water.
“I appreciate the
ingenuity that went into this project from staff at the District
and the investment made by our area leaders who made this
possible,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. “Together, we have
chosen to make our waterways a priority and take an important
step in making our goal of a cleaner environment a reality.”
The road to the Calumet WRP ribbon-cutting ceremony began in
2011, when MWRD officials instituted an internal blue ribbon
task force to evaluate available disinfection technologies. The
task force devoted eight months to research and testing to
determine optimal solutions for disinfecting at the lowest cost.
On March 1, 2012, the most cost-effective processes were
determined to be normal chlorination/dechlorination
for Calumet WRP and UV disinfection with low-pressure
high-output lamps for O’Brien WRP in Skokie, IL.
Adding The Final Chapter
Disinfection occurs after wastewater passes through a series of
treatment processes. Primary treatment consists of removing any
large material by physical means, including screening debris.
Water then flows into chambers where heavy solids, such as sand
and grit, sink to the bottom. The water then moves to settling
tanks, and a significant portion of the organic solids settles
to the bottom, while fats, oils, and grease (FOG) rise to the
top. FOG is skimmed from the top, and the untreated solids are
scraped from the bottom of the tank and treated further.
With the “settle-able solid” material removed, the flow proceeds to
secondary treatment. During secondary treatment, a large
population of micro-organisms consumes the remaining dissolved
organic material. The water flows through a series of large
rectangular aeration tanks that are seeded with bacteria and
other microbes. Filtered air is pumped through the liquid to
enable the microbes to breathe and grow. The microbes flourish
and multiply, eating the remaining organic materials and
nutrients in the constantly churning water. This mixture of
microbes and water flows into a secondary settling tank. The
microbes clump together and settle to the bottom of the tank
where they become part of the organic residuals and are removed.
Approximately 85 percent of these microbes are recycled to the
start of the aeration tanks to continue the biological treatment
process.
Lastly, the new disinfection process will work to destroy any remaining bacteria
in the water. Engineers modified the existing chlorine contact
basin by replacing all interior baffle walls and associated
walkways; replacing weir gates, discharge gates, drain sluice
gates, inlet sluice gates, and a bypass sluice gate; replacing
liquid sodium hypochlorite diffuser piping; installing liquid
sodium bisulfite diffuser piping; and installing sampling pumps.
During this last stage of treatment, the water flows through a
labyrinth of tunnel-like passages in the concrete contact basin,
allowing time for the chlorine to kill off the harmful
pathogens. The water is then dechlorinated and empties into the
nearby Little Calumet River.
The reclaimed water has more than 99 percent of the impurities removed and is
deposited into the Little Calumet River and CAWS without any
adverse environmental impact. The treated water is often cleaner
than the water of the rivers and streams. The entire process
from the time water reaches the treatment plant to the time it
is cleaned and reclaimed takes less than 12 hours. In addition
to directly benefiting the water environment, the disinfection
project impacted the local economy by putting hundreds of
tradespeople to work.
  The above images show the massive scale of the Thornton Reservoir.
Disinfection also clears the way for direct reuse of the water by industry. MWRD has entered into an agreement with Illinois American Water, and together they are pursuing the local industrial use of this disinfected water. Other environmental benefits of reusing water include saving the energy used to treat the water and conserving Chicago’s tap water, which is sourced from Lake Michigan.
“Disinfection marks another significant date in the history of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, dating back to 1889, when the District was first tasked with addressing the issue of contamination in Lake Michigan,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. “Since then, we have constructed more than 60 miles of canals, reversed the flow of the Chicago River, and built seven water reclamation plants. Creating a disinfection facility at Calumet is another chapter in our history of water treatment and one more upgrade we have made to improve the region’s water quality.”
Two Forks Merge
Chlorination/dechlorination is not the only resource recovery initiative the MWRD is pursuing. The MWRD is also constructing a UV radiation system to disinfect water entering the CAWS at the O’Brien WRP. By using two distinct technologies, the MWRD will saturate the CAWS with disinfected water that enters the waterways from the south through Calumet WRP and the north at O’Brien WRP.
The UV disinfection system will become the largest wastewater UV installation in the world. O’Brien WRP, which treats 530 MGD, will have 1,152 TrojanUV Solo Lamps installed. The TrojanUVSigna system uses 1,000-watt low-pressure high-output (LPHO) Solo Lamps. The low-pressure lamp means that fewer lamps are needed to accomplish disinfection versus medium- pressure (MP) lamps. Fewer lamps require less tank volume, which translates into a lower capital cost than MP lamps. The low wattage of operation translates into longer lamp life and lower power consumption. The total power requirement for the traditional MP UV lamps to disinfect a 530 MGD effluent flow at the O’Brien WRP is 5,068 kW versus 1,191 kW for the Solo Lamps. The significant difference in power means a lower annual operating cost for the MWRD system.
The smaller number of lamps for the TrojanUVSigna system than the MP system also translates to reduced maintenance costs due to fewer lamps needing to be cleaned and replaced. The inclined configuration of the Signa system makes routine maintenance and lamp replacement quick and easy while the UV system is in operation.
In addition, the facility will feature roof-mounted water source heat pumps that provide heating and air conditioning in the UV disinfection building and neighboring switchgear building. The heat in the treated water will be recovered to heat and cool the building, another resource-recovery initiative at MWRD.
This system consumes roughly 25 percent of the energy of traditional HVAC
systems. An energy-recovery ventilator is also being installed in a sampling room,
control room, and washroom, and a rain garden is being created
between the two buildings.
Differences in existing infrastructure and hydraulics at the two plants
required that a combination of methods be implemented. The task
force also evaluated technologies that are best suited for both
WRPs based on a triple-bottom-line approach that considered
economic, environmental, and social criteria, while also
providing quality customer service at the lowest cost. As a
result, MWRD was able to do what was needed for less than half
the cost of the original estimate. The MWRD restructured its
capital improvement program (CIP) and adjusted operational
efficiency goals to reserve $240 million in the budget for
construction based on early estimates; however, the task force
was able to hold the line on expenses so that the estimated
costs for capital did not exceed $109 million. Ultimately, the
MWRD has allocated resources to allow disinfection to occur
without tax increases.
“The new Calumet disinfection facility will improve water quality for the growing
number of people who kayak, water ski, and enjoy other
recreational activities in the Chicago Area Waterway System,”
said U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman. “U.S. EPA is
proud to have played a role in making this project happen—a
project that created a lot of good jobs and will improve water
quality for years to come.”
 
The Calumet WRP disinfection facility’s chlorine contact basin system, shown under construction and upon completion.
Chicago’s Grand Canyon
To maximize the water quality impact for the Calumet- Saganashkee (Cal-Sag) Channel, the MWRD ensured Calumet WRP disinfection came on-line in tandem with the Thornton Composite Reservoir; the 7.9 billion gallon reservoir is set to go online by late 2015, while disinfection will be in service for the 2016 recreational season.
The reservoir, tantamount to 12 football fields in size, is part of the MWRD’s tunnel and reservoir plan (TARP), also known as the “Deep Tunnel.” TARP consists of 109 miles of tunnels deep below the surface of the Chicago region and three reservoirs designed to capture and hold stormwater and sewage for treatment at water reclamation plants. Taken together, the tunnels (which hold 2.3 billion gallons), the Thornton Composite Reservoir in South Holland, IL, the Majewski Reservoir (which holds 350 million gallons) in the northwest suburbs, and the future McCook Reservoir (which will hold 10 billion gallons in the western suburbs). TARP will accommodate 20.55 billion gallons of water.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Calumet WRP drew major media attention, as well as U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (second from left)
At first glance, the reservoirs appear to be nothing more than gargantuan holding tanks for stormwater and a tool in the battle against flooding. Yet, the reservoirs serve a greater purpose for clean waterways by collecting combined sewer overflows (CSOs). These CSOs normally enter the CAWS after major rain events, but with the Thornton Composite Reservoir, CSOs have a holding place before the Calumet WRP can treat the water. This latest engineering marvel from the MWRD becomes the world’s largest reservoir.
“It has drawn interest from across the world and, given the success of TARP, more cities are emulating our strategy,” said Spyropoulos regarding the reservoirs. “We thank our predecessors with the MWRD Board of Commissioners who had the foresight in 1972 to adopt a plan that made flooding and water quality genuine issues to prioritize. In past years, that polluted, untreated water would enter our waterways—or worse, our basements. Because of TARP, combined sewer overflows have been drastically reduced, and the addition of Thornton will again lead to more water quality improvements upstream.”
The Thornton Composite Reservoir will benefit 556,000 people in 14 communities throughout the south side of Chicago and south suburbs. It will protect 182,000 homes, businesses, and other facilities and improve water quality in the Calumet Rivers and Cal-Sag Channel by collecting CSOs before they enter waterways.
Between the advancements in disinfection and completion of the Thornton Composite Reservoir, the MWRD has made, in the words of Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River, “the most significant water quality improvements in decades.”
By Allison Fore, Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Officer, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
http://www.wateronline.com/doc/greater-chicago-historic-infrastructure-projects-enhance-windy-city-water-quality-0001
15 1015_Avila_MWRD Clean Bill.pdf
15 1111_VP McGowan_rain barrels_The Voice.pdf
15 1007_Energy Tax savings_Citizen.pdf
Chicago Artists Month_Cycle P15.pdf
15 October_Thornton_Civil Engineering.pdf
15 1015_Green Stickney_Regional News.pdf
15 1015_Green Stickney_The Reporter.pdf
15 September_Stickney_Plant Profile.pdf
15 AugSept_Rain barrels_South Holland Today.pdf
“Ben Sosewitz, 88, Led Sanitary District and Engineering Firm,” Chicago Tribune (IL)
Ben Sosewitz, shown in 1971, led Chicago’s sanitary district for three years.
Full article text: When President Richard M. Nixon traveled to Chicago and the suburbs in February 1970 to discuss his anti-pollution plan and meet with regional leaders, he visited a sewage treatment plant in Hanover Park.
Among those gathered with the president was the acting general manager of the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Chicago, Ben Sosewitz, an engineer by training and a longtime employee of the agency who had just been appointed chief.
Sosewitz offered Nixon the chance to taste a sample of treated wastewater to demonstrate the plant’s purifying capabilities.
“I’m sorry,” Nixon responded, “I never drink in the morning.”
Sosewitz went on to lead the sanitary district for three years and was a major proponent of the Deep Tunnel project. He then embarked on a career in private engineering business, helping lead projects on the Illinois Toll Road and at O’Hare International Airport. Later, he became a leading supporter of the American Technion Society, which supports the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. Sosewitz served as national president as well as the organization’s international chairman of the Board of Governors and president of the Chicago chapter, helping raise more than $750 million.
Sosewitz, 88, of Chicago, died Friday of gall bladder cancer, his family said.
“Above all, he was a very talented man in seeing the big picture of things,” said Leah Sosewitz, one of his daughters. “He was great in relationships with people, and he didn’t dwell on things that were negative. ... He had a very, very warm heart.”
Sosewitz was born Oct. 18, 1927, in Chicago to Max and Gertrude (Wagner), a Jewish immigrant family who moved to America from a town that was then part of Poland. Sosewitz graduated from Marshall High School, then enlisted in the Navy, serving primarily as a clerk from 1945 until 1947, his daughter said.
Sosewitz returned to Chicago, briefly attending college on the GI Bill before going to work with his father in various small businesses he operated, including an upholstery shop. He used a loan from a friend to return to college, taking classes while raising his family. He eventually earned a degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1958, then began work at the sanitary district.
Promoted to acting general manager in January 1970, Sosewitz then was appointed the agency’s permanent leader a year later. He helped lead efforts on the development of federal water pollution control legislation and regional projects. He also co-authored a half-dozen technical papers mostly dealing with sludge disposal.
He left in December 1972 to become the president of an engineering management firm, which was acquired by the public company Envirodyne in 1975. Sosewitz took Envirodyne Engineers private in 1982. He worked as the company's chairman, then retired as a consultant in 1997.
Sosewitz’s wife of 48 years, Shelley, died in 2001. The two loved classical music and playing the piano. Ben Sosewitz was on the board of directors of the Chicago Chamber Musicians, helping support many of that group's programs, including efforts to bring classical musicians to Chicago Public Schools. They lived in Evanston, Glencoe and Highland Park.
Leah Sosewitz said her father was very passionate about science and Israel, where his parents, older brother and twin sisters moved. He decided to pursue engineering because he thought it might behelpful for work in Israel, but he decided instead to remain in the U.S., his daughter said.
Leah Sosewitz also said her father was active outside of business, returning home from work to wash the floors or wash his daughters’ hair.
“He had a service mindset,” she said. “He thought, ‘I know I’m here on this Earth to enjoy life and live life but also to make a difference.’ And I think that came naturally to him.”
Sosewitz, who moved back to Chicago, is also survived by daughters Arna Yastrow and Miriam Sosewitz Clarke; eight grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; sisters Ida Edelson and Sara Levin; and companion Phyllis Caplin. Services were held.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obituaries/ct-ben-sosewitz-obituary-met-20151117-story.html
How Chicago Turns Sewage Into Power," The Atlantic
Chicago’s wastewater authority plans to slash its energy bill by using bacteria to convert sewage into natural gas
The Calumet plant, where MWRD will expand its anaerobic digestion process to save energy. The digesters are in the foreground.
(Metropolitan Water Reclamation District)
There are a lot of things in the 1.2 billion gallons that pour through the world’s largest water-treatment plant every day: grime swept off Chicago sidewalks, sewage scoured from thousands of miles of pipes—and enough energy to cut an annual $50 million electricity bill to zero.
That’s if engineers at Chicago’s
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District can achieve their goal to become energy neutral in the next eight years. The public agency has pledged, by 2023, to slash its energy consumption and produce whatever remaining power it needs onsite, becoming the largest wastewater treatment authority in the country to do so.
MWRD isn’t the only sewage treatment agency doing this.
DC Water and Hampton Roads Sanitation District in Virginia are also taking
aggressive steps to recast wastewater as energy.
“There’s more energy in the sewage that comes into a wastewater treatment plant than is required to treat it,”
according to Paul Kohl, a project manager for the
Water Environment Research Foundation, an independent research organization. “We think we ought to be able to go ahead and get that back out.” By some estimates, there’s two to 10 times as much energy contained in wastewater as an agency needs to use to treat it.
While water treatment accounts for just 3 percent of total
energy use in the United States, WERF points out that drinking
water and wastewater plants
can be a municipal government’s largest energy consumers,
eating up more than a third of the energy used by the public sector. Many treatment processes are energy intensive, from
aerating huge vats of liquid with 3,000-horsepower blowers to
pumping sludge out of the system so it can be recycled as "biosolids."
And that economic incentive is a big reason why typically
slow-moving public agencies like MWRD—which
was sued by
environmental groups before it started disinfecting the water it
discharges into the Mississippi River system—are eager to invest
in energy neutrality. Not only does it negate a $50 million
electricity bill (MWRD’s biggest expense after payroll), it
helps them hedge against future spikes in the cost of energy.
"Some people do it for the environmental benefit, but I was
raised as a business person," says David St. Pierre, MWRD’s
executive director. "Having your own energy source, we can
convert it to anything we need. So if the market drives costs,
we can really kind of control that unforeseen cost of energy in
the future."
The district already gets almost a third of its energy
through
anaerobic digestion: harvesting gas produced by special
bacteria that help break down the noxious components of
wastewater. But it plans to double down on that strategy,
investing $10 million to expand anaerobic digestion efforts at
its Calumet plant on Chicago’s South Side.
The plan is to build a pipeline system that could scrub some
of the methane produced in MWRD’s digesters and sell it back to
the grid.
It’s even in late-stage talks with local haulers who will pay
MWRD to take their waste—mostly spent grain that’s left over
from local breweries—which has a multiplying effect on the
amount of gas produced when mixed in with sewage and stormwater.
The plan is to build a pipeline system that could scrub some of
the methane produced in MWRD’s digesters and sell it back to the
grid.
Incorporating organic waste from outside the wastewater
treatment process is an unusual, and logistically difficult,
step. Earlier this year,
the city of Gresham, Oregon, celebrated achieving
net-zero-energy status at its wastewater treatment plant,
largely thanks to the fats, oils, and grease it trucked in from Portland-area
restaurants. Rather than just add incrementally to the gas
produced, mixing organic wastes fires up the microbial activity
that produces biogas, exponentially improving a digester’s
output.
One of the massive, methane-producing digesters at the Calumet plant (Metropolitan Water Reclamation District)
If it works at Calumet, MWRD will bring the whole system to its flagship Stickney plant, the world’s largest, and generate enough power on-site to offset three-quarters of its energy use. It will get the rest of the way to energy neutral by reducing demand, St. Pierre says, and should pay off the initial investment in just a few years.
Anaerobic digestion isn't new—more than 1,200 wastewater treatment agencies across the country already use it—but just a few sell gas or electricity back to the grid, as MWRD plans to. Fewer still produce enough energy onsite to offset their energy consumption. But as more of them see wastewater as a potential source of revenue that could hedge against climbing energy costs, the aggressive steps taken in Hampton Roads, D.C., Chicago and elsewhere should become more widespread.
Still, St. Pierre says, their program isn't wholly cost-driven. “We're an environmental agency,” he says, “and our plants should be able to support themselves.”
http://www.citylab.com/tech/2015/11/how-chicago-turns-sewage-into-power/416007/
“Environment Illinois Chicago Clean Water Panel to be Held on Tuesday, Nov. 17,” eNews Park Forest (IL)
Full article text: Clean Water, Thriving City: What Can be Done to Address the Challenges Facing Chicago’s Waterways
A mass meeting of students, activists, and community members concerned about water quality will convene with Environment Illinois and the DePaul Environmental Law Society on Tuesday, November 17th at 5:30 po.l begin with remarks from the moderator and all panelists to highlight the importance of clean water. This comes as the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently implemented Clean Water Rule, which restores protections to 56% of the state’s streams, comes under attack in Congress and in the courts. There will be an audience-driven question and answer session after the panelists’ remarks. Panelists include:
• Brittany King, Environment Illinois Campaign Organizer
• Debra Shore, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner
• Albert Ettinger, Environmental Lawyer
• Greg Fischer, Wild Blossom Meadery, Winery, and Brewery President
“Chi-Cal Rivers Fund Announces $1.4 Million in Grants,” Sys-Con Media
Full article text: Today Chi-Cal Rivers Fund partners announced six projects selected to receive $1.4 million in grant funding that will help improve and enhance waterways in the Chicago and Calumet region. With a focus on reducing stormwater runoff, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, and improving public-use opportunities, this investment will support community-driven projects that benefit the people and wildlife of the region. Grant recipients will match the new grant funding with an additional $4.4 million, for a total on-the-ground impact of $5.8 million.
Administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the Fund is a partnership among ArcelorMittal, The Chicago Community Trust, the Crown Family Philanthropies, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Joyce Foundation, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), the U.S. sh and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Wrigley Company Foundation. The partnership began in 2013, and the $1.4 million announced today marks t he Fund’s third annual set of grants.
“As the world's leading steel company, strengthened by our Chicago roots, ArcelorMittal is committed to conserving our shared natural environment so that we may serve the multitude of needs required by all of its stakeholders," said Bill Steers, General Manager of Corporate Responsibility and Communications at ArcelorMittal. "In serving this need, the Chi-Cal Rivers Fund is a great example of a public-private partnership that brings a comprehensive consortium of partners together to address the many opportunities found in the Chicago Area Waterway System for greater collective impact.”
“The Chi-Cal Rivers Fund will fund both green infrastructure and habitat improvement in the District's service area and make lasting contributions to the water environment,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. “The District is proud to partner on this very worthwhile effort.” The six grants announced today will help improve stormwater management in Chicago, enhance public park space and improve access to the area's waterways in Northwest Indiana, enhance prairie and wetland habitat along the Calumet River, and improve fish habitat in the Chicago River. Collectively, the funded projects will:
add more than 508,000 gallons of stormwater storage capacity
improve 5 acres of public park space
restore and enhance 566 acres of wetland and upland habitat
improve approximately 2,640 feet of instream habitat
“The grants announced today demonstrate how actions to restore local rivers work in concert with efforts to enhance local communities,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “These innovative projects represent the extraordinary commitments of the Chicago and Calumet regions to restoring their local waterways and surrounding habitats.”
Friends of the Chicago River (Friends), in partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will use a $105,003 grant to install native emergent vegetation in the North Shore Channel and the North Branch of the Chicago River as habitat for fish and other aquatic species. The project involves the planting of 2,500 water willow and 2,000 lizard’s tail at river locations between Wilmette Harbor and Goose Island. This work will create stands of high-quality habitat for aquatic organisms, protect the shoreline from bank erosion, create shelter for aquatic life during floods, and improve the aesthetics of the channel for recreational users. The selected plant species are particularly appropriate for the unique conditions of the Chicago River and will complement other recent efforts by IDNR and Friends to install 400 channel catfish nesting cavities in the Chicago River system.
The National Audubon Society will receive a $273,347 grant to enhance habitat for wetland-dependent species and improve public-use for surrounding communities at Indian Ridge Marsh
and Big Marsh in the Calumet region. Project outcomes include the establishment of native marsh vegetation on 110 acres and improved and increased public access to two large public areas on Chicago’s South Side. The removal of invasive plant species and the revegetation of a complex mosaic of wet meadow, marsh and submerged vegetation will improve conditions for dozens of imperiled and declining species in the region and provide flood protection, sediment control and nutrient trapping. Additionally, informational and educational signage will promote access and provide information on the river and marsh systems in the Calumet region.
Chicago Public Schools will receive a $300,000 grant for continuing efforts under the Space to Grow program to transform Chicago schoolyards into vibrant outdoor spaces that benefit students, community members and the environment. Schoolyard renovations supported by the grant will incorporate green infrastructure features, such as vegetated swales, rain gardens, permeable surfacing and underground water storage. Altogether, these features will capture significant rainfall, helping to keep the City’s water resources clean and resulting in less neighborhood flooding. The schoolyards will capture and store stormwater for a combined storage capacity of approximately 500,000 gallons and prevent approximately 320,000 gallons of stormwater from entering Chicago’s combined sewer system each year. The renovated schoolyards will also expand recreational opportunities by providing five acres of new park space for underserved communities.
Friends of the Forest Preserves will use a $270,000 grant to continue and expand the Centennial Volunteers Network, an organized system of volunteers that restore and monitor habitat along the North Branch of the Chicago River and the Little Calumet River. Grant funding will be used to organize volunteer days throughout the year to conduct habitat restoration activities on 267 acres at nine sites managed by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. The project will reduce invasive vegetation and increase native plant cover throughout riparian areas and adjacent habitat. Reduction of invasive species and improved diversity of native species will improve habitat connectivity and complexity, reduce erosion and improve water quality, which will benefit native wildlife and plant species. Grant funding will also help ensure the long-term care and enhancement of these sites by building an invested and trained constituency that will continue restoration efforts into the future.
Faith in Place will receive a $250,689 grant to improve stormwater management systems at five houses of worship located on Chicago's South Side. The project will perform a stormwater audit, develop a stormwater management plan, and implement at least one green infrastructure feature at each site. The project will also develop outreach and education plans to encourage more effective water management on properties surrounding the faith communities. The implementation of these activities will improve stormwater management, create demonstrations of green stormwater infrastructure elements throughout the communities, and prevent 43,000 gallons of stormwater from entering area waterways each year. It will also lead to a better understanding of stormwater management among local communities.
Save the Dunes Conservation Fund will receive $205,959 in grant funding to increase and enhance public-use and riparian habitat on four properties along the Little Calumet River in Northwest Indiana. New canoe and kayak launch sites will be constructed at three properties and 1.7 miles of interpretive trails will be created at two sites. The project will also install new pervious surface parking lots at two sites, which will reduce the amount of stormwater runoff entering the river while providing access to the boat launch sites and hiking trails. Finally, the project will enhance 189 acres of riparian habitat on three of the properties though control of invasive plants, prescribed burning and replanting areas with native species. Expected project outcomes include increased visitation and usage of local parks, natural areas and waterways, as well as improved habitat for many fish, birds and other wildlife. Chi-Cal Rivers Fund partners plan to announce the next Request for Proposals in June 2016. For more information, please visit www.nfwf.org/chi-cal.
About Chi-Cal Rivers Fund Partner Organizations
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores our nation’s wildlife and habitats. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF directs public conservation dollars to the most pressing environmental needs and matches those investments with private contributions. NFWF works with government, nonprofit and corporate partners to find solutions for the most intractable conservation challenges. Over the last three decades, NFWF has funded more than 4,000 organizations and committed more than $2.9 billion to conservation projects. Learn more at
www.nfwf.org.
ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal is the world’s leading steel and mining company, with a presence in 60 countries and an industrial footprint in 19 countries. Guided by a philosophy to produce safe, sustainable steel, we are the leading supplier of quality steel in the major global steel markets including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with world-class research and development and outstanding distribution networks. Through our core values of sustainability, quality and leadership, we operate responsibly with respect to the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, contractors and the communities in which we operate.
For us, steel is the fabric of life, as it is at the heart of the modern world from railways to cars and washing machines. We are actively researching and producing steel-based technologies and solutions that make many of the products and components people use in their everyday lives more energy efficient.
We are one of the world’s five largest producers of iron ore and metallurgical coal and our mining business is an essential part of our growth strategy. With a geographically diversified portfolio of iron ore and coal assets, we are strategically positioned to serve our network of steel plants and the external global market. While our steel operations are important customers, our supply to the external market is increasing as we grow.
In 2014, ArcelorMittal had revenues of US$79.3 billion and crude steel production of 93.1 million metric tons, while our iron ore production reached 63.9 million metric tons. ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).
For more information about ArcelorMittal, visit:
corporate.arcelormittal.com or
usa.arcelormittal.com.
The Chicago Community Trust The Chicago Community Trust, our region’s community foundation, partners with donors to leverage their philanthropy in ways that transform lives and communities. Since our founding in 1915, the Trust has awarded approximately $2.3 billion in grants to thousands of local and national nonprofits, including $164.5 million in 2014. Throughout our Centennial year, the Trust will celebrate how philanthropy in all its forms—time, treasure and talent—strengthens our region and impacts the lives of others in countless ways.
Crown Family Philanthropies
Crown Family Philanthropies environmental grantmaking supports efforts to value, preserve and restore natural ecosystems through innovative science-based approaches, emphasizing collaborative efforts which deliver measurable results.
The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
Established in 1952, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation supports land conservation and artistic vitality efforts in the Chicago Region and Lowcountry of South Carolina. The Foundation seeks to foster land conservation through preservation, restoration, and protection of landscape-scale lands. Particular focus areas include the Calumet Region and the Cook County Forest Preserves. See more about the Foundation at
www.gddf.org.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources manages, conserves and protects Illinois natural, recreational and cultural resources through regulation and stewardship and promotes the education and science of these resources for present and future generations. Agency programs help citizens enhance their property with conservation programs, protect the public from harm, and increase community economic value through grant funding. Agency-supported outdoor recreation initiatives have an annual multi-billion dollar positive economic impact to local communities. For more information, visit
www.dnr.illinois.gov.
The Joyce Foundation
The Joyce Foundation works with grantee partners to advance effective policy solutions that improve quality of life, promote community vitality, and achieve a fair society. Joyce invests primarily in education, employment, the environment, gun violence prevention, democracy and culture, focusing on six Great Lakes states—Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The foundation's investments often have broader national impact, too, given the interplay between work on the ground in the states and policies taking shape in elsewhere. Founded in 1948 in Chicago, the Joyce Foundation distributes approximately $45 million annually. For more information, please visit www.joycefdn.org or follow the Foundation on Twitter @JoyceFdn.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD)
Established in 1889, the MWRD (www.mwrd.org) is an award-winning, special purpose government agency responsible for wastewater treatment and stormwater management in Cook County, Illinois. The MWRD protects the health and safety of the public in its service area, protects the quality of the water supply source (Lake Michigan), improves and protects the quality of water in watercourses, protects businesses and homes from flood damages, and manages water as a vital resource. The MWRD’s service area is 883.5 square miles of Cook County, Illinois. The MWRD is committed to achieving the highest standards of excellence in fulfilling its mission.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to work with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit
www.fws.gov.
U.S. Forest Service
Established in 1905, the U.S. Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Forest Service's mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands managed by the Forest Service contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those lands also provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, valued at approximately $7.2 billion per year. The agency has a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres in the U.S. including 100 million acres in urban areas where most Americans live. For more information, visit
www.fs.fed.us.
The Wrigley Company Foundation
The mission of the Wrigley Company Foundation is to help improve the health of people and our planet through sustainable initiatives, including those focused on environmental stewardship, as well as local needs that ensure a healthy community. Since its founding in 1987, the Wrigley Company Foundation has donated more than $66 million USD to charitable organizations improving lives around the world. For more information, visit
www.wrigley.com and
www.mars.com.
http://news.sys-con.com/node/3557813
“Public-Private Funds Partnerships to Improve Stormwater Management Green Space in Chicago, Calumet Region,” Water World
Full article text: Chi-Cal Rivers Fund partners have announced six projects selected to receive $1.4 million in grant funding that will help improve and enhance waterways in the Chicago and Calumet region. With a focus on reducing stormwater runoff, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, and improving public-use opportunities, this investment will support community-driven projects that benefit the people and wildlife of the region. Grant recipients will match the new grant funding with an additional $4.4 million, for a total on-the-ground impact of $5.8 million.
Administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the Fund is a partnership among ArcelorMittal, The Chicago Community Trust, the Crown Family Philanthropies, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Joyce Foundation, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Wrigley Company Foundation. The partnership began in 2013, and the $1.4 million announced today marks the
Fund’s third annual set of grants.
"The Chi-Cal Rivers Fund will fund both green infrastructure
and habitat improvement in the District's service area and make
lasting contributions to the water environment," said MWRD
President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "The District is proud to
partner on this very worthwhile effort."
The six grants will help improve stormwater management in
Chicago, enhance public park space and improve access to the
area's waterways in Northwest Indiana, enhance prairie and
wetland habitat along the Calumet River, and improve fish
habitat in the Chicago River. Collectively, the funded projects
will:
add more than 508,000 gallons of
stormwater storage capacity
improve 5 acres of public park space
restore and enhance 566 acres of
wetland and upland habitat
improve approximately 2,640 feet of
instream habitat
Under one of the projects, Faith in Place will receive a
$250,689 grant to improve stormwater management systems at five
houses of worship located on Chicago’s South Side. The project
will perform a stormwater audit, develop a stormwater management
plan, and implement at least one green infrastructure feature at
each site. The project will also develop outreach and education
plans to encourage more effective water management on properties
surrounding the faith communities.
The implementation of these activities will improve stormwater management, create demonstrations of green stormwater infrastructure elements throughout the communities, and prevent 43,000 gallons of stormwater from entering area waterways each year. It will also lead to a better understanding of stormwater management among local communities.
For more information on the Chi-Cal Rivers Fund or the projects, please visit
www.nfwf.org/chi-cal.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/11/public-private-partnership-funds-projects-to-improve-stormwater-management-green-space-in-chicago-calumet-region.html
"5 On 5: Water Leaders Address Key Industry Challenges" Ovivo
Every profession has their superstars, and the water
industry is no different. Five of these stars shared the
same stage at a recent panel event sponsored by
Ovivo USA, LLC. These top utility professionals
shared insight on some of the biggest challenges facing
water and wastewater utilities.
The moderator, Dr. Glen
Daigger, Professor of Engineering Practice at the
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the
University of Michigan, posed five questions, each
representing a pressing and common utility challenge as
determined by an Ovivo poll. The questions, along with
conclusions from the panel, can be seen by clicking on
the links below.
1.
As agencies take more aggressive positions on effluent
limits, do you believe regulations are going too far for
nitrogen and phosphorus?
2.
As Water Reuse becomes more popular, how will utilities
address pharmaceuticals and personal care products such
as biocrobeads, as well as the possibility for direct
potable reuse of wastewater?
3.
What will the impact of an aging workforce be on
utilities, and how can the industry attract younger
talent?
4.
What are the drivers for resource recovery, and what
criteria are you using to evaluate different solutions?
5.
How do we get new technology into our utilities?
6.
What will water utilities look like 10 years from now?
Do you expect major regional differences?
You can also view the event in its entirety by
clicking here .
"Utilities
of the Future" featured
industry experts:
David St. Pierre,
Executive
Director, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago
Kerrie Romanow,
Director, Environmental Services Department, City of San
Jose
Tom Kula,
Executive Director and General Manager North Texas
Municipal Water District
George Hawkins,
CEO and General Manager, District of Columbia Water and
Sewer Authority DC WASA
Lou Di GironimoGeneral Manager, Toronto Water
http://www.ovivowater.com/utilities-of-the-future/
“Hanover Park Sports Fields Get Lightning Protection System,” Daily Herald (IL)
Hanover Park had a lightning detection system installed on top of the concession stand at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District fields on Barrington Road. The system can detect conditions favorable to lightning strikes up to 2.5 miles away, and runs on solar power.
Full article text: While this year’s baseball season is in the books and the football season is coming to a close, Hanover Park has taken an extra step to warn athletes and spectators at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District fields on Barrington Road when lightning is near.
The village last week installed the Thor Guard lightning protection system on top of the concession stand. Public Works Director T.J. Moore says the system will be on during daylight hours and when play is occurring at night.
“This is a very common device at public gathering places, and it’s becoming standard, especially for sports fields,” Moore said.
The system, which cost $7,000, was paid for with money the village has set aside for field improvements, Moore said.
Hanover Park’s system operates on solar-powered batteries, so it will still work to alert people when lightning is near even if the electricity goes out.
“It kind of seemed like a no-brainer,” Moore said. “And that’s just a little side benefit that there's no extra environmental burden.”
The system makes calculations using sensors that read positive and negative ions in the air. Once it calculates possible conditions for lightning up to 2.5 miles away, the system goes into alarm mode.
People on and around the fields will know the system has detected possible conditions for lightning when they hear a 15-second alarm and see a strobe light flashing on top of the concession stand. Once the threat of lightning has passed, the system produces three five-second busts of alarm, and the strobe light stops flashing.
“When the alarm is going off, you can't miss it,” Moore said. “When people pull up to the fields, even if they don’t hear the alarm, they will know to stay in their vehicles when they see the light flashing.”
Moore says purchasing the system was a precautionary measure, and that he hasn’t seen any lightning issues at the field in the past. The detection system will remain on during the day through the winter, and is set to turn off at dusk, Moore says.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151114/news/151119415/
"Down and Dirty in Chicago: A Closer Look at Urban Pollution," WYCC (IL), link to video
Summary: At the 12 min. mark in an episode airing November
12, 2015, MWRD Managing Engineer Brian Perkovich is featured on
In the Loop explaining wastewater treatment processes and the disinfection
facility at the Calumet WRP.
http://www.wycc.org/intheloop/
"Yellow Line Skokie Swift Service is Back," Illinois Science + Technology Park
Full article text: Through December 31, 2015, the Village and CTA will offer free commuter parking at the Dempster Street
station. Take advantage of these offers to check out the ride.
"The Village of Skokie looks forward to the resumption of Yellow
Line service," said Mayor George Van Dusen. "We appreciate the
community's patience with this inconvenience. The Village
monitored the CTA and MWRD’s handling of this system failure and
we are reassured that our concern for local riders was heard. We
further appreciate the continued community support for the
numerous businesses near the Yellow Line stations that rely on
commuters as customers, and we hope that ridership will quickly
return to the levels attained before the unfortunate service
interruption.
http://www.istp.tech/news/2015/november/yellow-line-skokie-swift-service-back
"Chicago’s Waste won't be Going to Waste Anymore," Medill News Chicago (includes video link)
Gov. Bruce Rauner recently signed
House Bill 1445 allowing biosolids from Chicago’s wastewater and sewage to be cleaned and
turned into productive, marketable compost across Illinois. The
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago,
commonly known as MWRD, is responsible for creating renewable
resources from its operations, and plans to sell
biosolids to
the public next year.
MWRD has been making biosolids for over 30 years; what’s new
is that the public can now buy it. The agency is currently
giving the compost to Cook County residents for free at its
Stickney Plant, but plans to partner with an outside company to
handle marketing and distribution soon.
"We are very excited and now just need to start educating
people about biosolids," said Dr. Lahkwinder Hundal, supervising
environmental soil scientist at MWRD. "Once they hear the
benefits, and realize it doesn’t smell, costs less and is better
for the plants and grass they become accepting to it."
According to Hundal, biosolids improve sustainability and
maintenance of ground soils and stimulate plant growth, which is
especially important for public parks due to the amount of daily
activity happening on the soil.
See the difference: The plant on the left is fertilized with biosolids, and the plant on the right used regular fertilizer. (Alexis Myers/Medill)
About 50 to 70 parks and schools in Cook County have used
biosolids this past year, including Maggie Daley Park, Lincoln
Park and Winnemac Park, and some are still on the waiting list.
Biosolids last three to five years longer than regular
fertilizer and is cheaper than regular fertilizer, which in the
long run saves taxpayers money.
Seven yards of Class A biosolids in each mound
at the drying area of the Stickney Plant are ready for Cook
County residents to use. (Alexis Myers/Medill)
In order to distribute biosolids to the public, every batch
must meet stringent standards in the federal and state rules
before being approved for use as a fertilizer, according to the
EPA.
"We have to make sure this is safer than any other kind of
fertilizer," Hundal said. "We don’t take any chances and can’t
risk any mistakes."
Toni Glymph-Martin, senior environmental microbiologist at MWRD, said biosolids must meet
EPA’s regulations, based on comprehensive risk assessments
that protect human health and the environment.
Toni Glymph-Martin examines microorganisms in batches of biosolids for bacteria, parasites and viruses. (Alexis Myers/Medill)
The risk assessments are based on potential exposure scenarios, which include children ingesting biosolids, workers breathing dust at land application sites and gardeners using biosolids in their vegetable gardens.
Glymph-Martin and a team of microbiologists test microorganisms in the wastewater and solids at MWRD for bacteria, parasites and viruses.
“Our biosolids go through an extensive testing regimen to ensure each batch is of the highest quality,” Glymph-Martin said.
There are two classes of biosolids, both of which undergo the same rigorous treatment. Class A biosolids are used to fertilize golf courses, athletic fields, public parks and schools, and include wood chips that eliminate odor. Class A takes up to two years to produce.
Class B biosolids have a different consistency than Class A, but they are still considered safe to use. (Alexis Myers/Medill) Class B biosolids have a consistency similar to top soil and do not include wood chips; however, they have an odor. Class B takes two months to produce and is distributed to farmlands and other nonpublic-contact sites.
A fear among most people is the “poop” factor in biosolids, but rest assured by the time it’s made into compost there isn’t any poop in it, according to Hundal.
Dr. Lahkwinder Hundal, supervising environmental soil
scientist at MWRD, ensures biosolids are safe for public use.
(Alexis Myers/Medill)
"From the time someone flushes their toilet it takes about
two years for it to become compost," Hundal said. "And, when
poop hits the sewer, the conditions are so hot that the bacteria
completely changes its form."
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/chicagos-waste-wont-be-going-to-waste-anymore/
"City Rolls Out Rain Barrel Program," Journal & Topics
Full article text: Residents of Des Plaines are invited to do
their part to alleviate flooding and save on water usage and
cost with the launching last week of the Rain Barrel program by
the city and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago. Homeowners can receive up to four, 55-gallon rain
barrels of different colors by filling out an application form
at either city hall or through the city’s website
www.desplaines.org. The water reclamation district will deliver
the rain barrels to qualifying homes. There is no cost to
participate. According to Tim Oakley, the city’s director of
engineering and public works, the barrels are placed at the
bottom of house downspouts where water drains. Instead of
draining into city storm sewers, which during periods of heavy
rainfall can lead to flooding, the water will be funneled into
the barrels. Water in the barrels can then be used to water
flowers, bushes and grass.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_ae3d7d3e-88c0-11e5-8248-4b6a1f0d44e0.html
"Romeoville Gets First Look at Blain’s Farm & Fleet Concept
Plan," The Times Weekly (IL)
Summary: Trustees approved the annexation of 332 acres of
Will County Forest Preserve land into the village. The land,
which sits south of 135th Street and west of the Des Plaines
River near an easement owned by Commonwealth Edison (ComEd). The
land being annexed was previously owned by the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District said Administrator Steve Gulden and
was later inherited by the Forest Preserve District. The newly
annexed property would be used to "expand access for
recreational opportunities" in partnership with Will County
Forest Preserve District said Mayor Noak.
http://thetimesweekly.com/news/2015/nov/06/romeoville-gets-first-look-blains-farm-fleet-conce/
“New Cars, Cop Shop Upgrades among Capital Project Requests,” Journal & Topics (IL)
Full article text: Aldermen got their first view of proposed capital projects requested by various city departments for the fiscal year 2017, 2018 and 2019 budget years. Finance Director Joe Gilmore, who started with the city this winter, submitted the spending requests, per new schedules in a revised handbook for public officials. He asked aldermen to review the requests before the Nov. 23 finance committee meeting, so a capital spending plan can be approved Dec. 7 and be ready for the budget hearings in early 2016. Some projects were predictable, including sidewalk replacement and street rehabilitation. There are requests for vehicles, this year primarily in Public Works snow and water system maintenance, and the Police Department (patrol and parking enforcement) areas. The city’s new IT consultants requested $230,275 in tech replacement equipment and software, from police vehicles and audio/visual to building and network infrastructure upgrades and disaster recovery. Also back on the agenda for the first time since early 2014 were phases 2 and 3 of the Police Station upgrades. Once the first phase was completed in 2013—the evidence building south of City Hall—City Manager Shawn Hamilton removed the remaining phases, which include long-postponed work in the basement police headquarters, until the city sold either the old Public Works building or the fire department’s former office building. The Public Works building has a buyer and one more meeting to complete the sale approval. Gilmore had added the police station work to the budget. Hamilton, who had pulled the work out of the 2015 spending plan in 2014, said Oct. 23 he had said then there would be no more discussion about the work till after a land sale.
“It was not clear that the money would be used for that program,” he told the council. Acting Mayor Marty Maloney, who had chaired almost two years of meetings discussing plans to remedy flood problems, asked why neither Northwest Park or
Mayfield Estates flood remediation had even a placeholder line
item on this budget. The city has already negotiated with the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District for two years, on an
intergovernmental agreement to add a line and capacity to link
Mayfield Estates to an expanded Dempster Street sewer line.
Finance Chairman Dan Knight (5th) said the council’s policy in
the past had been to wait till there were specific prices, and
amend the budget later. Aldermen have been discussing setting up
a stormwater utility, but the funding mechanism is a separate
question from scheduling doing the work. Hamilton proposed that
including sewer cleaning, a separate Public Works issue which is
helping to drain streets after rainstorms, was flood relief.
Maloney said that speeding water into overloaded sewers
elsewhere, such as Greenwood and Northwest Highway where three
lines converge, did not address the same problems. Another
proposed project, which Hamilton supports, is setting aside a
centralized meeting location where city officials can function
during emergency conditions, potentially for weeks at a time.
The EOC room currently is in the basement of one of the
firehouses. Hamilton wants it at city hall.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_3c253bac-840a-11e5-81bd-6fa8b1675e60.html
Social Media Posting
As of 11/3/15, our McCook Reservoir is connected to a tunnel!
Work remains to be done before the first stage of the 10 billion
gallon reservoir becomes operational 2017, but the McCook Main
Tunnel is now open to the reservoir. In this video 1,000 lbs of
explosives are used to remove over 4,600 tons of rock and to
open the top portion of the 33-foot diameter tunnel to the
reservoir. The McCook Main Tunnel is separated by a concrete
plug from the 61 miles of currently operational "live" tunnels
until the reservoir goes online. McCook Reservoir will help
reduce flooding and improve water quality within a 254.7 square
mile area, including much of the city of Chicago and 36 other
communities.
"Phosphorus Recovery Inspires Electronic Art," Sustainablog
Full article text: Several years ago, agricultural scientist Steve
Savage listed "peak phosphorus" as one of ten existential threats to
global agriculture. In short, phosphorus is critical to growing
food—nitrogen’s the only element that’s more important—but we’re wasting
it. Not only do we use it in fertilizers, but also soaps and detergents,
and even pesticides. Our level of waste has hit a critical juncture:
very few sources of phosphorus rock are left. If we’re going to stave
off an agricultural crisis, we not only have to make much better use of
what phosphorus we have left, but we also have to start recovering it
from wastewater and waterways.
That’s an expensive proposition, but one that’s already underway:
Chicago, for instance, has started the process of recovering phosphorus
from wastewater, and turning it into fertilizer. This month, that
process will be the subject of an art exhibit tied to Chicago Artists
Month, and available on your nearest smart device. With the installation
of a freely-available app, you can watch artistic renderings of nature
doing its thing with this element. Among the processes in the Cycle P15
exhibit you’ll see:
1. Plant roots sending out a chemical signal for the elements they
need;
2. Phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs) absorbing the element
from wastewater (on the right); and
3. Oxygenation as a support system for PAOs.
The idea here, of course, is to bring the science of phosphorus waste and pollution to life for the average citizen… and perhaps even inspire them to get more involved in the conservation and reclamation of this important element. An official wrap-up event on November 13 will even feature a game tied to the exhibit: think Twister meets Trivial Pursuit. Who knows, maybe we’ll get another activist greenie or two out of this effort…
More Environmental Art Work On The Way
The Cycle P15 exhibit is the first effort by sponsor Terracom Public Relations to address the new communications landscape by bringing artists and scientists together to address critical issues. As a part of the company’s 25th anniversary, Terracom will focus not just on executing communications projects, but also bringing together various stakeholders in new and perhaps unusual ways to shed light on these issues.
Remember when Bill McKibben suggested we need more artistic renderings of climate change? Yeah, that’s what we’re talking about here. Terracom principle Christine Esposito has been a friend and colleague for years, so I’ll be sharing these effort whenever they’re relevant…
Play around with the exhibit, and then let us know what you think.
http://sustainablog.org/2015/11/phosphorus-recovery-inspires-electronic-art/
“MWRD Officials Salute Veterans on Veterans Day,” Beverly Review (letter to the editor (IL)
Full article text: On behalf of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Board of Commissioners, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the fine Americans who have served our country in time of need and despair.
Veterans Day reminds us all of the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who serve our country. And while it is a special day to set aside for this recognition, it should also serve as a reminder that every day is Veterans Day. Every time we enjoy the freedoms that we so often take for granted, we should appreciate those who fought to protect those freedoms. As we gather with our families to enjoy the upcoming holiday season, let’s give thanks to our veterans and pray for the safety of all those currently serving our great country.
Mariyana Spyropoulos, President MWRD
http://www.beverlyreview.net/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_0998102c-8245-11e5-b968-5b934f66bec2.html
“Collection Systems Seminar,” IWEA News (IL)
Summary: The Illinois Water Environment Association is having a seminar in Lisle, on Nov. 12, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on collection systems. Topics include a review of the MWRD’s private sector I/I requirements, presented by Justine Skawski, principal civil engineer. The fee includes breakfast and lunch; professional development credits are available.
http://www.iweasite.org/collections_seminar.php “All Aboard—Again: CTA’s Yellow Line Resumes Service in Skokie,” Chicago Tribune (IL)
Full article text: It takes relatively short time to travel from downtown Skokie’s Yellow Line CTA station to the Howard Street station just over the border in Chicago. But dignitaries and others invited to take that ceremonial ride Friday would tell you this one didn’t feel short at all. Everyone on board knew it was five months in the making. Yellow Line CTA service returned to Skokie and Chicago last week for the first time since May—ever since an embankment collapsed along the route disrupting service all summer long and beyond.
The repairs were no easy fix, CTA engineers said, and it required cooperation from four different parties—the CTA, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, Skokie and Walsh Construction.
“It has been our priority since the beginning to resume service as quickly as possible with the safety of our customers and employees top of the line,” CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. said in a brief ceremony before the ride. Carter confirmed that it was his first day on the job when he learned of the embankment collapse and that the CTA's Yellow Line would have to go down.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be able to restore Yellow Line service to our customers today,” he said.
Three years ago, Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen stood in the same location to celebrate the opening of the downtown Yellow Line station. His address last week, though, was interrupted by the loud noise of the gates going down and a train pulling into the station. He didn't seem to mind.
“Isn’t that a wonderful sound?” he said after the noise died down.
Van Dusen called the Yellow Line “an integral part of the village’s history,” as well as “an economic engine for our downtown revitalization and our continuing growth of the Illinois Science + Technology Park.”
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-9) emphasized the importance now of bringing riders back to the Yellow Line. The CTA has reported that only half of its regular Yellow Line customers used shuttle buses made available during the service outage.
“It’s not only a celebration but a great relief—to hear those sounds and to see people getting on,” Schakowsky said. “Our challenge really is to make sure the ridership comes back.” The embankment collapse was the result of a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District construction project between Oakton Street and Howard Street along the line. It required building a new and stable embankment from scratch, CTA engineers said.
“Nobody really wants a crisis, but if you’re going to have a crisis, you want some things to fall in place,” said Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Executive Director David St. Pierre “You want everybody to be safe. We had nobody injured in this crisis.”
Before the early morning ceremony and ceremonial ride Friday—and well before even the sun came out—the first Yellow Line trains bustled through Skokie in both directions. The CTA made sure new and top-of-the-line trains were running along Yellow Line tracks.
A large banner outside the downtown Skokie CTA train station welcomed riders back. On the CTA’s website, a clock counted down until the first train departed the Howard Street station heading north into Skokie at 4:45 a.m. Friday. The first southbound train to Howard was scheduled for 5 a.m. Only a handful of commuters were on hand at that time of morning, but CTA employees said they knew a healthy crowd would return at rush hour “They’ll be here,” said CTA employee Renardo Hamilton who was working the downtown Skokie CTA station for the first time since May. Hamilton said he believed the crowd was a little slower than pre-service-shutdown, possibly because people had to readjust to the idea that the Yellow Line is back in business.
The scattered commuters who made their way into the station pre-dawn Friday were greeted by CTA employees telling them that they ride for free today. Some commuters instinctively pulled out their cards to pay, ready to swipe, but the CTA is offering free Yellow Line rides through the end of this week. Free or not, commuters Friday were just happy to have Yellow Line service again. Jose Palmeno bounded off of a northbound train in downtown Skokie and began making his way to his job at a bakery.
“I had been taking the shuttle bus, but it took longer that way,” he said. “It was especially longer in the afternoon leaving work to go home, but you get used to it. But I’m just very glad the train is back.”
That seemed to sum up the feelings of most of the commuters who were back to their normal routines. David Corrora, a restaurant kitchen worker in downtown Chicago, said he took the Yellow Line service shutdown in stride.
“The shuttle bus was good and it worked OK,” he said. “But it took longer. It’s good to have this back.”
Skokie resident Kim Cheond waited for a train as part of her journey to Wheaton Friday morning. “I’ve been using the bus but I think this is better,” she said.
Hina Zahiad, also a Skokie resident, was awaiting an “L” train to Chicago for her baby sitting job. She said taking the shuttle bus added 15 to 20 minutes to her commute. “It wasn’t so bad, but, of course, I would prefer this,” she said.
Asked whether she was glad the Yellow Line is back in business, Skokie resident Najma Sundarni exclaimed, “Oh my God.”
An employee at a downtown Chicago candy store, Sundarni said the shuttle bus added 30 to 45 minutes to her regular commute. “We are so glad to have this back,” she said. “I’m very happy. We have been waiting for this day.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-yellow-line-returns-tl-1105-20151102-story.html
"CTA Returns Yellow Line to Service," Railway Track & Structures E-zine
Full article text: Chicago Transit Authority’s Yellow Line to
Skokie, Ill., has been restored following an embankment collapse
in May from construction on Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District (MWRD) property.
The restoration of service follows the design and
reconstruction of the embankment by MWRD and its contractor,
Walsh Construction. "We are pleased to announce the return of
Yellow Line service to our riders and the village of Skokie,"
said CTA President Dorval Carter, Jr. "This was an unprecedented
event, but all parties involved have worked cooperatively to
restore service as quickly and safely as possible." "The village
of Skokie also is pleased that Yellow Line service is resuming,"
said Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen. "The community has
demonstrated considerable patience with this inconvenience and
has shown strong support for the numerous businesses near the
Yellow Line stations that rely on commuters as customers." The
return of service follows the completion of reconstruction work
by MWRD and Walsh Construction. The work included the re-fencing
of the right-of-way area between the tracks and MWRD property;
the rebuilding and stabilization of the soil embankment; the
reconstruction of approximately 1,200 feet of north and
southbound Yellow Line tracks atop the embankment including
ties, rail plates, fasteners, running rail and third rail and
reconnecting signals and communication lines.
http://www.rtands.com/index.php/passenger/rapid-transit-light-rail/cta-returns-yellow-line-to-service.html
“CTA Yellow Line Service is Finally Back after Five Long Months,” Chicagoist (IL)
Full article text: The CTA Yellow Line is finally back. Service on the line, which services Skokie from the Howard Red Line station, returned last Friday after an unexpected five month interruption, the CTA announced in a statement.
Trains stopped running in May when an embankment collapsed, caused by Metropolitan Water Reclamation District construction, along the route. The MWRD and its contractor Walsh Construction had to design and reconstruct the embankment in order to restore service.
“This was an unprecedented event but all parties involved have worked cooperatively to restore service as quickly and safely as possible,” CTA President Dorval Carter said in a statement.
As a thank you to customers, the CTA will be offering free Yellow Lines through Friday Nov. 6 and free parking at the Dempster-Skokie station’s Park and Ride facility through the end of the year.
“The community has demonstrated considerable patience with this inconvenience and has shown strong support for the numerous businesses near the Yellow Line stations that rely on commuters as customers,” Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen said in a statement. “We hope that ridership levels will quickly return to levels attained before the unfortunate service interruption, and encourage the community to take advantage of CTAs generous offer of free rides for the next week.”
Regular Yellow Line riders, who were offered shuttle bus service during the interruption, are glad that the trains are back.
http://chicagoist.com/2015/11/02/cta_yellow_line_service_is_finally.php
“Illinois Issues: Urban Flooding,” WUIS (IL)
Flooding in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago
Full article text:
Heavier rainfalls and sprawling development have left outdated sewers struggling
to keep water out of streets, businesses and homes. Big rainstorms are hitting
Illinois more often. In many cities and towns, the sewers can’t always handle
heavy downpours. Without anywhere to go, the water fills streets, yards and
basements.
The result? At least $2.3 billion in damage from 2007 to 2014. That’s
the total that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources calculated in a
report this summer, tallying up insurance payouts for flooding damage in the
state’s urban areas.
And the report warned that the problem could get worse. One
reason for the increase in flooding is climate change. Average temperatures in
Illinois have warmed by about 1 degree over the last century. And warmer air can
hold more water vapor. That could explain why precipitation in Illinois has
increased 10 percent over the past 100 years—from an average of 36 inches a year
to 40. Over the past decade, Illinois cities experienced an average of 1.8
storms with 4 or more inches of rain — the highest that rate has ever been.
“There’s definitely a trend toward increasing amount of storms and increasing
intensity,” says one of the report’s authors, Brad Winters, an engineer with the
Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Water Resources.
Many cities built
their drainage systems to handle storms of a certain size. One standard they use
is often called “the 100-year storm”—a large downpour with a 1 percent chance of
happening in any given year. But the numbers being used to calculate the size of
a 100-year storm are obsolete, Winters says.
For example, a National Weather
Service report from 1961 predicted that a storm with 5.75 inches falling within
24 hours was likely to happen once every 100 years around Chicago’s O’Hare
International Airport. Many local officials used that document to calculate how
big to make their sewer systems. But new reports came out in 1989 and 2006,
increasing the size of the 100-year storm to more than 7 inches. And even those
numbers are too small now.
“We should be recalculating the percentages—because
they’re changing,” says Hal Sprague, water policy manager for the Center for
Neighborhood Technology, a Chicago-based nonprofit that promotes sustainable
urban communities.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency uses predictions for a 100-year storm when it maps out areas with the highest risk of flooding—known as the floodplain. But in Illinois, more than 90 percent of urban flooding damage insurance payouts are for properties outside FEMA’s floodplain, according to the state report.
“That was startling,” Sprague says. “Somebody’s missing something here.” Why is so much flooding happening outside FEMA’s floodplain? Sprague suggested it’s because FEMA focuses on one type of flooding—water flowing across the land—while much of the damage is actually caused by water backing up from overloaded sewers into basements.
“We’re interested in having FEMA look into this,” Sprague says. Two Democratic members of Congress from Illinois—Rep. Mike Quigley of Chicago and Sen. Dick Durbin—have introduced bills calling for FEMA to do a study similar to the Illinois report on urban flooding. “Similar data would be developed for major urban areas around the country,” says Sprague, whose group supports Quigley and Durbin’s bills. So far during this session, no Republicans have signed on as co-sponsors of the Urban Flooding Awareness Act.
Environmentalists like Sprague hope a more accurate map would lead to more restrictions on what’s built in areas prone to flooding. “We need to strengthen our local building codes to prevent people from building where the risk is too high,” he says.
That points to another reason why flooding has grown worse in Illinois: because people keep building. And that leaves less open ground to soak up rain. According to the National Land Cover Database, Illinois had 3,238 square miles of developed land within its urban areas in 2011—compared with 1,815 square miles in 1992. That’s an increase of 79.8 percent, or 1,423 square miles, over 19 years. Here’s one example of how development affects the flow of water: Flooding in Rockford tends to happen in areas where more of the ground is covered with pavement, says Timothy Hanson, the city’s public works director. “You can just watch the creeks rise, because it’s all coming off all the streets and all the asphalt surfaces over on the east side,” he says. “Along Keith Creek, that’s where you have all the big box stores. … And that usually is the creek that floods.”
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is writing a model stormwater ordinance for local municipalities—including recommendations on zoning and development. “It’s voluntary,” Winters says.
“We’re just saying: ‘You can always be more stringent, but this is a really good place to start.’”
It isn’t always obvious to homebuyers that they’re purchasing a house in a spot that’s likely to flood. “I had absolutely no idea,” says Joel Kurzman, recalling when he moved to north suburban Wilmette 10 years ago. “My property was lower than other properties, but we’re talking very modest grades. A first-time homebuyer walking down the street would have no idea. But when the sewer system doesn’t take water, water finds its way to the lowest place. That’s what happened to our cul-de-sac. Our cul-de-sac was a lake. Vehicles couldn’t get in or out.”
Kurzman, whose home was not in the FEMA floodplain, says he avoided major damage by spending $10,000 to install an overhead sewer. But during floods, water surrounded his house. He founded a group called Dry Out West Wilmette, which lobbied the village to do something about the problem, and Wilmette ended up putting a 5.5 million-gallon sewage detention tank in the area, with a budget of $15 million.
Kurzman sees lax zoning as one cause of flooding. “Municipalities are their own worst enemy,” he says, criticizing suburbs for allowing construction on “every little parcel.”
One way of reducing floods is to build bigger pipes and tunnels to carry away that water when it comes pouring down. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago has been working for decades on a massive $3.8 billion project to do just that.
In 1975, it began building the Deep Tunnel, with 109 miles of rock tunnels that can hold 2.3 billion gallons, as deep as 300 feet underground. The tunnel was finished in 2006, but the overall Tunnel and Reservoir Plan is scheduled to take another 14 years to complete. It also
includes the Majewski Reservoir, which opened in 1998 with a capacity of 350 million gallons near O’Hare. The newly completed Thornton Reservoir opened September 1, providing 7.9 billion gallons of storage at the site of a limestone quarry in the south suburbs. And excavators in the west suburbs are still working on the 10 billion-gallon McCook Reservoir, where one section is scheduled to open in 2017, followed by the final section in 2029.
“It will just have a huge impact,” says David St. Pierre, executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
One reason officials decided to do all this digging was that Cook County has a combined sewer system, with sanitary sewage and stormwater flowing into the same pipes. When there’s too much water for the district’s treatment plants to handle, combined sewers overflow into local rivers. These overflows used to happen about 100 times a year. The Deep Tunnel project—funded by a mix of federal and local money—hasn’t eliminated that problem, but overflows happen less often, about 50 times a year. The partially treated wastewater pouring into the Chicago River poses health risks for people who come into contact with it, like the growing number of people in kayaks and boats. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s testing “reveals high levels of bacteria from human waste at more than a dozen spots stretching through the North Side and downtown to the Bridgeport neighborhood,” the Chicago Tribune reported August 28. Germ levels routinely exceed state standards for recreational waterways, but those numbers are expected to drop next year as the district begins using disinfection equipment.
St. Pierre says the new Thornton Reservoir is so big it could have held all the rain that came down during one especially intense deluge on September 13, 2008, when 6.64 inches of rain fell. That was an all-time high for rainfall in Chicago, until another storm broke the record on July 22-23, 2011, with 6.91 inches. Having the capacity to hold all that water doesn’t mean it would flow through sewers and tunnels fast enough to prevent all flooding everywhere. “If you get 5 inches of rain on your house in an hour and a half, it really doesn’t matter what’s going on on the other side of town. You’ve got a lot of water,” says Winters, of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
And many parts of Cook County are miles away from the Deep Tunnel and its reservoirs. “If it rains harder farther away from the big trunk, then it’s probably going to flood there, no matter what,” says Sprague from the Center for Neighborhood Technology. “We can’t get the water from one place to another fast enough when it rains hard.”
But St. Pierre says, “At least it has somewhere to go. If it doesn’t have anywhere to go, then you have that lasting devastation across the region. This will tremendously help.”
Federal authorities pushed for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to finish its Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, resulting in a 2014 consent decree. That decree also requires the district to develop green infrastructure—such as distributing free rain barrels.
“The rain barrel program is going a little too well,” St. Pierre says. “The consent decree says we have to distribute 15,000 in five years. We’ve distributed 11,000 already.” The district plans to order another 60,000 soon, he says.
In another green initiative, the district worked with Chicago Public Schools last year to convert paved areas at four elementary schools into turf fields, gardens and landscape features that absorb water. “All these schools were just 100 percent asphalt,” St. Pierre says.
“The real solution … is to make sure that we take green infrastructure really seriously,” says Jessica Dexter, staff attorney with the Chicago-based Environmental Law & Policy Center. “Because there’s no way we can build enough pipes to manage the problem.”
The Water Reclamation District passed a watershed management ordinance in 2014, regulating water drainage and detention at new developments in Cook County. Dexter’s group pushed for that ordinance to require green infrastructure. “What we have is actually pretty good in that ordinance,” she says. But she added, “In a place that’s already built out like Cook
County, there just aren’t going to be that many projects that trigger it fast enough to build out the green infrastructure the way we need to.”
Green infrastructure is also a talking point for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which encourages rain gardens, permeable pavement and green roofs, which are covered in plants meant to help soak up precipitation. “It can reduce the amount of water that makes it into the system,” Winters says.
Chicago officials have often touted the city’s green efforts. More than 350 buildings in the city have green roofs, totaling over 5.5 million square feet, according to an April 2014 report from the city. Chicago has also installed more than 330,000 square feet of permeable pavement in 200 alleys. Overall, the city says it has reduced 3 million square feet of impervious surfaces since 2008.
Another example of green infrastructure is popping up in the south suburb of Blue Island, which began planting rain gardens at five street corners in mid-August. “That’s pretty exciting,” says Danielle Gallet, a program manager at the Metropolitan Planning Council. That nonprofit coordinates the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative, bringing together Blue Island with two dozen other governments and agencies to seek solutions for flooding along the Calumet River, which runs through Chicago’s South Side and nearby suburbs.
For property owners, one of the most confusing things about all of this can be flood insurance. National Flood Insurance Program policies cover damage when water floods over land into a building. Private insurance companies offer riders on their policies to cover damage from sewers backing up into basements. But none of these policies cover the damage when water seeps in through cracks in walls or foundations, because that’s considered the building owner’s fault for failing to do upkeep.
The National Flood Insurance Program subsidizes insurance policies rather than making property owners pay the full cost, but Judy Biggert led efforts to change that. In 2012, when the Hinsdale Republican was serving in the U.S. House, she pushed legislation to phase out those subsidies, arguing they encouraged people to build in flood-prone areas while taxpayers footed the bill. The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act became law, but people across the country complained when their insurance bills shot up.
In 2014, Congress changed the law again, limiting individuals’ premium increases to 18 percent a year. “It kind of slid back, with this new flooding bill,” says Biggert, who left Congress after losing the 2012 election. “What we wanted to do was reduce the cost of the federal program.”
One way of getting buildings out of high-risk areas is for governments to buy them. FEMA and the state offer municipalities financial help to do this. “We had two major floods in 2006 and 2007. It flooded them out and just ruined everybody’s houses,” Hanson, the Rockford official, says about one neighborhood with 130 homes. “So we bought everybody out. And we took out the houses.” The Water Reclamation District recently helped buy homes in north suburban Glenview and another area near the Des Plaines River. “These houses are inundated,” St. Pierre says. “There really is no solution. There’s nowhere to move that water. It will go there every time.”
Meanwhile, some cities are turning to new forms of technology to get a handle on flooding. Decatur uses real-time monitoring devices on the underside of manhole sewer covers, which send alerts when a sewer is about to overflow. And Rockford bought a drone for $1,000 to get aerial views of flooded areas and obstructions in its creeks.
Winters acknowledged that the state’s budget problems could hamper its ability to fight flooding, but he says sources of money are available from various federal and state agencies to help local officials. And at least 25 municipalities in Illinois have stormwater utility fees to cover the costs of anti-flooding projects. “The best model is the one where they charge people based on the amount of impervious surface they have,” Sprague says.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s State Revolving Fund channels money through the Illinois EPA for low-interest loans to local municipalities, businesses, homeowners and nonprofit groups for water quality projects. The Metropolitan Planning Council has been working with the IEPA to improve local access to these loans. “We want to make sure that that process is as streamlined and as transparent as possible, so that as many communities as possible are coming in for those funds,” says the council’s Gallet.
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014, Illinois received $63.3 million in federal grants, for a cumulative $1.75 billion in federal money in the Illinois loan fund. The state is required to provide 20 percent in matching funds. In 2014, Congress expanded the loans to cover stormwater projects, and Gallet suggested that the state could be doing more to use these loans for work that reduces urban flooding.
The recent state report recommended giving all counties authority over stormwater. Only 15 counties in Illinois currently have that authority, plus the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, a separate taxing body that covers nearly all of Cook County. Winters says it just makes sense to look at flooding problems across a whole county. “One city upstream has an effect on the cities downstream,” he says. “That’s where the counties end up having an important role.”
State legislators granted more powers to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District in 2014, including the ability to issue bonds for local stormwater projects. That enabled the district to work with the city of Chicago this year on a $55 million drainage tunnel in Albany Park, a neighborhood that’s been hard hit by flooding.
In February, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that $15 million in federal community development block grant funds would help pay for that project. The Chicago Sun-Times quoted Emanuel remarking that major rainstorms are likely to be a regular occurrence in the years ahead: “The new normal is the abnormal when it comes to
weather patterns.”
http://wuis.org/post/illinois-issues-urban-flooding#stream/
“Chicago Metropolitan Water Fund Narrows Emerging Markets
Equity Search,” Pensions & Investments Full article text: Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Retirement Fund named four finalists in its search for an emerging markets equity manager to run $75 million, said Susan Boutin, executive director. The firms that are being invited to make finalist presentations on Nov. 9 are Wellington Management, Lazard Asset Management, Driehaus Capital Management and Dimensional Fund Advisors. A hiring decision could be made at the Nov. 18 board meeting.
While active international equity manager Vontobel Asset Management has some emerging markets exposure in its roughly $60 million portfolio, this would be the pension fund’s first dedicated emerging markets equity manager, Ms. Boutin previously said. An RFP was issued in July. Funding sources have not been determined. Marquette Associates, the $1.3 billion pension fund’s investment consultant, is assisting.
http://www.pionline.com/article/20151029/ONLINE/151029827/chicago-metropolitan-water-fund-narrows-emerging-markets-equity-search
“Fitch Affirms Illinois Finance Authority’s State of Illinois Clean Water Initiative SRF Revs at ‘AAA,’” Business Wire
Full article text: Fitch Ratings has affirmed the 'AAA' rating on the following bonds issued by the Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) under its 2013 Master Trust Agreement (MTA):
--Approximately $108.3 million State of Illinois clean water initiative revolving fund (CWIRF) revenue bonds, series 2013.
The Rating Outlook is Stable.
SECURITY
The bonds are secured by pledged loan repayments and certain account interest earnings.
KEY RATING DRIVERS
SOLID FINANCIAL STRUCTURE: Fitch's cash flow modeling demonstrates that the CWIRF program (the program) can continue to pay bond debt service even with loan defaults in excess of Fitch's 'AAA' liability rating stress hurdle, as produced using Fitch's Portfolio Stress Calculator (PSC).
LARGELY UNRATED POOL: Approximately 71% of IFA's CWIRF loan portfolio consists of unrated entities. In lieu of this and in accordance with its criteria, Fitch has assigned internal credit opinions to three credits based on its practice to have ratings on a minimum of 33% of the loan pool. Also in accordance with Fitch's criteria, the remaining unrated portion of the pool is conservatively assumed to be of speculative-grade credit quality ('BB').
MODERATE POOL DIVERSITY: The CWIRF loan portfolio pool is large and more diverse than similar programs rated by Fitch. The pool consists of about 380 borrowers, with the top 10 participants representing approximately 44% of the total portfolio.
STRONG PROGRAM MANAGEMENT: Program management adheres to a formal underwriting policy which includes, among other things, minimum coverage requirements for most borrowers and reserve requirements for subordinate lien pledges. To date, there have been no pledged loan defaults in any of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) state revolving fund (SRF) programs.
RATING SENSITIVITIES
REDUCTION IN MODELED STRESS CUSHION: Significant deterioration in aggregate borrower credit quality, increased pool concentration, or increased leveraging resulting in the program's inability to pass Fitch's 'AAA' liability rating stress hurdle likely would put downward pressure on the rating. The Stable Outlook reflects Fitch's view that these events are not likely to occur.
CREDIT PROFILE
The CWIRF was announced in February 2012 as part of the state's initiative to provide $1 billion of affordable loans to local governments for qualified water and wastewater capital projects. The CWIRF is operated by the IEPA under the state's Water Revolving Fund, which includes both the state's clean water program (CWSRF) and drinking water program (DWSRF).
The series 2013 bonds are the first and only series issued thus far under the 2013 MTA. As there have been no new issues, program credit metrics including those of the financial structure and pool credit quality have not significantly changed.
SOUND FINANCIAL STRUCTURE
Fitch measures financial strength of the CWIRF program and similar SRFs by calculating the program asset strength ratio (PASR). The PASR includes total scheduled pledged loan repayments divided by total scheduled bond debt service. The CWIRF's PASR is 7.7x, which is very strong in comparison to Fitch's 2014 'AAA' median PASR of 1.8x. The high PASR is partially reflective of the somewhat new indenture and will likely decrease over time as the program is further leveraged. However, Fitch expects program leverage to remain sufficient for the current rating.
Cash flow modeling demonstrates that the program can continue to pay bond debt service even with hypothetical loan defaults of 100% over the first, middle and last four years of the program's life (as per Fitch criteria, a 90% recovery is also applied in its cash flow model when determining default tolerance). This is in excess of Fitch's 'AAA' liability rating stress hurdle of 35% as produced by the PSC. The rating stress hurdle is calculated based on overall pool credit quality as measured by the rating of underlying borrowers, size, loan term, and concentration.
ENHANCEMENT PROVIDED PRIMARILY BY OVERCOLLATERALIZATION
The 2013 MTA is structured as a cash flow-style model, wherein bond enhancement is provided exclusively by pledged loan repayment revenues in excess of bond debt service (overcollateralization). Cash flow projections demonstrate that the minimum semi-annual coverage on the bonds is a very healthy 4.9x on the leveraged bonds.
Similar to many other SRFs, the CWIRF program includes a cross-collateralization feature wherein excess funds from the CWSRF are available to cover deficiencies in the DWSRF and vice-versa. The ability for the two funds to cross-collateralize helps to minimize losses if defaults were to occur. Because of this feature, Fitch combines both programs in its models.
LOAN POOL MODERATELY DIVERSIFIED YET LARGELY UNRATED
The combined DWSRF and CWSRF loan pool is composed of about 380 borrowers. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD; general obligation debt rated 'AAA' with Stable Outlook by Fitch) is the largest participant, representing about 19% of the pool. While somewhat significant, Fitch does not expect MWRD's concentration to increase much further, as participant concentration is targeted to be less than 20% of the pool. Additionally, MWRD's high rating helps to mitigate some of the single-obligor concentration risk.
In aggregate, the top 10 borrowers represent approximately 44% of the loan pool versus Fitch's 2014 'AAA' median level of 53%. Excluding MWRD, each remaining program participant accounts for 3% or less of the total pool. Overall, Fitch views the loan pool as having above-average diversity in comparison to other similar 'AAA' programs.
The majority of pledged pool loans do not carry a public rating. Therefore, Fitch has assigned credit opinions to the three of the largest unrated credits. Although these opinions are not made publically available by Fitch, each credit was assessed to be at or above the 'A' rating category.
Given the largely unrated nature of the loan pool, the resulting 'AAA' liability hurdle is somewhat high at 35% versus an 'AAA' median of 30%. However, in addition to the exceptional cash flow coverage, the strong loan security pledges somewhat mitigate the nature of the (unrated) pool risk, as approximately 75% is backed by water and/or sewer system revenues and the remaining backed by GO pledges.
STRONG PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND UNDERWRITING
The Illinois SRF programs, including the CWIRF, are jointly managed by the IFA and the IEPA through a memorandum of agreement. Program loans are chosen by the IEPA following an established set of administrative policies and procedures to evaluate loan applications.
Favorably, loan reserves are required for subordinate revenue liens as are minimum coverage requirements, which are set at the same level as senior obligations. Additionally, the IEPA has tax intercept authority and the ability to require borrowers to raise rates to meet coverage requirements. Reflecting the strength of management and underwriting, there have been no pledged loan defaults to date.
https://www.fitchratings.com/jsp/creditdesk/PolicyRegulation.faces?context=2&detail=31
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151030005770/en/Fitch-Affirms-Illinois-Finance-Authoritys-State-IL
“CTA Yellow Line is Back in Service,” Mass Transit Magazine
Full article text: Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval R. Carter Jr. on Oct. 30 was joined by the Village of Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) officials to announce that Yellow Line service has been restored. The Yellow Line was suspended in May following an embankment collapse that resulted from construction on MWRD property. The restoration of service follows the design and reconstruction of the embankment by MWRD and its contractor, Walsh Construction.
“We are pleased to announce the return of Yellow Line service to our riders and the Village of Skokie,” said CTA President Carter. “This was an unprecedented event but all parties involved have worked cooperatively to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. As a thank you to our riders for their patience, the CTA is offering free Yellow Line rides for one week beginning today.”
Free rides on CTA’s Yellow Line will be offered at the Dempster-Skokie and Oakton stations beginning today through Friday, November 6. In addition, CTA and the Village of Skokie will
continue offering free parking at CTA’s Park and Ride facility at the Dempster-Skokie station through the
end of 2015.
“The Village of Skokie also is pleased that Yellow Line service is resuming,” said Mayor Van Dusen. “The community has demonstrated considerable patience with this inconvenience and has shown strong support for the numerous businesses near the Yellow Line stations that rely on commuters as customers. We hope that ridership levels will quickly return to levels attained before the unfortunate service interruption, and encourage the community to take advantage of CTAs generous offer of free rides for the next week.”
To kick off the restoration of service on the Yellow Line, CTA President Carter was joined today by Mayor Van Dusen and MWRD officials for a ceremonial first ride on CTA’s two newest 5000-series rail cars—the last to be delivered recently from an order of 714 cars, part of CTA’s ongoing modernization of its rail fleet. The return of service follows the completion of reconstruction work by MWRD and Walsh Construction. The work included the re-fencing of the right-of-way area between the tracks and MWRD property; the rebuilding and stabilization of the soil embankment; the reconstruction of approximately 1,200 feet of north and southbound Yellow Line tracks atop the embankment including ties, rail plates, fasteners, running rail and third rail; and reconnecting signals and communication lines.
“We thank Yellow Line riders, the CTA and residents and businesses in the Skokie area for their patience as we worked to restore the embankment along the Yellow Line,” said MWRD Executive Director David St. Pierre. “By taking the additional time and precaution to understand the embankment collapse, your patience has allowed us to fully stabilize the tracks for the long term and ensure a safe and comfortable ride for all passengers.”
To promote the reopening and encourage ridership to return, the CTA and the Village of Skokie are undertaking significant outreach efforts to riders, residents and local businesses. Some of the efforts include customer fliers, signage at stations and key bus stops, social media outreach, customer audio alerts, messaging on CTA’s digital information screens system wide, targeted outreach to stakeholders, door to door outreach in the Village of Skokie, a countdown clock oon CTA’s website and media outreach. Following suspension of Yellow Line service in May, CTA took extensive efforts to minimize impacts to customers that included providing customers with free shuttle bus service in both directions that served the affected Yellow Line stations.
http://www.masstransitmag.com/press_release/12132788/cta-yellow-line-is-back-in-service
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October 2015 |
| |
"Yellow Line trains return 5 months after embankment collapse,"Associated Press
Full article text: Yellow Line trains are up and running again between Chicago and Skokie after a five-month shutdown caused by an embankment collapse. Train service resumed Friday. To help lure riders to return, the Chicago Transit Authority is offering free rides through Nov. 6 for passengers boarding at the Dempster and Oakton street stations in Skokie. Parking will also be free at the Dempster park-and-ride lot until the end of December. The CTA says May's embankment collapse was caused by a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District construction project. No trains were on the track when it gave way and no one was injured. Before the shutdown, an average of 2,900 people rode the Yellow Line daily.
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Yellow-Line-trains-return-5-months-after-6600032.php
"CTA Yellow Line to Reopen Friday with Free Rides,” WTTW Chicago Tonight (IL)
Full article text: After a five-and-a-half month shutdown, the CTA Yellow Line (aka Skokie Swift) will reopen Friday and provide free rides through Nov. 6 from its Dempster-Skokie and Oakton stations, the CTA announced.
Yellow Line service was suspended after an embankment collapsed on May 17 underneath a stretch of the tracks west of McCormick Boulevard, between the Howard Street and Oakton Street stations in Skokie. According to the CTA, the collapse occurred while the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District was working on a construction project with Walsh Construction near the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant, located adjacent to the tracks. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the collapse. The MWRD and Walsh worked together to rebuild the embankment and also reconstructed approximately 1,200 feet of north and southbound tracks.
“Restoring Yellow Line service as quickly as possible has remained our top priority while maintaining the safety of our riders,” CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. said in a statement. “We know how critical access to public transportation is to the livelihood of people across the Chicago area and we look forward to welcoming Yellow Line riders back to the quick, affordable service to which they are accustomed.”
In addition to offering over a week of free rides from its Dempster-Skokie and Oakton stations, the CTA is extending a “payment holiday” through the end of the year that allows riders to park for free in the Dempster Street lots. Shuttle buses that have been in operation during the suspension will no longer run when rail service resumes. The first Dempster-bound train is scheduled to leave Howard station at 4:45 a.m. Friday morning, with the first Howard-bound train scheduled to depart the Dempster station at 5 a.m. Trains will run daily every 10-15 minutes during morning and afternoon rush hours, and every 15 minutes on weekends.
Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen, CTA President Carter and MWRD officials will meet for a ceremonial first ride tomorrow morning at the Oakton station. The Skokie Swift has transported passengers into and out of the city since 1964 between the Howard Street Purple and Red Line CTA station and the Dempster Yellow Line station. The Oakton Street station opened
in 2012.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/10/29/cta-yellow-line-reopen-friday-free-rides
"Free Rides on CTA Yellow Line as Service Resumes," ABC 7 Chicago (IL)
Full article text: CTA Yellow Line trains are back in service Friday. To celebrate, commuters can ride for free—for a whole week. Free rides on the Yellow Line will be offered at the Dempster-Skokie and Oakton-Skokie stations from Friday, Oct. 30 to Friday, Nov. 6. Free parking will be available at the CTA’s Park and Ride facility at the Dempster-Skokie station through the end of 2015. Service on the Yellow Line, or Skokie Swift, was suspended in May following an embankment collapse during construction on Metropolitan Water Reclamation District property. CTA officials, Skokie’s mayor and MWRD officials will commemorate the first ride on the new line later Friday morning.
http://abc7chicago.com/traffic/free-rides-on-cta-yellow-line-as-service-resumes/1058964/
"Five Months after Emergency Closing, Yellow Line Running Again,"
Pioneer Press (IL)
Full article text: More than five months and some $3.5 million later, Yellow Line trains were rolling along Skokie tracks again Friday. Service resumed around 4:45 a.m. and the CTA was reporting no problems. Two days before the return of the Yellow Line, CTA technicians were making test runs aboard trains between the large Skokie Shops on Oakton Street and the end of the line on Howard Street in Chicago. Service was shut down in mid-May when an embankment collapsed near a bridge along the Yellow Line tracks during a construction project overseen by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and performed by Walsh Construction. The line runs between stations at Howard Street in Chicago and Dempster Street in Skokie with one stop in downtown Skokie along the way. During a test run Oct. 28, a shiny new train, heading south toward Howard, pulled up to that bridge, providing a train’s-eye view of where the unexpected problem occurred last spring. On the right was the ongoing water district’s construction project near its plant at McCormick Boulevard and Howard Street. Multiple trains rolled along the Yellow Line tracks in both directions on the rainy afternoon—occupied only by CTA staff or invited guests for the time being. New pink rods protruded from the ground alongside the tracks, a part of the massive job that went into restoring the line. “These were installed as part of the reconstruction of the embankment,” said Jim Harper, CTA’s chief engineer of infrastructure. “The purpose is to provide a reference point for monitoring the settlement of the embankment going forward.”
The embankment had stood up for 90 years until the collapse, Harper said. Other embankments supporting CTA tracks have survived the same amount of time or more, he said.
The estimated $3.5 million includes loss of revenue from service, the cost of the free shuttle buses and the loss of access to Skokie Shops, CTA spokesman Jeff Tolman said. Because of the latter, he said, newer trains had to be transported to Skokie by truck rather than by rail. Tolman said the CTA is seeking reimbursement for the monetary loss, but the parties remain in negotiations. An exact cause of the embankment collapse has not officially been identified. “We don’t have the full root cause or the full investigation completed yet to understand what could or could not have been avoided,” Harper said.
While some Yellow Line commuters expressed frustration that the service shutdown extended into three seasons, CTA officials maintain that the best of repair options was selected.
“We looked at several options for restoring service, but the way we ended up restoring service was as comprehensively and quickly as possible while keeping safety as a priority for our customers,” Tolman said.
There were initial differences between agencies over which option to choose, officials said, but the parties came together to perform the job. That job, Harper said, was the equivalent of building an embankment from scratch had a new line been put into service. The CTA worked with Walsh Construction to bring in a consultant specializing in embankment design, Harper said, adding that the embankment is sturdy and meets all safety standards. “It required a lot of work—a lot of steps to make sure that embankment would be stable for the next hundred years,” Harper said. “We’re very comfortable now that we have an embankment that will give us that kind of performance.”
That was the message the CTA wanted to deliver as the eve of the Yellow Line reopening approached: The Yellow Line is safe and steady, and it’s built to last. How quickly customers return to the Yellow Line, though, remains to be seen. The CTA provided service by shuttle bus throughout the long shutdown, but only about half of its regular Yellow Line customers took advantage of it, Tolman acknowledged.
The CTA has begun an aggressive campaign to inform people that the Yellow Line is open for business again and is safer than ever, he said.
Harper said the CTA has load-tested the tracks. Operators are being re-acclimated to a normal service level, he said, running the trains one shift a day without passengers.
The CTA said it took over Yellow Line operations again from Walsh Construction just last week. It immediately ran heavy equipment with water tanks to the embankment site and made sure any rust on the tracks from sitting unused for more than five months was eliminated, Harper said. CTA officials say the test trains have been running smoothly and without slippage or any other problems. Two new cars were expected to be operational when the CTA opened the line for business again Friday morning.
Harper said he has been out to the embankment site a few times a week since the collapse first occurred. “We’re looking forward to having this service restored again,” he said.
On Thursday’s eve of the Yellow Line’s reopening, a few riders made their way to one of the shuttle bus stops along Skokie Boulevard. They bundled up against a gray cold morning.
“I’ve been using the shuttle off and on all summer and fall,” said Marilyn Hasbrough who was heading downtown. “This seems like it’s taken way too long to fix, but I’m sure glad today will be the end.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-yellow-line-test-run-tl-1105-20151029-story.html
"Yellow Line Running Again 5 Months after Track Collapse," CBS Chicago (IL)
A test train runs along the Yellow Line in Skokie, ahead of the official reopening, five months after an embankment collapse.
Full article text: The Yellow Line was once again rolling along the rails in Skokie on Friday, more than five months after an embankment collapse forced the CTA to shut down the entire line.
As a show of appreciation for riders, the CTA was offering a sweet deal: eight days of free rides, and free parking at the Dempster-Skokie station through the end of the year.
The Yellow Line was shut down on May 17, after the ground collapsed under tracks near the McCormick Boulevard bridge. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District was building a new disinfection plant directly next to the tracks, and Walsh Construction was doing tunnel work for the MWRD, when the ground under the tracks caved in.
The CTA was forced to shut down the Yellow Line until officials could be certain the embankment would be secure.
Skokie Swift trains carried 2,900 riders a day before the collapse. A CTA spokesman said ridership on free but far slower shuttle buses employed since the May collapse carried about half that number each weekday.
The shuttle buses were discontinued Thursday night, and the first Yellow Line train started running at 4:45 a.m. Friday, departing from the Howard stop in Evanston, and turning around at the Dempster-Skokie terminal at 5 a.m.
For the first eight days the Yellow Line is back in operation, all rides will be free at the Dempster and Oakton stations. In addition, parking will be free at the CTA park-and-ride lot at the Dempster-Skokie terminal through the end of the year.
“It’s really an encouragement to come back out, and enjoy the Yellow Line,” CTA spokesman Brian Steele said. Total costs of reconstruction and related problems, such as the trucking of ‘L’ cars to and from the CTA’s main heavy repair facility, Skokie Shops, just west of the collapse, is still being totaled but is expected to exceed $3.5 million, a CTA spokesman said. MWRD and Walsh are being billed. CTA Director of Rail Maintenance Steve Roberts said he is pleased that the Skokie Shops are now reconnected to the rest of the ‘L’ system.
“It was difficult getting some of the equipment in and out of the shop,” he said. “It was pretty involved.”
The ‘L’ cars, normally run in pairs, had to be separated before being trucked using a circuitous route between Skokie and a facility at 63rd Street and Indiana Avenue, in Chicago.
“We were able to get by, move some of our efforts out into the field…it took a lot longer and a lot more effort because we have all the equipment out there (in Skokie),” he said.
Roberts said, despite the inconvenience, CTA was able to maintain its rapid transit fleet using the combination of trucking and repairs at its other shop facilities.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/10/30/yellow-line-trains-running-again-5-months-after-track-collapse/
“Lipinski’s Efforts to Protect Worth Preserve from Army Corps Dumping Pay Off,” DuPage Policy Journal (IL)
Full article text: U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Dist. 3) said on Monday that the final step has been implemented to protect the 78-acre Lucas-Berg Preserve in Worth from being used as a dumping site by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for materials dredged from the Cal-Sag Channel. Lipinski had inserted language into the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) last year, which stopped the Army Corps from dumping dredged materials from the channel onto the preserve. That action eventually led to Monday's announcement that the Lucas-Berg Preserve has officially been removed from the jurisdiction of the Army Corps and transferred to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. “This is a big victory for the community of Worth and the surrounding area,” Lipinski said. “For many years, it has been a priority of mine to remove Lucas-Berg as the Army Corps’ designated site for dumping dredged materials from the Cal-Sag. It was a difficult road to get this done, but it is important for me to do all I can to work with local residents and protect communities in the Third District.”
http://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/510645412-lipinski-s-efforts-to-protect-worth-preserve-from-army-corps-dumping-pay-of
“CTA Makes Long Ride Back, Ready to Restart Service,” Chicago Tribune (IL)
Full article text: The roughly 10-minute dash on the CTA Yellow Line is almost back. Yellow Line service is set to finally resume a couple of hours before sunrise on Friday after a 5 1/2-month shutdown triggered by a construction misstep, but riders will likely return to the express trains on their own timetable. The CTA is trying to encourage a ridership resurgence on its shortest route that carries the fewest riders among all eight CTA rail lines by offering free rides on the Yellow Line through Nov. 6 for passengers boarding at the Dempster Street and Oakton Street stations in Skokie.
Riders entering at Howard Street will be charged the regular $2.25 fare, although people transferring from the Red and Purple lines at Howard will continue to pay nothing extra, officials said. Free parking will also be provided at the Dempster park-and-ride lot through the end of the year. The first Skokie-bound train on the almost 5-mile route will depart Howard at 4:45 a.m. Friday. The first Howard-bound train will depart Dempster at 5 a.m., officials said. For returning riders who have forgotten the schedule (transitchicago.com/yellowline), trains will operate every 10 to 15 minutes during the morning and evening rush periods, and every 15 minutes on weekends. The re-establishment of service was forced to wait until roughly 1,200 feet of
embankment and tracks were rebuilt on the property of a waste treatment plant in Skokie. The embankment collapsed May 17 amid a construction
project adjacent to the tracks.
The CTA immediately halted Yellow Line service and, hoping for only a brief
interruption, offered free bus shuttles between the Dempster Street terminal and
the Howard Red Line terminal. But the line closure has extended beyond any
worst-case scenario publicly offered up.
Reconstruction of the more than 100-year-old dirt embankment, which is on the
property of the O’Brien wastewater treatment plant, was more complicated than
anticipated, officials said. The cause of the failure still hasn’t been
determined, according to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago, which runs the plant, located at McCormick Boulevard and Howard Street
in Skokie.
"Every entity involved has hired forensic experts to determine the cause of the
embankment failure, and their investigation is ongoing," said Allison Fore, a
reclamation district spokeswoman. "Insurance companies for each agency will dig
into these reports and ultimately reach an agreement on cause and
responsibility." 
Meanwhile, bus travel times on the free CTA shuttles have been running about triple the nine-minute scheduled Yellow Line trip between Dempster and Howard with an intermediate stop at the Oakton station in downtown Skokie. The bus shuttle service will be discontinued Friday when Yellow Line service resumes. The No. 97 Skokie bus will continue its normal route between the Howard terminal and Westfield Old Orchard shopping center with an intermediate stop at the Skokie Yellow Line stations.
Many Yellow Line riders have skipped the buses and turned to alternative transportation. Shuttle bus ridership has averaged about 1,500 riders a day, which is less than half the number of daily Yellow Line passenger trips when the service was running, the CTA said.
“For 5 1/2 months, roughly 1,500 riders have been seeking other options for their commute,” CTA spokesman Brian Steele said Wednesday. “We want those riders to come back.” Cars were parked in only about half of the 411 spaces at the commuter parking lot at the Dempster station Wednesday afternoon.
After getting off a Yellow Line shuttle bus carrying only about a dozen riders, Jae Kim quickly crisscrossed the lot against a strong wind to walk to her car.
“I’m glad we'll be getting the train back before winter,” Kim, 43, of Niles, said. Just west of the lot, a two-car test train glided into the station, its LED marquee reading “out of
service," yet still attracting the attention of commuters waiting for CTA and Pace buses.
Kim said she works at a health center in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood and
relies on the Yellow Line to connect to the Red Line. She looked for a bright
spot in her 5 1/2-month commuting challenge.
"At least I saved $3 a day on parking," she said. "That’s about 50 bucks a
month."
On this afternoon, Pace buses arriving at the station from Evanston, Des
Plaines and Buffalo Grove carried more Howard-bound passengers than the incoming
CTA shuttles. Almost all the connecting passengers switched to the shuttle
buses, but a couple of people opted for taxis lined up at the cab stand.
"Business is not good," said a driver for Norshore Cab who identified himself
only as Steve. He said he hoped that the resumption of Yellow Line trains and a
brutal Chicago winter would send customers "running for a nice warm cab."
Yellow Line passenger boardings at the two Skokie rail stations averaged
3,372 on a typical weekday during the first six months of last year, according
to the transit agency.
The CTA rail division has had to scramble since the reclamation district and
its construction contractor, Walsh Construction Co. II, completed reconstruction
of the embankment and damaged CTA tracks Oct. 22, officials said. The CTA was
given control of the tracks the next day and it began running test trains
Monday, the transit agency said.
The work to get to this point included the rebuilding of about 1,200 feet of
northbound and southbound tracks, ties, rail plates, fasteners, running rail and
electrified third rail, and reconnecting signals and communications lines, the
CTA said. To prepare for Friday’s service resumption, a CTA maintenance train
cleaned and buffed the rails to remove oxidation and rust. Crews also walked the
entire 4.7-mile rail corridor to visually inspect the rails, ties, ballast,
signals, switches and gates at the seven grade-level crossings before the entire
system was powered up and test trains were sent out, Steele said. Train
operators who have been reassigned to other routes since May also underwent
retraining to refamiliarize them with the specific features and challenges of
operating on the Yellow Line, officials said. Walsh, which is also a major
contractor on CTA rail projects, was building disinfection facilities at the
treatment plant when the embankment failed.
Just weeks before the May 17 collapse, Walsh asked CTA officials to loosen
the rules governing how much the elevated tracks could be allowed to move during
construction, and the CTA repeatedly granted the requests, emails obtained by
the Tribune showed. Also, changes in the design of the waste disinfection
facilities pushed the work closer to the Yellow Line.
The reclamation district has taken responsibility for the accident and agreed
to fully reimburse the CTA, officials from both agencies have said. The accident
has cost the CTA an estimated $3.5 million through September, the CTA said.
Expenses include the free shuttle buses and workaround procedures implemented to
access the CTA Skokie Shops rail heavy maintenance facility at 3701 W. Oakton
St. The embankment collapse cut off rail access to the repair facility, and rail
cars have been trucked to a CTA facility on the South Side. Rail access to
Skokie Shops resumed last week, Steele said.
The Yellow Line route as it operates today dates to 1964. It was called the
Skokie Swift until the CTA switched to a color-coded rail line-naming system in
1993. It also is the only line that the CTA operated, abandoned and then
restored, according to Chicago-L.org. In 1948, just one year after the CTA began
operating Chicago’s rapid transit trains after buying the Chicago Rapid Transit
Co. for $12 million, the CTA suspended service on what was then called the Niles
Center Line, according to Chicago-L.org, which is managed by CTA historians.
Service was replaced by the No. 97 Skokie bus route. Sixteen years later, on
April 20, 1964, Skokie Swift service began with the help of federal funding,
running nonstop between Howard and Dempster.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-cta-yellow-line-reopening-met-1029-20151029-story.html
"Tinley Park ponders bigger pond at old Panduit site," Chicago Tribune
Full article text: Tinley Park trustees appear to favor creating a special taxing district that would take in Panduit Corp.'s former headquarters and adjacent properties but are still deciding
whether to expand a detention pond on the Panduit site to capture stormwater from downtown sites that are ripe — and in some instances overripe — for redevelopment.
Creating a tax increment financing district encompassing the Panduit land, northwest of Ridgeland Avenue and 175th Street, could facilitate redevelopment of the site, which is largely unused except for a research and development building the company maintains there. In 2010, Panduit relocated its global headquarters to a site south of Interstate 80 and east of 80th Avenue in Tinley Park. Trustees could take a formal vote in the coming weeks to move ahead with establishing the TIF district, which would take several months to complete. Village officials are trying to get ahead of changes in stormwater management regulations from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and have considered expanding an existing detention pond at the southwest corner of the old Panduit site. Without the central pond, individual properties would, under the new MWRD rules, need their own mini-ponds, reducing the amount of land that could be built on and likely making them not economically feasible for developers, according to some village officials, including Mayor Dave Seaman. The Panduit pond is eyed as a natural location for handling runoff from properties near Oak Park Avenue in the downtown area, including the planned Boulevard at Central Station apartment building on South Street directly south of the downtown Metra station. Tinley Park is also trying to buy up property north of the train station along North Street, hoping that land might also be redeveloped. The detention pond would have a capacity of as much as 13 million gallons and cost $2 million, according to village estimates. Building additional sewer lines to carry rainwater to and from the pond to Midlothian Creek is estimated to cost about $2.6 million. Not all of those would have to be built right away, but rather as sites that would feed into the pond are developed. During a Village Board committee meeting Tuesday night, not all trustees agreed with the pond plan, with trustees Bernie Brady and Michael Pannitto suggesting that the former Central Middle School site, which the village owns, be considered for stormwater detention. Village officials view that land as prime for housing. Trustees Brian Younker and Jacob Vandenberg said they favored moving ahead with the Panduit option, with Vandenberg calling the detention pond "extremely valuable to the entire downtown area. I think it's imperative."
Noting that the former Central School property is in a residential area, Younker said "I don't think neighbors would want that (pond) there."
Trustee T.J. Grady said he couldn't support switching the holding pond to the former school site, calling such a move "an absolute waste of some prime property."
While village staff and the village's engineering firm will gather information about the feasibility of the school land, Seaman said that property was "more valuable of a site" from a development standpoint. He insisted that the village needed to quickly move forward with a decision on the Panduit property and not delay the process by investigating another site.
Once the village gets the permit from the MWRD for the expanded pond, it would have to start construction within a year.
"I think we've got to get it done now," Seaman told the trustees. "You're not going to get a better solution. ... We need to get our downtown together."
The mayor said further delays could derail downtown projects such as Boulevard at Central Station, which was approved in 2012 but has been delayed due to the recession and financing issues. Work on it could get underway by next spring, according to Assistant Village Manager Mike Mertens.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-tinley-panduit-pond-st-1029-20151028-story.html
"Lansing Approves Agreement with Schrum," NW Indiana Times
Full article text: Construction can resume on the new Schrum School after the
Lansing Village Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with Hoover-Schrum
Memorial School District 157 at its Oct. 20 meeting. The new school, which is
being constructed next to the current one on 165th Street near Burnham Avenue, was approved by 73 percent of voters in
a November referendum for a bond sale of $22.9 million. A sewer pipe moves
through school property along easement that belongs to Lansing. It connects with
a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District pipe that runs under Burnham Avenue.
About 50 percent of Lansing’s sewage and storm water moves through those pipes.
The pipe is directly under the new school. It wasn’t discovered in the original
title search of the property before construction began. The MWRD put
stipulations on the school district’s permits that the village of Lansing had to
be comfortable with the plans to reroute the pipe before permits were issued,
Village Engineer Jeff Pintar told the Village Board on Oct. 6. The school
district will pay for the pipe to be rerouted to the east of the new school’s
footprint as part of the agreement. That work is expected to be done in the
spring and the School Board has put $597,000 in escrow to cover the cost of
design and construction. District 157 will also pay any necessary costs above
that amount. It’s unclear how it will affect the scheduled opening of the school
in August.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/lansing-approves-agreement-with-schrum/article_dda3bc9a-4438-5828-8724-261212facb4e.html
"Army Corps Transfers Nature Preserve to MWRD," Chicago Tribune (IL)
The Lucas Berg Nature Preserve in Worth, south of 111th Street and west of
Oketo Avenue, is "peaceful" and "lovely," a nearby homeowner said.
Full article text: Worth’s plan to acquire the Lucas Berg Nature Preserve may
be boosted by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers transferring deed to MWRD.
Worth officials hope the village’s chances of acquiring the Lucas Berg Nature
Preserve to ensure that it remains in its natural state got a boost with the
announcement that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has transferred ownership of
the site to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The MWRD will soon
begin the process of determining what is and is not considered a wetlands area
within the 78-acre property and is expected to begin seeking appraisals on what
the land is worth, officials have said. Worth has long coveted the preserve,
located on the western edge of the village, with the hope of retaining its
unspoiled beauty, using areas of it for flood relief and seeing some retail use
on the northern edge along 111th Street.
Monday’s announcement on the land transfer came from the office of U.S. Rep.
Dan Lipinski, D-3rd, who has long worked to prevent the site from being used to
store silt dredged from the nearby Calumet Sag Channel, as was proposed years
ago by the Army Corps. Last year, Lipinski succeeded in getting language
inserted into a federal law that prohibited the Army Corps from dumping dredged
material on the property. With no longer have use of the site, the Army Corps
agreed to return the land to the MWRD.
"This is a big victory for the community of Worth and the surrounding area,"
Lipinski said in a prepared statement. "For many years, it has been a priority
of mine to remove Lucas Berg as the Army Corps’ designated site for dumping
dredged materials from the Cal-Sag. It was a difficult road to get this done."
Village officials hope to persuade the MWRD to sell the property, 7600 W.
111th St., to the village so it can be maintained for recreational use and to
temporarily detain stormwater, Mayor Mary Werner said, adding that the value of
the land is unknown but will be determined through the appraisals. She said
Worth likely would not be able to acquire the land for at least two years.
MWRD spokeswoman Allison Fore...said recently that the sanitary district,
which serves Chicago and Cook County, will be looking at its options for the
property. She indicated that if the MWRD does not need the land for its
corporate use, then it’s required to sell the land. When asked then about the
land’s worth, Fore said the appraisals would determine that. She said the MWRD
would take offers from both public and private bidders. The MWRD and Worth are
working on using part of the site to store stormwater and relieve flooding in
Worth Woods, a nearby residential subdivision.
Mike McElroy, Worth’s life safety officer and its point man on Lucas Berg, is
encouraged by the deed transfer but is a bit concerned about talk of commercial
development along 111th Street.
"I would hope that whatever is put in there should pay homage to the area
behind it," he said. "... I'd like to see maybe a kayak rental business or a
restaurant that offers dining looking over the (Lucas Berg) property."
McElroy is director of marine operations and regulatory affairs for the
Wendella Sightseeing Boats in downtown Chicago. Among his duties in Worth is
organizing the twice-a-year cleanup of the nature preserve.
Worth resident Joyce Koester, who for nine years has lived where Oketo Avenue
dead-ends on the east side of the property, has one wish—keep the property as
is.
"The best thing would be for the village to obtain it and to not change a
thing," she said. "The view is awesome. It's very pretty. We like to sit on our
(second-floor) deck and love watching the swans and ducks out there. It's so
peaceful. It's hard to believe we're living in the village of Worth."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-lucas-berg-st-1028-20151027-story.html
"CTA Yellow Line ready for reopening," CBS 2
Full article text: The CTA conducted a test run Monday of the Yellow Line tracks that will reopen to commuters later this week. CBS 2’s Mike Parker and photojournalist Adrian Ramirez were aboard. The tracks into and out of Skokie have been shut down since May, when tracks collapsed because of embankment erosion. Several weeks later, the tracks have been replaced, and the embankment is looking pretty good. Everything’s in place for the 4:30 a.m. Friday reopening of the Yellow Line. CTA officials says it’s safe. “Folks have been crawling all over these tracks for months,” says CTA infrastructure
officer Chris Bushell. Yellow Line riders, who have had to make due with shuttle buses, will get a week’s worth of free rides beginning Friday.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/10/26/yellow-line-ready-for-reopening/
"CTA’s Yellow Line Set to Reopen," Progressive Railroading
The Howard station in Chicago, where the Yellow Line connects to downtown Chicago via the Red Line or the Purple Line
Full article text: After being closed since May, the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Yellow Line is slated to resume service Oct. 30, agency officials announced late last week.
Track maintenance, inspection, and testing will continue until that time. In May, CTA suspended Yellow Line service following an embankment collapse resulting from construction on Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) property. The restoration of service comes after the design and reconstruction of the embankment by MWRD and its contractor, Walsh Construction, agency officials said. The work included re-fencing the right-of-way area between the tracks and the district's property, rebuilding and stabilizing the soil embankment, reconstructing 1,200 feet of north and southbound Yellow Line tracks atop the embankment, and reconnecting signals and communication lines. Before service begins, CTA engineers will re-energize the third rail; use a rail-smoothing car to eliminate rust accumulated along the full length of Yellow Line tracks; and test signal equipment. On Oct. 30, CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. will join Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen and MWRD officials for a ceremonial first ride at the Oakton Station in Skokie, Ill. The officials will ride vintage 2400-series rail cars to mark the return of service along the line. Additionally, CTA will put into service its two newest 5000-series rail cars, which are the last to be delivered from an order of 714 cars, agency officials said. The roughly 5-mile Yellow Line runs from the Dempster-Skokie Station in Skokie to the Howard Station in northern Chicago. During the service outage, CTA ran shuttle buses along this route.
http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/CTAs-Yellow-Line-set-to-reopen--46172 “Lipinski: Army Corps Relinquishes Deed for Lucas-Berg Site in Worth; Community No Longer Faces Threat of Cal-Sag Dumping,” Patch (IL), Office of Congressman Lipinski
Full article text: After many years of hard work, Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) has announced that the final step has been taken to protect the Lucas-Berg Preserve in the Village of Worth from becoming a dumping site for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Last year, Lipinski inserted language into the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) which stopped the Army Corps from dumping dredged materials from the Cal-Sag Channel into the 78-acre property. That led to today’s announcement that the site has officially been transferred from the Army Corps to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
“This is a big victory for the community of Worth and the surrounding area,” said Rep. Lipinski. “For many years it has been a priority of mine to remove Lucas-Berg as the Army Corps’ designated site for dumping dredged materials from the Cal-Sag. It was a difficult road to get this done, but it is important for me to do all I can to work with local residents and protect communities in the Third District.”
Moving forward, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District will determine what happens with the property.
http://patch.com/illinois/palos/lipinski-army-corps-relinquishes-deed-lucas-berg-site-worth-community-no-longer-faces-threat-cal-sag
https://lipinski.house.gov/press-releases/lipinski-army-corps-relinquishes-deed-for-lucasberg-site-in-worth-community-no-longer-faces-threat-of-calsag-dumping/ "WERF Awards Purdue University with Contract for
UV Disinfection Study," Water
World
Full article text: The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) recently announced that it has awarded Purdue University with a contract to develop advanced design and validation protocols for ultraviolet (UV) disinfection.
The goal of this research, titled “Design and Validation Protocol for UV Disinfection Systems Used in Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Applications,” (ENER16C15) is to improve the predictive capabilities of reactor design to properly size units and quantify power requirements.
The benefits of this research will result in the optimization of UV reactors to meet disinfection objectives for municipal wastewater and wastewater reuse applications. Further, organizations that are implementing new or updating existing UV disinfection systems may experience capital and operating and maintenance cost savings.
Collaborators on this research include ATG UV Technology, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York State Energy and Research Development, and Trinity River Authority of Texas.
WERF is organizing a larger fundraising effort with the hopes of engaging other partners to expand the scope of work for this project.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/10/werf-awards-contract-to-purdue-university-for-uv-disinfection-study.html
"Wastewater Treatment Innovators Focused on Zero," Used to Useful
Full article text: Wastewater treatment is critical to the health and environmental sustainability of our society. By treating wastewater, precious water resources can be reclaimed for reuse or safely discharged back to the environment. For some, wastewater treatment is a costly burden. But others are now seeing wastewater treatment as an opportunity. By looking at the wastewater treatment process holistically, innovative organizations and communities are creating new ways to fully leverage the resources found in wastewater. Let’s take a look at few examples that are changing how the U.S. thinks about wastewater treatment.
Chicago is retiring the word “waste”
David St. Pierre, executive director of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago says, “Chicago is adopting the view that all resources are valuable and should be reused. We are trying to create a paradigm where the word ‘waste’ is retired from the common vocabulary as the city moves toward a ‘zero waste’ model.”
The Chicago MWRD is also looking to recover nutrients from wastewater, including phosphorus at one of its plants.
Read more about Chicago’s innovative wastewater treatment strategies here.
Converting biogas to energy
By nearly doubling its biogas production since 2012, Gresham, Ore. is one of just a few
wastewater treatment plants in the U.S. to achieve energy neutrality.
Gresham reached this milestone when the facility started receiving wastewater filled with fats, oils and grease (FOG) from Portland-area restaurants and food service establishments in 2012. This biogas from anaerobic digestion is fed into two engines that convert it to heat and electricity, which is then used at the plant. Excess electricity is sent back to Portland General Electric for use with other customers.
Read more about Gresham’s energy neutral status here.
Another community exploring the use of biogas is the City of Riverside, California, which is installing a 1.4-mW combined heat and power (CHP) Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plant at the Riverside Regional Water Quality Control Plant.
Expected to be fully operational in 2016, the Riverside plant will convert biogas from the wastewater treatment process into a continuous supply of electricity to power the facility and two electric vehicle-charging stations. The plant will also capture thermal heat during the process for use in the treatment plant.
You can learn more about Riverside, CA leveraging biogas to produce electricity
here.
Beneficial byproducts of the treatment process
Treating 370 million gallons of sewage every day, DC Water has the world’s
largest thermal hydrolysis advanced anaerobic digestion facility and is
producing renewable energy from the solids produced in biological wastewater
treatment.
The carbon-, nitrogen-, and phosphorus-rich solids generated by the treatment
process are blended with sawdust and bark to create a product similar to
topsoil. DC Water currently donates the "compost" to sister agencies of the
district and non-profit agencies and has plans to commercialize the product
locally.
DC Water has built a two-pronged strategy to combat potential price hikes.
The first component of its strategy is to leverage its advanced anaerobic
digestion project to produce more of its own power. Secondly, DC Water is hoping
to build a revenue stream from its "compost" program in the local market.
Read
more about DC Water’s program that converts biosolids for beneficial reuse here.
Biological treatment of wastewater has been practiced for over 100 years. As
water utilities try to manage and lower costs, many are evaluating new and
innovative technologies to build energy neutral facilities and change from
wastewater treatment to resource recovery centers.
http://usedtouseful.com/post/129725876615/wastewater-treatment-innovators-focused-on-zero
"4 Studies to Investigate Recovery of Valuable Resources from Wastewater," Water Tech Online
Full article text: Four new studies announced last week by scientific
research organization the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) will
investigate how we can recover more valuable resources from wastewater during
the treatment cycle, according to a press release.
In the first project, Bucknell University will conduct a feasibility study on
the recovery of plasmids and rare earth elements from wastewater, noted the
release. It will also help define the standards and specifications needed for
water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) to produce these commodities.
The
second project aims to significantly expand the use of biosolids by defining the
standards and specifications needed for WRRFs to cost-effectively produce and
more successfully market high-quality, safe and stable biosolids, stated the
release. The research team, led by environmental consulting firm Material
Matters Inc., will develop a guidance tool for identifying and assessing markets
for high-quality biosolids. WERF is also expanding the research further afield
by partnering with water utilities affiliated with the Water Services
Association of Australia and Water New Zealand. The Pima County Regional
Wastewater Reclamation Department will undertake the third project, establishing
the feasibility of using residual gas (primarily CO2) following methane recovery
to control struvite formation in WRRFs, reported the release. Researchers will
also develop a protocol for implementation of similar struvite control methods
at other WRRFs. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
and CH2M will collaborate with WERF on this study. The final project aims to
support municipalities seeking cost-effective and sustainable biosolids
treatments for Class A designation, shared the release. The work, carried out by
Michigan Technological University, complements another ongoing WERF project by
measuring and standardizing methods to predict pathogen reduction. Additionally,
WERF has partnered with equipment manufacturer Lystek International Inc. to
support this research. WERF also said in the release it is organizing a larger
fundraising effort with the aim of engaging other partners to expand the scope
of work for the last two projects.
http://www.watertechonline.com/4-studies-to-investigate-recovery-of-valuable-resources-from-wastewater/
"Wilmette Receives $130K Grant for Green Alley Construction," Wilmette Beacon (IL)
The alley off Forest Avenue between 12th and 13th streets is one of four alleys in Wilmette being reconstructed as green alleys.
Summary: Wilmette received $130,000 in funding from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to partially fund the Village’s construction of green alleys in four locations.
http://www.wilmettebeacon.com/village/wilmette-receives-130k-grant-green-alley-construction
"Value of Water Campaign Imagines Waterless World," Water Online
Full article text: Can you imagine a day without water?
That’s what a group of water utilities is asking the public in a national
campaign aimed at educating ratepayers on the value of water.
Imagine this, the campaign says: "No water to drink or make coffee. No water
to shower, flush the toilet, or do laundry. Firefighters couldn't put out fires
and farmers couldn't water their crops."
Participants include such groups as the American Water Works Association (AWWA),
the Water Environment Federation, American Water, DC Water, North Texas
Municipal Water, Philadelphia Water, Black & Veatch, Veolia, and the Alliance
for Water Efficiency, among dozens of others (the MWRD is one of the partnering agencies). The Albemarle County Service Authority and the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority (RWSA) also participated. They got active in the campaign by hosting local outreach events. They raised awareness “about the importance of local infrastructure, which brings clean water to citizens, and about water conservation. On the free speech wall, people wrote all the things they couldn’t do without water, like take a shower, grow a garden, or make a pot of coffee,” according to Newsplex. Lauren Hildebrand, utilities director in Charlottesville, VA, explained the impetus for the event.
“From a utility’s perspective, we put a lot into our infrastructure to make improvements, to maintain it. I think people take that for granted because they have water every day,” Hildebrand said. “It’s an essential resource that we need to appreciate more.”
Tom Frederick, the RWSA executive director, spoke from an environmental perspective.
“The water that we treat and comes out of our pipes comes from rivers. When we take water out of our rivers, organisms in our environment lose access to that. We need to be cognizant of that. We need to recognize that to be good stewards of our own environment, we need to take the water that we need for our own wellbeing, but don't waste that,” he said, per the report.
The value of water is of pivotal importance to the water industry. In 2014, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) ranked value-of-water issues among the top concerns of water professionals. Numbers four and five on AWWA’s list, respectively, were “public understanding of the value of water resources” and “public understanding of the value of water systems and services.”
http://www.wateronline.com/doc/value-of-water-campaign-imagines-waterless-world-0001
"Historical Society Program to Cover Deep Tunnel Project," NW Indiana Times
Full article text: Carrie Steinweg, Times Columnist—As a young girl I can recall countless car rides where we’d head over the Thornton Quarry via Interstate 80 and peek out the windows into that big, deep hole. My sister-in-law Cory was convinced they named it after her. Every time we’d drive by I was mesmerized and wondered what went on there. This year I had three opportunities to head down into the quarry, inside both the north and south lobes of the quarry as well as inside the deep tunnel. Not many can say saw all three, and no one will be able to going forward, because the deep tunnel system has now gone live and the north lobe of the quarry will now serve as a reservoir for the Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The first of the the tours was with the Thornton Historical Society, as tour buses brought visitors down into the south lobe to pick up a few souvenirs—rocks with a variety of underwater fossils visible on them. The second trip was into the north lobe, where the MWRD took groups by bus for a last look before the Deep Tunnel Project went live. On the third trip I was lucky enough to go down with a media group into the tunnel as the final work was being done, led by senior civil engineer Adel Awad, who spoke of the project with great passion, comparing the completion to raising a child—something that requires much patience, but that gives such a sense of satisfaction and pride. Learn more about the Thornton Reservoir and the Deep Tunnel Project at the next meeting of the Lansing Historical Society, at 6 p.m. Monday in the community room at the Lansing Public Library. Mary Carroll, community education specialist with the MWRD will feature the history of the MWRD, which began as the Sanitary District of Chicago. Guests will get an overview of how the waterways were pristine until the rivers became a dumping ground. Because these rivers flowed into Lake Michigan, drinking water became polluted and caused waterborne disease epidemics. Carroll will explain what the MWRD did to improve water quality then and now.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/historical-society-program-to-cover-deep-tunnel-project/article_6ae40320-b9a3-5047-8a3b-a8212b064220.html
“WERF Awards Contracts for Projects on Recovering Valuable Wastewater Resources,” WaterWorld
Full article text: The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) recently announced that it has awarded four new contracts to further expand the capabilities of recovering valuable resources from wastewater in the treatment cycle.
In the first project, “Plasmids and Rare Earth Elements from Wastewater” (NTRY8R15), Bucknell University will conduct a feasibility study on the recovery of plasmids and rare earth elements from wastewater and help define the standards and specifications needed for water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) to produce these commodities.
The second project, “High Quality Biosolids from Wastewater” (NTRY7R15), will significantly expand biosolids use by defining the standards and specifications needed for WRRFs to cost-effectively produce and more successfully market high-quality, safe, and stable biosolids.
The research team, led by Material Matters, Inc., will develop a guidance tool for identifying and assessing markets for high-quality biosolids based on case studies of successful programs and eventually test the guidance in the Washington, D.C. area. WERF is also partnering with a number of water utilities affiliated with the Water Services Association of Australia and Water New Zealand to further expand this research to include Australia and New Zealand.
The third study, “Sustainable Struvite Control Using Residual Gas from Digester Gas Cleaning Process” (NTRY9T15), was awarded to the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department. The purpose of this research is to establish the feasibility of using residual gas (primarily CO2) following methane recovery to control struvite formation in WRRFs.
The project team will also develop a protocol for implementation of similar struvite control methods at other WRRFs. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and CH2M are also collaborating with WERF on this research.
The fourth project awarded to Michigan Technological University has the potential to support
municipalities seeking cost-effective and sustainable biosolids treatments for Class A
designation.
This project, “High-Tech Analysis of Low-Tech Methods for Sustainable Class A Biosolids
Production” (NTRY11T15), will complement another ongoing WERF project evaluating “Next
Generation Tools for Assessing Death and Decay of Critical Wastewater Bacteria” (U1R12) by
measuring and standardizing methods to predict pathogen reduction. Additionally, WERF has
partnered with equipment manufacturer Lystek International Inc. to support this research.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/10/werf-awards-contracts-for-new-projects-on-recovering-valuable-resources-from-wastewater.html
Fall 2015_FCR Newsletter_Calumet WRP Disinfection.pdf
“Thornton Reservoir Complete,” Friends of the Chicago River (IL)
Fall 2015_FCR Newsletter_TARP Thornton.pdf
"Water Alliance Reveals Superb Innovations at WEFTEC Chicago," Magazine of the Water Alliance
Full article text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago received a delegation of Dutch water technology experts on Thursday
morning (Oct. 1), including members of the NWP, Water Alliance and Brightwork. The meeting had been arranged by
the Netherlands Consulate General in Chicago.
http://wateralliance.nl/en/water-alliance-reveals-superb-innovations-at-weftec-chicago/
"Chicago Area MetWater’s Independence Highlighted," Bond Buyer Magazine
Full article text: Moody’s says there’s good reason why the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s credit is faring better than others with Chicago or Cook County.
CHICAGO – The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s strong financials and independent governance are key strengths that have staved off the credit hits suffered by Chicago and other local governments, says Moody’s Investors Service.
Like Chicago and its sister agencies, the district is saddled with a substantial pension burden but its underlying strengths and its success in adopting reforms have kept its rating in high-grade territory. Moody’s rates the district Aa2. “The district has a strong financial profile and an independent governance structure,” Moody’s said in the Oct. 16 report. “The district exhibits a healthy financial profile characterized by ample reserve levels and prudent management. The district also benefits from an independent governance structure that gives management control over district operations without political interference.
”
The district, governed by an elected board with nine members throughout Cook County, adopted pension reforms several years ago which put the funds on a more stable path “without sacrificing financial stability,” Moody’s said. Moody’s said the district’s adjusted net pension liability, a calculation Moody’s uses to assess the health of a government’s pension system, is $2.1 billion and represents a 3.1 multiple of operating fund revenues. The district’s pension changes raised employee and employer contributions but did not cut benefits to reduce liabilities over the next 35 years. Moves by Chicago, the Chicago Park District, and the state to trim benefits have been challenged.
The Illinois Supreme Court voided state reforms in May and will consider city reforms next month. The district still could face a challenge over the higher employee contributions and the legal outcome is unclear. “Clearly, a reversion to the lower contributions levels in place prior to MWRD's reforms would exacerbate the district's pension challenges in the long-term and place downward pressure on the rating,” Moody’s warned. The pension obligations remain a substantial strain for the district due to the “substantial debt and pension obligations of overlapping local governments” which strain the shared tax base.
“Increased leverage due largely to growing pension needs may place practical limitations on the district's revenue raising ability and or political willingness,” Moody’s warned. “However, the district's independent governance structure reduces the risk that financial pressures experienced by overlapping units of government will directly impact the district financial profile.”
MWRD closed fiscal 2014 with operating fund reserves of $357 million, or a strong 54% of operating fund revenues. In fiscal 2014, 84% of operating fund revenues came from property taxes, with a more modest 11% coming from charges for services. While Moody’s heaped praise on the district’s overall financial profile, the district has not gone unpunished by Moody’s for the weight posed by pension burdens on the shared tax base.
Moody’s dropped the rating one notch earlier this year, an action that followed Moody's move to strip Chicago and its public school system of their investment grade ratings and its lowering of Cook County one notch to A2. It stripped the district of its top credit marks in 2013. The district’s nearly $3 billion of general obligation debt carries top marks from Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor's. Moody’s was not asked the district’s last sale. The 125-year-old district has a $2.3 billion capital program. It serves five million residents from 125 communities, treating 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater daily.15 1020_Bond Buyer_MWRD Pension Fund
“Winnetka Board: No Rise in Property Taxes in 2016,” Chicago Tribune (IL)
Summary: Winnetka residents likely will not see any increase in their property taxes in 2016,
according to village officials. At a Nov. 17 village council meeting, the board
discussed the upcoming budget, which will be formally approved at the next
village council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Timothy Sloth, finance director for
the village, said the 2016 budget totals at $66.27 million, with an operating
budget of 55.6 million, a slight decrease in operations from 2015. 2016 will
bring in a 2 percent increase in water and electric rates and a 5 percent
increase in sanitation fees. Sloth also said the budget is based on ongoing
revenues and expenditures and should prove dependable.
“Winnetka Village Manager Robert Bahan said village officials worked to manage
potential fallout from state budgetary issues. He said the village hopes to
continue with initiatives addressing infrastructure and economic development.
“This is
a very important planning year,” he said. “This allows us to continue with
stormwater management and downtown revitalization.”
Winnetka
Village Engineer Steve Saunders gave an update on stormwater management projects
at the meeting. Saunders said watershed area and drainage improvements in
northwest Winnetka are almost complete. All that remains, he said, are some
landscaping improvements in the Forest Glen area.
“We
should be able to wrap that up before the end of the calendar year,” he said.
Saunders
also said the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District has reimbursed $1 million
and is expected to reimburse an additional $1 million for Winnetka's stormwater
management projects.
Saunders
also gave an update on the study that Strand Associates is conducting on
westward-routing stormwater solutions. He said Strand has been looking at
previous reports and models. Because much of the land in western Winnetka is not
village-owned, Saunders said meeting with key stakeholders is crucial before any
potential projects would start.
“A key
early task is to re-engage with the forest preserve, the park district and the
two school districts,” he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/winnetka/news/ct-wtk-village-council-meeting-tl-1126-20151123-story.html
"Skokie, CTA offer free parking, special ceremony for Yellow Line’s return," Chicago Tribune (IL)
CTA officials confirmed in May 2015 that Skokie’s Yellow Line had to be suspended because of the collapse of an embankment supporting the tracks near McCormick Boulevard north of Howard Street and south of Oakton Street. Since rail service has been suspended, passengers have been able to take shuttle buses or ride the No. 97 Skokie bus. Work is set to finish in October.
Full article text: When the CTA’s Yellow Line train service resumes Oct. 30, riders who get on at the Dempster Street Skokie Swift station will not have to worry about parking fees—at least not for awhile. Providing free parking at the Dempster station for the rest of the year is one of the “significant outreach efforts” to be undertaken by the village and the CTA to induce riders back to the Yellow Line, both parties say. A ceremonial first ride with dignitaries Oct. 30 and free Yellow Line rides for a week following the return of service are also being planned, according to the CTA.
The Yellow Line went down in May due to an embankment collapse, causing inconvenience all summer long to riders who use the train. Many riders have said that the shuttle buses added significant time to their commutes. Some downtown Skokie retailers reported noticeable decline in business while others said they were not impacted.
“We appreciate the continued community support for the numerous businesses near the Yellow Line stations that rely on commuters as customers, and we hope that ridership will quickly return to the levels attained before the unfortunate service interruption,” Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen said last week in a prepared statement.
Van Dusen thanked the community for its patience throughout nearly six months of the Yellow Line being down.
“The village monitored the CTA and MWRD's handling of this system failure and we are reassured that our concern for local riders was heard,” he said.
A ceremonial first ride—or at least a first return ride—has been scheduled for the morning of Oct. 30 at the Yellow Line downtown Skokie station on Oakton Street. Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen and CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. will be joined by officials of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District for the ride on a historic train, the CTA announced. The vintage 2400-series rail cars will roll in celebration of the Yellow Line’s return. A CTA spokesman also said that two of the CTA’s newest 5000-series rail cars—the last to be delivered from an order of 714 cars as part of the CTA’s ongoing modernization of its rail fleet—will also be in service.
CTA Spokesman Jeff Tolman said that the time of the Oct. 30 first ride and
more details about the Yellow Line free rides for a week will be forthcoming.
Following suspension of the Yellow Line in May, the village began providing
parking at the Dempster station for free while shuttle buses took the place of
trains. That free parking will last until 2016, the CTA announced. Even though
service doesn’t officially begin again until Oct. 30, community members may see
and hear Yellow Line trains traveling on Skokie tracks before then. Until Oct.
30, the CTA said, it will be conducting track maintenance, inspection and
testing—including running test trains.
"The Yellow Line is a significant part of our transit system and the village
of Skokie in linking residents from the north suburbs to Chicago quickly and
efficiently," Tolman said.
The CTA, he said, is taking great efforts to let people know about the
reopening including customer fliers, signs at stations and key bus stops, social
media, customer audio alerts, messages on the CTA’s digital information screen
system, door-to-door outreach with Skokie and a countdown clock that will go up
on the CTA website.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-yellow-line-plans-tl-1029-20151020-story.html
"Finished Water," OpFlow
November 2015_OpFlow_Calumet WRP.pdf
“Yellow Line CTA Service Set to Return October 30,” Time Out
Full article text: After being shut down for more than five months, CTA Yellow Line service is set
to return on October 30, which should bring a smile to the face of anyone who regularly commutes to and from Skokie. Rail service on the line was suspended in May after an embankment collapsed beneath the tracks as a result of construction on Metropolitan Water Reclamation District property. The CTA has provided free shuttle buses between the two Yellow Line stations and Howard while construction crews worked on fixing the issue, but that alternative hasn’t been ideal for riders who have grown dependent on quick rides between Skokie and Chicago. The reopening of the “Skokie Swift” should give Chicagoans a good excuse to check out the Northwest suburb, which has a lot more to offer than some neighboring towns. Northlight Theatre has a consistent lineup of great productions, and with options like Aw Yeah comics and Kaufman’s Bagel and Delicatessen, the town’s shopping and food scene is nothing to scoff at. In any case, CTA riders will once again be able to commute out to Skokie without worrying about their train falling into a giant hole.
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/blog/yellow-line-cta-service-set-to-return-october-30-101915
"Chicago to Lockport: Riding the Disputed Waters," Sun Times (IL)
Summary: During an annual boat ride explored the CAWS and Chicago lakefront,
riders were impressed with the dozens of great blue herons they saw on the
Cal-Sag and barge traffic around Lemont.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/outdoors/7/71/1026686/chicago-lockport-riding-disputed-waters
“Greener and Cleaner: MWRD Aims for Better Service, Lower Costs,” Desplaines Valley News (IL)
Full article text: When people in the Chicago area flush their toilets and don’t worry or even think about what happens next, Brett Garelli and Joe Cummings take it as a compliment.
Both are veteran leaders at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s filtration plant at Stickney, an international marvel when it was built in 1939 and still considered
by most measures the world’s largest conventional wastewater
treatment—drawing visitors every year from around the world to study MWRD
methods. Like many MWRD employees, the two men have made careers out of
wastewater treatment. Garelli, the plant manager, has worked for the district
for 29 years; Cummings, the assistant operations manager, for 17.
"When you
flush your toilet, for example, that goes into your local sewer system, which
then connects to a district interceptor system, which in turn connect to this
plant—and this is the largest of seven plants owned by the district," Cummings
explained on a recent tour of the plant, located at Pershing Road and Austin
Avenue.
"The wastewater is put through a series of physical and biological
processes," he continued. "It is screened (put through huge strainers to remove
the largest chunks of debris), and then the sewage is pumped up high, so that
throughout the rest of the treatment process, everything flows downward with the
help of gravity."
The sewage is then fed into then aerated grit tanks, where
rocks, pebbles and other things settle at the bottom and are removed to a
landfill. Next the sewage goes into a primary tank, where biosolids settle to
bottom and then are further processed. Fats oils and greases are skimmed off the
top and go into a landfill. After those initial physical filtration steps, the
biological process begins. Bacteria are added to basically eat much of the
remaining sludge, and what remains is fed to final tanks, where remaining
organic matter settles to the bottom. From there, centrifuges and other devices
are used to spin matter into bio-solids cake that is used as fertilizer.
Throughout, the idea is to purify the water as much as possible. While the
remaining water (or effluent) is not even close to being drinkable, it is
sufficiently safe to release back into local waterways, where nature continues
the filtration process.
MWRD Board of Commissioners President Mariyana T.
Spyropoulos, first appointed to fill a vacancy by then-Gov. Pat Quinn and then
elected by voters in 2010, said she enjoys her leadership role at an agency with
such an important mission. "We’re doing good work every day," she said. "What’s
more, we’re moving in an environmentally sound direction with more
sustainability."
She noted that the district is always looking for new revenue
streams, such as selling its biosolids on the open market, establishing a
partnership with a private company that is removing phosphorous from wastewater,
and even possibly selling its effluent to agencies that can use non-drinkable
water.
"You don’t need potable water to water a golf course," she said, citing
just one example of creative thinking designed to deliver better public service
at a lower cost to taxpayers. Most visitors are impressed with the process, MWRD
officials say, but all are wowed by the volume the Stickney plant handles.
"On
an average day, we treat about 600 million gallons of wastewater, up to 1.4
billion gallons on peak days," Cummings noted.
The district serves an area of
883 square miles, which includes the Chicago and 125 suburbs. It serves more
than 5 million people, and the district’s 554 miles of intercepting sewers and
force mains range in size from 12 inches to 27 feet in diameter. They are fed by
approximately 10,000 local sewer system connections.
There are at least a few
multi-generational stories at the Stickney plant, and Garelli’s is one.
"My dad
worked at this plant," said Garelli, who grew up in Lombard. "He had some great
stories, like how they burned coal here and generated their own electricity.
"I’ll say this," he added. "It’s great to work here. It’s a good place, a good
work culture here.
There aren’t many places left like this."
He said he’d like
his children pursue careers in science, as he did, and work at the MWRD.
Cummings’ son is not yet at that crossroads.
"He’s just 6 years old," Cummings
smiled "If you ask him what happens to the water when you wash your hands or
flush your toilet, he’ll say, ‘It goes to Poppy’s work.’ He’s too young to know
exactly what I do here, but at home he sees me sweeping leaves off the sewer
grate in the street. I think he thinks that’s what I do all day at work," he
added with a smile.
http://desplainesvalleynews.com/greener-and-cleaner-mwrd-aims-for-better-service-lower-costs-p2630-90.htm
"Five Months after Track Washout, Yellow Line to Reopen Oct. 30," CBS Local, Chicago Tribune, ABC 7 Chicago,
Fox 32 News, Chicago Now (IL)
A construction accident caused the ground to erode under the CTA Yellow Line
tracks under the McCormick Boulevard viaduct. Service is set to resume at the
end of October.
Full article text: It’s finally official. The CTA has a Halloween treat for its long-suffering Yellow Line riders. Service on the Yellow Line returns to Skokie Oct. 30. The CTA said it will aggressively market the Yellow Line, also known as the Skokie Swift, to try to entice riders back, beginning with free parking at the Dempster/Skokie terminal through the end of the year. The first train will feature the CTA’s two newest ‘L’ cars, the last of more than 700 delivered since 2011. Dignitaries will ride the CTA’s “historic” 2400-series cars for an official reopening ceremony later that morning. More than half of the line’s 2,900 daily riders have abandoned the free, but slower, replacement buses since the May 17 collapse that forced reconstruction of 1,200 feet of track on a high fill.
“Restoring the Yellow Lie service as quickly as possible has remained our top priority while maintaining the safety of our riders,” said CTA President Dorval Carter. Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen issued a statement thanking riders for their patience.
Between now and Oct. 30, the rebuilt embankment will be tested by trains simulating full loads to make sure it will stay put. The CTA is asking the public to stay off the tracks and stay alert during the testing period, and once revenue service resumes. Walsh Construction Co., under contract to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, was constructing a disinfection plant immediately adjacent to the high fill, immediately to the west of the 90-year-old Yellow Line bridge over the Sanitary and Ship Canal and McCormick Boulevard. Walsh and MWRD, not CTA riders, are shouldering the reconstruction cost. The bridge was not damaged in the collapse.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/10/16/five-months-after-track-washout-yellow-line-to-reopen-oct-30/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-cta-yellow-line-resuming-met-1017-20151016-story.html
http://abc7chicago.com/travel/cta-yellow-line-to-resume-service-oct-30/1037101/
http://www.fox32chicago.com/traffic/34144660-story
http://www.chicagonow.com/cta-tattler/2015/10/good-cta-news-yellow-line-to-open-oct-30-blue-line-kimball-tunnel-gets-4g-wireless-service/
"The Next State of Treatment: Water Resource Recovery," Water Online
David St. Pierre takes "waste" out of the term "wastewater," leading by
example as executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago (MWRD). Here he shares MWRD’s initiatives and his vision of the
future.
Full article text: St. Pierre, in this exclusive Water Online Radio interview, was asked to describe the transition from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to water resource recovery facility (WWRF). The following is a small portion of his commentary, which can be heard in full below. “For years and years, we’ve always thought about utilities as taking in water, cleaning that water, protecting the environment. But this seed is going to grow into something that I don’t think any of us [can] imagine right now. As that door cracks open and begins to permeate a little bit of light into the utility world, it’s going to bust open and absolutely change the environment that we’re in today…
“Resource recovery is going to be at the forefront of what we do. We’re starting out with these [resource recovery projects] that we’ve dabbled in for years—energy, we’ve had digesters. We’re accelerating that and we’re taking in food organics now, and we’re producing more energy. We have biosolids products that we’ve produced for years. That’s a part of it. We’re putting in the largest phosphorus recovery facility in the world in Chicago … but that’s scratching the surface. We’re looking at an algae process that can actually clean water and provide revenue far beyond what we take in, in terms of our user rates. That’s what’s transformational about this thought and this idea. We haven’t really explored the value of the water that we are
keepers of. Just that possibility … that little shift in thinking is going to
explode this industry."
http://www.wateronline.com/doc/the-next-stage-of-treatment-water-resource-recovery-0001
“Quigley, Durbin Hear from Victims of Flooding,” News from U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (IL)
Full article text: Thursday, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met at the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) with Chicago residents whose homes or businesses have flooded as a result of urban flooding and discussed their
bicameral Urban Flooding Awareness Act. Their legislation is designed to address increased flowing in urban communities and to find solutions for the urban communities impacted.
“It is clear from the stories Senator Durbin and I heard today that urban flooding is impacting homeowners and businesses across the Chicago region,” said Rep. Quigley. “As we experience more severe storms, this problem will only continue to grow. We need real information to understand the pervasiveness of urban flooding so we can find solutions not just in Chicago, but across the country. I appreciate all of the work being done at CNT, by MWRD, and at IDNR to help address urban flooding. Moving forward, I will continue to work with Senator Durbin and my colleagues in D.C. to bring greater attention to this issue, and do all we can to move the Urban Flooding Awareness Act forward in Congress.”
“For many homes in urban areas, just a few inches of rain can cause thousands of dollars in damages,” said Senator Durbin. “The truth of the matter is, we don’t have very much data on frequency, severity, or how we might better prepare for the kind of weather than turns into flooded streets, businesses and homes. The legislation Representative Quigley and I introduced earlier this year will remedy that by helping experts understand the scope of the problem and develop solutions. With the frequency and severity of storms growing year by year, we need to gain a better understanding of flooding in our cities.”
“The implications of the research for disaster preparedness across the nation are enormous,” said Kathryn Tholin, CEO of the non-profit CNT. “We have for decades been spending billions of taxpayer dollars to solve only one part of the flood damage problem. With this new information, we can invest our resources in a way that protects a much larger group of flood victims.”
Along with those who have been affected by urban flooding, the discussion was attended by Kathryn Tholin, CEO of the Center for Neighborhood Technology; Mick Cosme and Joe Kratzer, Storm Water Managers for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD); and Brian Eber, Northeast Illinois Floodplain Program Coordinator for Illinois Department of Natural Resources
(IDNR).
Kathryn Tholin of CNT, Senator Durbin and Rep. Quigley (from right to left)
listen to firsthand accounts of urban flooding from Chicago residents and small
business owners.
Rep. Quigley and Sen. Durbin’s bill creates, for the first time, a federal definition of urban flooding and requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with related Federal agencies, to conduct a nationwide study of urban flooding and flood
damage. The goal is to analyze existing storm water management programs and craft policies and strategies to encourage the design and use of the best possible flood prevention practices, with a focus on rapid, low-cost approaches. This study would be the first of its kind to comprehensively analyze both individual and societal costs associated with urban flooding across the country.
Most coastal and riverine communities are clearly defined and included in flood maps. However, many urban communities experience severe, repeated and increasing damage from flooding unrelated to any surface body of water. Current federal flood management programs do not directly address this type of flooding and its consequences. Just a few inches of rain can cause thousands of dollars in damage for both home and small business owners. Around 20-25 percent of all economic losses resulting from flooding occur in areas not designated as being in a “floodplain,” but as a consequence of urban drainage,” according to FEMA. A recent study of urban flooding in Illinois by the State Department of Natural Resources found that more than 92 percent of the flood damage claims reviewed were outside any floodplain, wet basements from flooding events are cited among the top reasons for not purchasing a home, and industry experts estimate flooding can lower property values by 10-25 percent. Further, nearly 40 percent of small businesses do not reopen following a disaster according to FEMA.<br>
The Urban Flooding Awareness Act has been endorsed by the National Association of Realtors and the Association of State Floodplain Managers.
With portions of Illinois’ 5th Congressional District devastated by flooding three times in the past seven years, Rep. Quigley has been an outspoken advocate for the completion of flood control measures such as the McCook and Thornton Reservoirs. He has also actively called for revising the process of awarding federal aid to disaster-afflicted communities. In 2013, Rep. Quigley and Sen. Durbin secured $29 million in federal grants to help the Chicagoland area and the state of Illinois recover from spring flooding.
http://quigley.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/quigley-durbin-hear-from-victims-of-urban-flooding
"Wadsworth School’s Asphalt will Become Gardens with City Funding Approved," DNA Info (IL)
Wadsworth Elementary School’s playlot will get an upgrade after the City Council
approved money toward $1.5 million in improvements.
Full article text: Wadsworth Elementary School’s asphalt schoolyard will be replaced with a garden and play areas.
The City Council on Wednesday approved $500,000 in TIF funding toward the $1.5 million project between the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and the Chicago Department of Water Management. The project will convert the paved lot at 6650 S. Ellis Ave. into a new multifunctional space. Above ground, the space will feature outdoor classroom, garden and play areas. Below ground, the city will install a system to better handle stormwater, which now drains off the asphalt and into the sewers. The project is part of the Space to Grow program, a city partnership with the Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands.
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151016/woodlawn/wadsworth-schools-asphalt-will-become-gardens-with-city-funding-approved
"Chicago Water District Trials New Energy Efficient Aeration System," Water/Waste Processing
Full article text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago is testing new aeration technology from GE that the company claims is
four times more energy efficient than existing aeration systems. GE’s ZeeLung
Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) is a gas-transfer membrane that
transfers oxygen by diffusion to a biofilm that grows on the outside surface of
the membrane. Microorganisms in the biofilm remove nutrients and organics in the
wastewater by metabolizing them in the presence of oxygen. According to GE, this
results in a four times reduction in energy compared to conventional fine bubble
aeration systems in use today. Aeration for biological treatment is a highly
energy intensive process, typically representing 60 percent of a wastewater
treatment plant’s power usage. The Chicago water district recently began a
demonstration project at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Ill., to
evaluate ZeeLung’s ability to remove nutrients in the plant’s existing footprint
and reduce the energy required for biological aeration. With more stringent
regulations for phosphorus removal on the horizon, the district is planning to
implement biological phosphorus removal in its existing bioreactors, without the
need for chemicals. Modeling also suggests that ZeeLung has the potential to
help improve the facility’s performance under stressed conditions such as very
cold temperatures. What’s more, the new technology may use 40 percent less
energy than the existing fine bubble aeration system.
"The energy costs for the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant are $5 million per
year. Our aspiration is to become energy neutral by increasing our energy
production while decreasing energy consumption. GE’s ZeeLung has the potential
to help us achieve this goal," said Mariyana Spyropoulos, president of the water
district’s Board of Commissioners.
"The demonstration of GE’s new ZeeLung MABR may be an innovative way to meet
the future regulation for phosphorous removal within the existing footprint
while also decreasing the energy demand of the plant.”
http://www.waterwaste.com/chicago-water-district-trials-new-energy-efficient-aeration-system/
"CTA Calls Yellow Line Reopening ‘Very Close,’" Chicago Tribune (IL)
Construction continues to repair the CTA Yellow Line just south of Oakton Street
and west of McCormick Boulevard in Skokie after erosion of an embankment damaged
the tracks. Repairs are expected to be finished in October.
Summary: CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. said Wednesday that the Yellow Line is still expected to reopen this month, although he declined to set a date. The line was shut down in mid-May due to an embankment collapse in Skokie caused by construction at a wastewater treatment plant operated by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. “I think we are going to be very close to an opening date,” Carter told reporters after the monthly CTA board meeting. The water district has not yet turned over the embankment to the CTA, Carter said. The district’s construction contractor, Walsh Construction, will rebuild damaged tracks. After that work is completed, the CTA needs three or four days to test signals and run test trains before restoring passenger service, Carter said.
Outside the rail station, wider bus lanes and bays will also be installed, as well as wider sidewalks and waiting areas in the bus terminal. About 1,000 CTA and Pace buses serve the station on an average weekday. Carter also said that the transit agency will release its proposed 2016 budget soon. He said no fare increases or service cuts are anticipated.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-cta-95th-street-station-contract-20151014-story.html
"New Sustainability Program Offers
Free Rain Barrels," The Daily
Northwestern (IL)
Ald. Brian Miller (9th ) told
The Daily that the city’s new sustainability program
offering free rain barrels to residents would help conserve the water that the
city treats at its plant. City Council approved the program at Monday’s meeting.
Full article text: Aldermen approved Monday a new sustainability program that makes available free rain barrels for residents to collect and reuse rainwater. The initiative, organized with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, distributes free 55-gallon barrels to Evanston residents to conserve water, reduce flooding and decrease rainwater overflow in sewage systems. The captured water is commonly used to water yards, plants and gardens. Ald. Brian Miller (9th) said while many Evanston residents already use rain barrels in their yards, the new program is likely to increase the use of barrels, saving the city more water. When residents use rainwater to water their lawns or wash their cars, they cut out the step of treating the water and conserve resources from the city’s water plant, Miller said.
“It’s a really great program for folks who like to think about reusing things,” said Kumar Jensen, an Evanston sustainability fellow. “It’s a great opportunity, and it’s a low-tech solution for re-using water.”
By encouraging residents to capture rainwater on their properties and to use it for other purposes, the city will also see a decrease in the amount of storm water overflow, Jensen said. Many areas of Evanston use combined sewage overflow systems, which collect and transport both rainwater and sewage, he said.
“If you have a lot of rain ending up there, it can overflow and you can get raw sewage overflow,” he added.
The program also aims to reduce the spread of pesticides in local soil as the rain barrels collect water before it carries chemicals across the ground. Officials were able to bring the program to the city because the MWRD revised its eligibility requirements, making all towns in Cook County eligible, Jensen said. The MWRD does not charge for participation in the program for the order and delivery of rain barrels. The program is open to residential property owners, but occupants of commercial can purchase rain barrels through the MWRD website. To receive a rain barrel, residents can fill out an application on the city’s website. Once Evanston’s Office of Sustainability reviews the applications, rain barrels and instructions for installation will be delivered to residences. The rain barrels program is a good option for residents looking to live more sustainable lifestyles, Jensen said.
Although Miller said the lawn of his townhouse is too small to warrant applying for a rain barrel, he encourages other residents to consider the program to decrease their individual footprint as well as strengthen the city’s sustainability efforts.
http://dailynorthwestern.com/2015/10/15/city/new-sustainability-program-offers-free-rain-barrels/
"Blair Kamin: Music Barge May Get a Concert Berth After All," Architectural Record
Full article text: A floating music barge designed by a great American
architect will not be used for a waterborne performance during the Chicago
Architecture Biennial, as its owner hoped. But the boat’s owner is planning
concerts in Chicago for next year, and organizations like classical music radio
station WFMT-FM could help. Designed by the late Philadelphia architect Louis
Kahn, the so-called "music boat" opens like a clamshell, providing a
classical-music concert stage for listeners on shore. The low-slung,
double-hulled vessel, whose official name is "Point Counterpoint II," has been
used for performances in the U.S., Europe and the Caribbean. Its Pittsburgh-area owner, Robert Boudreau, conductor of the American Wind
Symphony Orchestra, had the nearly 200-foot-long craft towed this year to
southwest suburban Lemont, 30 miles from the Loop. He sought a performance
during the biennial, the global exhibition of cutting-edge architecture that
opened Saturday and runs through Jan. 3. But he could not find a berth along the
city’s Riverwalk or at Navy Pier because of logistical hurdles. Nonetheless, the
music boat may still have its day in Chicago or one of its suburbs. Boudreau
said in an email Wednesday that he's planning events in Chicago from June 21 to
25 and that he expects to meet in late October with organizations who want to
participate. He credited a Tribune story about the music boat with spurring
interest in a performance. WFMT-FM executives like the idea of holding mobile
classical music concerts along the Chicago River.
"The idea seems very intriguing to me," Steve Robinson, the station’s general
manager, said Thursday. The station would promote a concert by the music boat if
it were broadcasting the event, he said. In addition, the executive director of
the Blue Island Park District, Robert Manthei, is trying to arrange a music boat
concert at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s aeration station in the
south suburb. The station includes parkland and man-made waterfalls along the
Calumet-Sag Channel. Manthei is exploring whether it’s possible to anchor the
craft at the aeration station. He stressed Thursday that the concert would need
approval from government agencies, including the Park District board of
commissioners, the city of Blue Island and the water reclamation district. In an
earlier email, he wrote: "Wouldn’t a musical performance by a symphony on the
music boat for an audience located along the shoreline at the aeration station,
which is a state of the art water-filtration station literally bringing life
back to the waters of the Cal Sag in Blue Island ,....be a great experience for
all?"
http://archrecord.construction.com/yb/ar/article.aspx?story_id=id:O9_9ovbzXVDD2FK5Uzs1NeHyOKiRe-paNdzJ2oxMFETd98We0dOqU3ZcZuAFu7-d
"Garden Club, NU Co-Sponsor Lake Michigan Symposium," Evanston Now (IL)
Shakespeare Garden at Northwestern
Full article text: The Garden Club of Evanston has teamed up with Northwestern University to sponsor a symposium on the challenges, solutions, and opportunities relating to Lake Michigan.
The event, “Making Waves: Our Water, Our Legacy,” will be held Sunday, Nov. 1, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Norris Center, Northwestern, and is free and open to the public. It is one of the club’s Centennial Celebration gifts to the community and celebrates 100 years of helping to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment. The symposium features a three-person expert panel that includes J. David Rankin, vice president of programs at the Great Lakes Protection Fund; Dr. George Wells, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern; and Debra Shore, a longtime environmental advocate serving her second term as Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner. The panel will be moderated by Sue Durburg, representing the Garden Club.
http://evanstonnow.com/story/education/charles-bartling/2015-10-13/72735/garden-club-nu-co-sponsor-lake-michigan-symposium
“Lucas Berg Preserve on Worth’s Wish List,” Chicago Tribune (IL)
Full article text: The Lucas Berg Nature Preserve, on the western edge of Worth,
may become available to the village as a recreational site and for a bit of
development. With the assistance of U.S. Rep. Daniel Lipinski, D-3rd, the
transfer of the land began last month to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Army Corps obtained easement
rights from the MWRD in the mid-1970s and had planned as far back as 30 years
ago to deposit in a lake silt dredged from the nearby Calumet Sag Channel. That
plan was never realized because the need never arose, and now the federal Water
Resource Development Act, thanks to wording pushed by Lipinski, forbids the Army
Corps from dumping the silt in the nature preserve's lake. That means the Army
Corps has no need to use the 78-acre property. The Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District may sell the property, 7600 W. 111th St., and Worth is
eager to acquire it, according to Mayor Mary Werner. She said much of the site
is wetlands, and the village would leave most of it as is, using a sliver along
111th Street for commercial development.
"The MWRD is going to have to sell it. At this point, I don’t know, is it
worth $1 million or $100 million?" Werner said. "We have no way of knowing. What
we’re hoping is that the area that is wetlands, that you can't build on anyway,
we’d like to see that maintained as a nature preserve. But if there is any
opportunity to build, say on 111th Street, that could be good for the village."
She said Worth likely would not be able to acquire the land for at least two
years.
MWRD spokeswoman Allison Fore confirmed that the sanitary district, which
serves Chicago and Cook County, will be exploring options for the property. "If
the MWRD does not need the land for its own corporate use, then the MWRD is
required to sell this land once the Corps re-conveys it to the MWRD," Fore said.
"Once the stormwater issue has been evaluated, the MWRD will make this
decision."
Fore referred to an ongoing plan with Worth in which some stormwater that
collects in the Worth Woods subdivision north of Lucas Berg and west of Harlem
Avenue may be diverted to the wetlands to deter flooding.
Worth Woods "is like a bowl," Werner said. "The water just sits there. We
were lucky to obtain a grant from the MWRD to look at solving the drainage
issue, and there’s a chance Lucas Berg may be used to help relieve this issue."
Asked what the land may be worth, Fore said “the sale price will be determined by fair-market-value appraisals.” As to whether Worth would get first crack at buying the land, she said, “the bids are open to all entities, public and private,” adding that “there is no anticipated sale date at this time.”
Worth Trustee Colleen McElroy said the nature preserve would be a great addition for the village.
“There’s a big lake in the middle of it. It’s really beautiful in there,” she said. Her husband, Mike McElroy, is the life safety officer for the village and its point man on preserving the property. He’s the one who orchestrates the twice-a-year cleanup, all done by volunteers, of the Lucas Berg preserve and sees its future as nature preservation and recreational use.
“There’s a lot of endangered plant species in there. And part of it is wetlands. Acquiring it would be huge for the town,” Mike McElroy said, adding that the lake is fed by an underground spring and used to be the Lucas Quarry about 100 years ago. “Before then, Native Americans fished along Stony Creek there.”
Lipinski said he met last month with representatives of the Army Corps, MWRD and Worth “to discuss the future of the Lucas Berg site.” He was committed to preventing Cal-Sag sediment from being placed there, he said.
“After that became law, the next step was for us to know that the Corps was definitely giving up the Lucas Berg site and transferring it (back) to the MWRD, which is happening,” Lipinski said.
“The lease process takes a bit of time, but the Army Corps has sent a letter to the MWRD saying they are transferring the property back to them.”
Lipinski conceded that “there are still a lot of questions about what to do with the land. It’s not my decision as to what happens now. It really is up to the MWRD and Worth. I do know it may be used to help alleviated some drainage problems in Worth, but we’re just at the start of the discussions.
“There are a lot of people who want to see a nature preserve there ... It’s a wetlands area, so certain rules apply to those. Most of that land would have to be maintained as wetlands. Some say they want it to be developed. I don’t want to get involved in the debate. That’s not my role at the federal level.”
Mike McElroy is determined to keep the land in its natural state, saying “it would be fantastic” to see it used for recreation. Although the property is fenced off and has “no trespassing” signs clearly visible, McElroy said locals have used it for recreational fishing for years.
“There are 30 or 40 holes in that fence that are used by fishermen to get inside. It’s chock full of fish—bass, rock bass, crappie and sunfish,” he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-lucas-berg-st-1004-20151012-story.html
"Chicago Wastewater Plant Aims to Reduce Energy Costs Using GE’s ZeeLung MABR
Technology," Filtration &
Separation
Full article text: As part of its plan to become energy neutral by 2023, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) is evaluating GE’s new ZeeLung Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) technology.
Energy neutrality is the ability to reduce energy consumption while increasing energy production to the point that a facility produces as much or more energy than it consumes. This is increasingly important since water and wastewater treatment typically accounts for 35% of a municipality’s energy budget.
The demonstration project at O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, aims to prove ZeeLung’s ability to remove nutrients in the plant’s existing footprint and reduce the energy required for biological aeration by 40%.
ZeeLung is a gas-transfer membrane, which transfers oxygen by diffusion to a biofilm that grows on the outside surface of the membrane. The microorganisms in the biofilm remove nutrients and organics in the wastewater by metabolising them in the presence of oxygen. The result is a four times reduction in energy compared to conventional fine bubble aeration systems in use today.
Demonstration project
In June 2015, the MWRD and GE commissioned a demonstration of one ZeeLung MABR cassette at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant to prove the concept works. The district will then consider whether to install the technology in the full-scale plant, one of the largest sewage treatment facilities in the United States.
Facing the need to meet more stringent regulations for phosphorus removal in the future, the MWRD was motivated to evaluate ZeeLung as a means to implement biological phosphorus removal in its existing bioreactors and without the need for chemical addition. Modeling has shown that at full scale, ZeeLung has the potential to help the MWRD improve the O’Brien facility’s performance under stressed conditions, specifically cold temperature peak events. Furthermore, these benefits come with the potential energy savings of 40% over the existing fine bubble aeration system.
“The energy costs for the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant are $5 million per year,” reports Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos, president of the MWRD Board of Commissioners. “Our aspiration is to become energy neutral by increasing our energy production while decreasing energy consumption. The demonstration of GE’s new ZeeLung MABR may be an innovative way to meet the future regulation for phosphorous removal within the existing footprint while also decreasing the energy demand of the plant.”
The O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant serves more than 1.3 million people residing in a 141-square-mile area, which includes the city of Chicago, north of Fullerton Avenue, and the northern Cook County suburbs. It removes pollutants from wastewater through primary clarification and conventional activated sludge and has a design capacity of 333 million gallons per day.
http://www.filtsep.com/view/43074/chicago-wastewater-plant-aims-to-reduce-energy-costs-using-ges-zeelung-mabr-technology/
"Hoffman Estates Might Increase Rebate for Duluth Trading Company," Daily Herald (IL)
A rendering of the proposed Duluth Trading Co. retail store planned for Hoffman
Estates’ Prairie Stone Business Park.
Full article text: Hoffman Estates trustees Monday recommended approval of a request to increase the level of a sales tax rebate to help a developer meet rising costs in its planned construction of a Duluth Trading Co. store in the village’s Prairie Stone Business Park.
Baum Revision LLC made the request due to stricter development standards set by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and because an improving economy is causing construction contractors to raise their bids. While the village board back in April approved a sales tax rebate of $140,000 over six years, the revised request is for $225,000 over 10 years.
The village board will vote on final approval of the project—including the revised tax incentive—at 7 p.m. next Monday, Oct. 19. Baum officials made the original request because the bank that owns the foreclosed land is requiring the purchase of all 6.7 acres. At least one other business can be built on the site, and the developer is taking on the added financial burden of marketing it to someone else. Village officials said they accepted Baum’s explanation that the project isn’t financially feasible without the sales tax rebate. For the agreement to stay valid, Duluth Trading Co. must be open by Dec. 1, 2016. For the first, partial year of the agreement, the developer would recoup 100 percent of the village sales taxes. As each of the next 10 years passes, the developer would recapture a smaller and smaller percentage of the village sales tax, currently estimated at $140,000 per year. Hoffman Estates Director of Economic Development Kevin Kramer said that over the course of the 10 years, the village is expected to have collected $5 for every $1 rebated to the developer. The agreement will expire either when the developer receives the full $225,000 or after 10 years have elapsed. Though the length of the agreement might be increased by four years, estimates show Baum LLC could receive its full share of the sales tax rebate in only about 6½ years, Kramer said. Village Trustee Gayle Vandenbergh abstained from the otherwise unanimous recommendation because she works for W-T Engineering, the company doing the site plan.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151013/news/151019631/
"Mariyana Spyropoulos Inducted into the John Marshall Law School of Fame in
Chicago, IL," Hellenic News of
America
Full article text: Mariyana Spyropoulos currently serves as Commissioner at the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. She is also an
attorney with the Chicago firm of Law Offices of Mariyana Spyropoulos &
Associates and works in the area of real estate, criminal and general business
practice. Mariyana received her law degree from The John Marshall Law School and
her MBA from Loyola University Chicago.
On October 6, 2015, she was inducted into the John Marshall Law School of
Fame. "I would just say that I am humbled a thankful for the honor of being
included on the hall of fame with so many judges and other elected officials who
have served with distinction. John Marshall Law School has provided me and so
many with the opportunity to become an attorney. The skills I learned at the
school have served me well in many areas of my life. It’s an honor to be
recognized in this way", Mariyana expressed to the Hellenic News of America. We
would like to congratulate our fellow Hellene, Mariyana Spyropoulos, on her
wonderful achievement as well as for her tremendous efforts to maintain a safe
and healthy water supply for the people of Chicago.
https://hellenicnews.com/mariyana-spyropoulos-induced-into-the-john-marshall-law-school-of-fame-in-chicago-il/
“More than 75 Employers Looking to Hire,” NW Indiana Times (IN)
Jonathan Miano, The Times
Purdue University Calumet graduate Ryan Shimala, center, talks with job recruiter Dennis Evans, of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, at a job fair in 2013. Purdue Calumet University’s Fall Career Expo this year is from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Fitness & Recreation Center on the PUC campus at 2200 169th St. in Hammond. Full article text: Job-seekers, there is hope. More than 75 employers are looking to hire at Purdue Calumet University’s Fall Career Expo Oct. 23. The public is encouraged to attend the job fair from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Fitness & Recreation Center on the Purdue Cal campus at 2200 169th St. in Hammond. “We will have employers on campus representing a wide range of industries and fields,” Purdue’s Natalie Connors said. “Some have immediate recruiting needs; others are recruiting for next spring. For the most part, they are seeking to fill positions with individuals who have or are working toward a college degree.” Connors is director of career services at Purdue Cal and PNC. The event—which is sponsored by Dwyer, All-Phase Electric Supply Co., Enterprise, Speedway and UPS—is free, but people planning to attend should pre-register. They should dress professionally and bring several copies of their resume. Companies that will accept resumes for full- and part-time positions and internships include Alliance Group, ArcelorMittal, Cabela’s, Calumet Breweries, Central States Manufacturing, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Cintas Corp., Dayton Freight Lines, Edward Jones, First Midwest Bank, Franciscan Communities, Horseshoe Casino, Jewel-Osco, NiSource and White Lodging. Government employees who will be on hand include Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana State Police, the Peace Corps and U.S. Army. For more information, (219) 989-2600 or
www.purduecal.edu/careerservices.
http://www.nwitimes.com/business/jobs-and-employment/more-than-employers-looking-to-hire/article_601ffc21-fa8e-53e7-a5d6-9bbd7af057d3.html
"Community Briefs," Beverly Review (IL)
Full article text: Theater on the Move will hold auditions for “Bah Humbug, Dickens’ Christmas Carol in Song and Prose” on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Mt. Greenwood Park field house, 3721 W. 111th St. Producers are seeking adults and children of all ages. Show dates are Dec. 5 and 6 at the Morgan Park Academy Theater. For more information, call Susan Pagels, (708) 372-2178.
A Lyle Family benefit, St. Cajetan Oktoberfest, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 7 to 11 p.m. at St. Cajetan Elementary School, 2447 W. 112th St. Event tickets are $25 pre-sale, $30 at the door. All are welcome, 21 and older, to enjoy music, food, $1 beer, raffles and watch the Notre Dame game. For more information, e-mail
mgeraghty2535@att.net. Mike and Lisa Lyle have three small children. In 2006, Mike was diagnosed with MS. He has steadily worsened over the last few years. Family and friends are raising money to create a better environment for the Lyle family.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) President Mariyana Spyropoulos will present a history of Chicago’s waterways and operations of the MWRD and how it evolved as the city of Chicago grew, as well as helpful tips on how to conserve water and protect the environment, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m., at the Mt. Greenwood branch library, 11010 S. Kedzie Ave. For more information, call the library, (312) 747-2805.
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum will host “What You Do Matters,” 2015 Risa K. Lambert Chicago Luncheon, on Monday, Oct. 19, at noon, at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, 301 E. North Water St. Registration will begin at 11:15 a.m. The annual luncheon provides an opportunity for the Chicago community to come together to learn more about the museum and its urgent work to keep Holocaust memory alive. The featured speaker, Jeffrey Goldberg, is the national correspondent for The Atlantic and a recipient of the National Magazine Award for Reporting. The museum will honor Alice and the late Robert Abt and family, of Abt Electronics, with the museum’s National Leadership Award for their decades of dedication and support.
For
more information, call (847) 433-8099 or e-mail
midwest@ushmm.org. For
reservations, visit
http://www.ushmm.org/.
Wednesday, Oct. 21, the Lemont Artists Guild meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at
the Homer Township Public Library, 14320 W. 151st St., in Homer Glen. Patricia
Larkin Green will demonstrate Sumi-e Ink painting. The public is welcome. A
donation for the local food pantry is appreciated. Refreshments will be served.
For more information, call Liz Popp, (815) 341-1145, or visit
lemontartistsguild.org.
Lake Katherine, 7402 W. Lake Katherine Drive, in Palos Heights, offers
children’s programs including "What’s Up with the Weather?," "There’s a Fungus
Among Us," "Pumpkin T-Shirts" and "Little Explorers." The classes are $5 each
and require pre-registration. For more information, call (708) 361-1873 or visit
lakekatherine.org.
To celebrate Flap-Jack’s one-year anniversary in its new Oak Lawn location,
4710 W. 95th St., 10 percent of diners’ bill will be donated to Park Lawn on
Saturday, Oct. 17, from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Park Lawn is a nonprofit
organization whose mission is to provide services that promote independence,
choice and access to community living for people with developmental
disabilities. More than 500 individuals are enrolled in Park Lawn’s programs,
which includes adult developmental training, vocational services, supported
employment, residential opportunities and recreational activities. Customers
must present coupon to cashier at checkout. Visit
parklawn.com to get coupons.
The Edna White Community Garden, 1850 W. Monterey Ave., will host a Gathering
for Peace on Sunday, Oct. 18, from 3 to 7 p.m. It is the first in a series of
gatherings designed to foster mutual respect among the people in the community.
Proceeds from the event will be gifted to the family of John Buckner, a neighbor
who recently lost his life to senseless violence. At the gathering, lanterns
will be lit in honor of Buckner, the late Edna White who was murdered in 1993
and for whom the community garden was named, and all the other neighbors lost to
violence in the past 22 years. The gathering is open to all and will feature
gospel singing, music by Steve Haberichter and Nikki Giblin, refreshments, a
campfire and s’mores, garden tours and a short program. A $5 per person minimum
donation is requested. Assisting Edna White Garden volunteers with the Gathering
for Peace are Beverly Area Planning Association, NeighborSpace and other
organizations working for peace, social justice and open spaces. For more
information about the event, donations and helping out as a volunteer, e-mail
Kathy Figel, kathyfigel@me.com
The Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA), 1987 W. 111th St., recently opened its business center to all BAPA business members. The business center includes access to Wi-Fi, a desktop computer, copier, printer, shredder and light office supplies. Business members can also use the conference room for meetings or the community room for small business events. For more information, call (773) 233-3100 or visit
tinyurl.com/pa9g9ko.
http://www.beverlyreview.net/news/community_news/article_9d71827a-6c41-11e5-9882-1fb7cc1041ac.html
"$1 Million for Buyouts?" Journal & Topics (IL)
Full article text: Des Plaines aldermen will soon consider allocating $1
million to pay for future buyouts of property in the floodway or floodplain near
the Des Plaines River that have frequently flooded.
The money would be funds that would be matched with money allocated by other
government agencies such as the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
City council members will begin discussion of the proposed $162 million 2017
city budget tomorrow (Thursday).
Following numerous heavy rainfalls over the years that resulted in flooding
of homes and local businesses near the Des Plaines River and its tributaries,
Des Plaines embarked on a program to buy those affected properties and have
homes on the land demolished.
Thus far, 12 of the 21 homes designated for demolition have been razed with
six others soon to be demolished and three others awaiting approval of a new
state budget that would allow the money to be distributed.
Another 12 houses are expected to be demolished sometime next year.
When that’s completed, a total of about $12 million will be spent to remove
the houses, many of which have been and are located along Big Bend Drive east of
River and Rand roads.
Seventy-five percent of the funds to pay for the work come from grants such
as some from the water reclamation district, and the city pays 25%.
One the homes are razed, the lots will be graded and grass seed planted.
The city will maintain those lots.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_3b7fa33a-6d3b-11e5-8e31-6fba1e7da82e.html
"‘Day Without Water’ Calls Attention to Needed Investments in Water Reliability," Monrovia Weekly (CA)
Full article text: This week, water utilities across the country will participate in “Imagine a Day Without Water,” a nationwide effort by water providers and community leaders to communicate the importance of water for the well-being of America.
“Imagine a Day Without Water” seeks to raise awareness about how essential and vital water is to daily life, and the critical need to protect and invest in the resources and infrastructure to keep it flowing to families and communities.
Consider this: Every two minutes a water main breaks somewhere in the United States, resulting in billions of gallons of treated water being lost every year. Worse are losses from household leaks – approximately 1 trillion gallons annually, or enough to represent the annual household water needs of 11 million homes, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In California, the need to conserve our precious water resources for a reliable water supply has become center stage as our state endures a fourth year of historic drought. Gov. Jerry Brown issued an Executive Order mandating all Californians to reduce water use. The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) set mandatory water conservation targets for water providers throughout the state.
Investor-owned water utilities (water IOUs), which serve approximately 6 million Californians and are regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission, have been partnering with their customers to do their part.
In August, customers of these water IOUs reduced their usage by an average of 28 percent compared with 2013, according to data recently released by the State Water Board. Since the State Water Board’s targets took effect in June, IOUs have averaged a nearly 30 percent reduction. Several IOU districts have been recognized by the State Water Board as having achieved noteworthy conservation levels, exceeding their particular mandates by 20 percentage points, or more.
This is a remarkable achievement and represents a wholesale change in customer behavior driven by many factors, including innovative conservation rate designs, media attention to the drought and the need to conserve, peer pressure, as well as increased incentives and rebate programs to help people use less water.
However, we cannot build a reliable water supply on conservation alone. Customers have been doing an outstanding job during the current drought emergency, but this level of conservation is not sustainable over the long term.
Our country needs to make critical investments to repair and improve the massive infrastructure that makes water delivery possible and improve long-term reliability. The eight largest water IOUs invested more than $400 million in 2014 on needed water infrastructure, including construction and/or refurbishment of storage tanks, reservoirs, distribution mains, groundwater storage, wells, booster pumps and well pumps, and water treatment plants.
All of this investment makes it possible for these utilities to serve their customers with safe, reliable, high-quality water. As you turn on the tap this week, hop in the shower or wash a full load of clothes or dishes, take a moment to reflect on what makes this possible.
(The MWRD is a partner agency of the Value of Water Coalition, founder of “Imagine a Day Without Water.”)
http://www.monroviaweekly.com/opinion
"Imagine a Day Without Water," Philly.com (PA
Full article text: If you read something about Philadelphia's infrastructure falling apart, you probably picture potholes in the road and rusted-out bridges that need to be replaced. But that is just the infrastructure you can easily see every day. There is a whole universe of it under our feet that, in many places, is much older than the roads we drive on.
Underground is a massive network of water systems that work 24/7/365 to bring clean, safe drinking water to us and to take it away to be treated. In Philadelphia, there are more than 6,200 miles of drinking water mains and sewer pipes that could stretch from here to California and back. Across the country, there are more than a million miles of underground water pipes, many of them dating back a century or more. If our water system failed, Philadelphia would wake up to a very unpleasant morning. Imagine a day without water. You couldn't brush your teeth, flush the toilet, or take a shower. You couldn't give your dog a bowl of water or make your coffee. And that is just residential use. Commercial use is a huge component of water consumption.
Breweries, restaurants, hospitals, and hotels all need water. Manufacturers, firefighters, and the groundskeepers at Lincoln Financial Field all rely on water. Water keeps our economy flowing. Building America's Future and Philadelphia Water are part of a nationwide educational effort called Imagine a Day Without Water, organized by the Value of Water Coalition. Nearly a hundred other water agencies, mayors, city councils, engineers, contractors, business leaders, aquariums, schools, and more are joining the effort. They know that even though water is absolutely essential to everything we do, it too often is forgotten.
But it needs to be on all our minds. Our system in Philadelphia is probably older than you realize. We have some treatment facilities and pipes that date to the 1800s. And while Philadelphia Water does a good job of bringing safe, reliable, affordable water to customers, people in the region should know that even though the infrastructure is invisible to us, it very much exists and is important. Water might fall from the sky and flow through our rivers, but it is far from free. Philadelphia Water budgeted $767 million in 2016 to process, treat, and bring water to and from homes and businesses. No matter how much or how little water we use, that price is only going to increase because of the age of our system.
Over the last five years, Philadelphia has experienced an average of 823 water main breaks each year—not an unusual number for a city of our size and age. But the damage that breaks cause and the disruption to our customers—the absence of water for even a short period of time—are an unwelcome reminder that all is not well with the system. Over the next decade, Philadelphia Water will be looking to invest in increasing upgrades so that our breakage rate steadily declines. We'll need all citizens to support us in this effort. The good news is that with the support of citizens and elected officials, we can be ahead of the curve. We cannot ask Philadelphia ratepayers to shoulder that cost alone. We need the help of Congress and our federal partners to bring much-needed funding to the city to protect and restore critical water infrastructure.
Deferred maintenance—waiting until a main breaks or a system breaks down - results in the most expensive repairs possible. But if we continually maintain the system,
if we upgrade pipes, if we implement smarter technology that spots weaknesses in
the system before they turn into breaks, we can save money in the long run. And
if we keep doing a good job, this city will never have to imagine a day without
water.
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20151007_Imagine_a_day_without_water.html
"Value of Water Coalition Kicks-Off ‘Imagine a Day Without Water’ National
Education Campaign," PR Newswire
Full article text: WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Value of Water Coalition today
announced that more than 100 organizations are joining the first annual
Imagine a Day Without Water.
From October 6-8, 2015,
groups as diverse as aquariums, car washes, city
councils, water and wastewater providers, schools, and libraries, are all
raising awareness about our most essential resource: water. In Washington, D.C.,
DC Water will unveil a major project to convert solid biowaste into power to run
DC Water's treatment plant. In Atlanta, Mayor Reed will host a tour of a former
quarry which will soon be converted into a massive water reservoir. In Los
Angeles, Mayor Garcetti will visit a local school to talk about water
conservation education. From Charlottesville, Virginia to Portland, Oregon,
organizations will spread the message that our water systems are essential, at
risk, and in need of investment.
"Water is essential to everything we do. From the water you need for your
morning shower and coffee, to the water needed for agriculture and
manufacturing, a day without water is impossible to imagine," said Radhika Fox,
Director of the Value of Water Coalition and CEO of the US Water Alliance. "That
is why more than 100 groups are joining the effort. Through live events, tours
of water treatment plants, educational outreach, and social media sharing,
communities across the country are going to hear the message that clean, safe,
reliable water service cannot be taken for granted."
Many communities in the U.S. are built on top of water systems that are more
than a century old. The median age of pipes in Washington, DC, for example, is
79 years. And as pipes and treatment plants come to the end of their lifespan,
the need to invest in repairs, maintenance, upgrades and modernization is urgent
and growing. The American Society of Civil Engineers graded America's water
infrastructure a "D" and estimated $4.8 trillion needs to be spent over the next
20 years to upgrade and modernize our water systems. Visit
http://imagineadaywithoutwater.org/
for more information.
About the Value of Water Coalition
The Value of Water Coalition educates
and inspires people about how water is essential, invaluable, and needs
investment. The Coalition has come together to advance positive solutions to our
nation's pressing water challenges. Members include: Alexandria Renew
Enterprises, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Water, American Water
Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, Atlanta
Department of Watershed Management, Black and Veatch, Brown and Caldwell, Camden
County Municipal Utilities Authority, CH2M, DC Water, Dow Chemical Company,
Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Hazen and Sawyer, Kansas City Water Services,
LA Sanitation, Metropolitan Sewer District of
Greater Cincinnati, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago, MWH Global, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, National
Association of Water Companies, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District,
Philadelphia Water Department, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, United
Water, U.S. Water Alliance, Veolia, Water Environment Federation, and Xylem.
Media Contact: Abigail Gardner |agardner@thevalueofwater.org| cell 412 977 3051
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/value-of-water-coalition-kicks-off-imagine-a-day-without-water-national-education-campaign-300154914.html
"The Path Forward – Great Lakes Week 2015," Detroit Public TV (MI)
Summary: Tim Brown, Chicago Area Waterway System Advisory Committee; David St. Pierre, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago; Ben Brockschmidt, Illinois Chamber of Commerce; and Joel Brammeier, Alliance for the Great Lakes, present at Great
Lakes Week 2015 in Chicago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cjemeJzNPk&feature=youtu.be
WEFTEC Daily
Tom Kunetz, Asst. Director of Engineering, is a member of the Water Environment
Federation’s Board of Trustees.
(Insert Picture)
15 0930_WEFTEC_Trustees.pdf
"Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Of Greater Chicago Tests New GE
Technology To Improve Treatment Performance, Reduce Energy Costs," The Street
Full article text: With the goal of becoming energy neutral by 2023, the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) recently began
a demonstration project to evaluate GE’s (NYSE: GE) new
ZeeLung* Membrane
Aerated Biofilm Reactor (ZeeLung MABR) technology. The test is being performed
at the district’s O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, to prove
ZeeLung’s ability to remove nutrients in the plant's existing footprint and
reduce the energy required for biological aeration by 40 percent. Energy
neutrality is the ability to reduce energy consumption while increasing energy
production to the point that a facility produces as much or more energy than it
consumes, which is increasingly important since water and wastewater treatment
typically accounts for 35 percent of a municipality’s energy budget. In June
2015, the MWRD and GE commissioned a demonstration of one ZeeLung MABR cassette
at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant to prove the concept works— an important
first step before the district considers whether to install the technology in
the full-scale plant, one of the largest sewage treatment facilities in the United States. Facing the need to
meet more stringent regulations for phosphorus removal in the future, the MWRD
was motivated to evaluate ZeeLung as a means to implement biological phosphorus
removal in its existing bioreactors and without the need for chemical addition.
Modeling has shown that at full scale, ZeeLung has the potential to help the
MWRD improve the O'Brien facility's performance under stressed conditions,
specifically cold temperature peak events. Furthermore, these benefits come with
the potential energy savings of 40 percent over the existing fine bubble
aeration system. "The energy costs for the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant are $5 million per
year. Our aspiration is to become energy neutral by increasing our energy
production while decreasing energy consumption. GE’s ZeeLung has the potential
to help us achieve this goal," said Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos, president
of the MWRD Board of Commissioners. "The demonstration of GE’s new ZeeLung MABR
may be an innovative way to meet the future regulation for phosphorous removal
within the existing footprint while also decreasing the energy demand of the
plant."
ZeeLung is a gas-transfer membrane, which transfers oxygen by diffusion to a
biofilm that grows on the outside surface of the membrane. The microorganisms in
the biofilm remove nutrients and organics in the wastewater by metabolizing them
in the presence of oxygen. The result is a four times reduction in energy
compared to conventional fine bubble aeration systems in use today.
"The future of wastewater treatment is energy neutrality, and ZeeLung MABR
will help local governments save energy while improving nutrient removal within
the existing plant footprint. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago is the first municipality to demonstrate ZeeLung. In just a few
short months, the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant already has achieved
significant results in proving the ZeeLung concept," said Heiner Markhoff,
president and CEO—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water.
The O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant began operation in 1928 and was a model
for modern sewage treatment technology. The facility serves more than 1.3
million people residing in a 141-square-mile area, which includes the city of
Chicago, north of Fullerton Avenue, and the northern Cook County suburbs. It
removes pollutants from wastewater through primary clarification and
conventional activated sludge and has a design capacity of 333 million gallons
per day. To view a video on the MWRD demonstration project of ZeeLung MABR
technology, click
here.
http://www.thestreet.com/story/13303763/1/metropolitan-water-reclamation-district-of-greater-chicago-tests-new-ge-technology-to-improve-treatment-performance-reduce-energy-costs.html
15 0929_WEFTEC_DSP.pdf
15 0929_WEFTEC_OConnor.pdf
“Hanover Park Sports Complex Needs Renovation Volunteers,” Daily Herald (IL)
Full article text: Hanover Park Little Leaguers and Hurricanes football teams could see new
dugouts and fencing at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District sports complex by the end
of 2015 if the leagues round up enough volunteers to help with the projects.
Without the help of volunteers, village officials say, a contractor would need to be hired and only
the fences would be replaced this year.
“With the volunteers, the cost savings go toward completing more projects,” village Clerk Eira
Corral said. “Without volunteers, we’ll have to pay the going rate to have the work done.”
It’s unclear exactly how much money would be saved with the help of volunteers.
Village Manager Juliana Maller says the village wants to focus on bringing the appearance of
the sports complex up to date.
“A lot of the fencing is worn. Some of it’s installed upside down,” she said.
Dugouts currently on the baseball and softball fields are wooden enclosures some village
officials say are falling down. The new dugouts, according to village plans, would include a
concrete slab on the dugout's ground. Several of the dugouts at the fields now present flooding
issues where the sand has formed trenches over the years. Sides of the dugouts would also be
made of concrete, which would protect teams from the wind and distractions outside of the
game.
“Enclosed dugouts isolate kids from parents, which is always an issue,” Trustee Rick Roberts
said. “If you can isolate the parents to the bleachers and not have them crawling around behind
you, that’s always a good thing.”
But will there be enough volunteers to get the ball rolling on the projects this year?
“We have a strong following, and we do have a lot of people who would go out and help,” said
Hanover Park Little League President Dan Morgan. “Whether or not there’s enough, well,
there’s never enough.”
Morgan says many families have played sports at the complex for several generations and are
proud of the fields and the programs. Improvements to the fields, he says, will give residents
and the village more to be proud of.
“Just the pride in the program is what helps keep it going,” he said. “And this is a great
opportunity for us to grow and make the fields better.”
According to the village plans, fences would cost $180,000 without paying a contractor to do the work, and the concrete dugouts $144,000. The village uses revenue from video gambling terminals to fund projects for the complex.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151003/news/151009558/
"Thornton Reservoir Will Further Improve Quality of Life in Chicago and
Southern Cook County," Globe Newswire
Full article text: Black & Veatch Leads
Design and Implementation of Significant Components of Project to Reduce Chronic
Storm Water Problems, Improve Upstream Water Quality
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Oct. 01, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Thornton Composite
Reservoir, known to Chicago residents as the "Grand Canyon of the South
Suburbs," will benefit the city’s south side and 13 nearby suburbs through
improved storm water protection and water quality. Black & Veatch led planning,
design and construction of significant components of the reservoir, which comes
online by the end of the year.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers and other stakeholders joined the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago to cut the ribbon on September 1,
2015 for the nearly $450 million facility. Thornton Reservoir is a key component of the MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan
known as TARP. It is one of the largest water infrastructure projects in the
world. TARP is designed to protect Lake Michigan, the region’s primary source of
drinking water. It will also protect against combined sewer overflows (CSOs) as
well as overland and basement flooding.
Black & Veatch performed heavy infrastructure tunneling and engineering at
Thornton. The company contributed innovations in grouting practices in the
design and construction of the reservoir.
TARP has significantly improved the quality of life for people living and
working in the City and Cook County. Previously, sewage-laced floodwater often
inundated residential properties after heavy rains. Additionally, moving that
water to the reservoir will lessen the need to release sewage into Lake Michigan
when rains overwhelm the area’s storm sewers. Thornton Reservoir will provide an
additional 7.9 billion gallons of storage for capture and treatment of CSOs and
floodwaters.
"In past years, that polluted, untreated water would enter our waterways or
worse, our basements," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "Because of
TARP, combined sewer overflows have been drastically reduced, and the addition
of Thornton will again lead to more water quality improvements upstream."
As part of the TARP initiative, Black & Veatch is also providing engineering
and construction services for the McCook Reservoir. McCook will ultimately
provide 10 billion gallons of additional CSO and floodwater storage when
commissioned in two stages in 2017 and 2029.
"Other cities beset by chronic combined sewer overflows and flooding will
look to this system as a model," said Mike Orth, Executive Managing Director for
the Americas in Black & Veatch’s water business. "We are proud to take part in
helping the MWRD provide this vital water quality and flood protection to and for the people in and around Chicago.”
Editor’s notes:
· Grouting included drilling of over 150 miles of 4-inch diameter boreholes -- some over 500 feet deep -- followed by controlled injection of cement mixes into surrounding rock to seal off potential leaks in the reservoir.
· Solar powered mixers will be deployed to keep reservoir surface layer aerated to minimize potential odor concerns.
· A photo of the reservoir can be found here.
About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is an employee-owned, global leader in building critical human infrastructure in
Energy, Water, Telecommunications and Government Services. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people in over 100 countries through consulting, engineering, construction, operations and program management. Our revenues in 2014 were US$3 billion. Follow us on
www.bv.com and in social media.
Media Contact Information:
CHRISTOPHER CLARK | +1 913-458-2778 P | +1 816-674-0572 M | ClarkCA@bv.com
24-HOUR MEDIA HOTLINE | +1 866-496-9149
http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/10/01/772713/0/en/Thornton-Reservoir-Will-Further-Improve-Quality-of-Life-in-Chicago-and-Southern-Cook-County.html
"Q&A with Fermilab’s First Artist-in-Residence," Symmetry
Full article text: Symmetry sits down with Lindsay Olson as she wraps up a year of creating art inspired by particle physics.
S: How did you end up at Fermilab? LO: In March 2014 I had an exhibition of my work at North Park College. Several members of the Fermilab art committee attended my talk. Hearing me speak about one of my residencies, Georgia Schwender, curator of Fermilab’s art gallery, invited me to help her establish a pilot residency that would continue Fermilab’s tradition of nurturing both art and science. S: What did you do during your residency?
LO: During a residency, I want to have a full immersion experience. I worked closely with passionate scientists, including Don Lincoln, Sam Zeller and Debbie Harris. I read books and popular science journalism, attended public lectures, and watched videos. This immersive learning is the scaffolding from which I create my art.
S: What’s your artistic process like?
LO: I want to make engaging, accessible art about real, complicated science: art that will connect with the public and inspire them to ask their own questions about the nature of reality and the origin of the cosmos. When I converse with a scientist, I glean the key points and translate them in an artistic way. Many artists use oil paint, watercolor and other traditional materials. But when I work, I want to use media to reinforce the message in the art. Everyone uses textiles in their daily lives, so creating work in them felt like a natural choice.
S: What inspired you at Fermilab?
LO: The Standard Model was the first piece of physics I learned. This conceptual tool was not only an appropriate beginning for the project, but a door into a fascinating way to understand reality. Passionate scientists of the present and science heroes of the past, especially Ray Davis, Richard Feynman and Robert Wilson, also inspired me.
S: What is one of your most memorable experiences at Fermilab?
LO: I took several training courses, including radiation safety training. This allowed me to shadow operators into the guts of several experiments during a recent shutdown. It was thrilling. Accelerator science is about riding a bucking bronco of energetic
particles
Understanding how the messy beam behaves showed me that nature is not just about forests, creatures and rocks. At the subatomic level, nature is wild, energetic and mysterious. I plan to make large-scale drawings based on what I have learned in the Accelerator Division.
S: Did anything surprise you?
LO: I’ve been surprised at every turn. As an artist, I’ve been trained to observe the surface of reality. Everything looks solid and unmoving. But the subatomic realm is far more spacious and energetic than I could have imagined.
S: How did you become interested in expressing science in your art?
LO: Before I created art about science, I painted landscapes. I created portraits of area waterways. I was editing out all the manmade features and creating idealized images of streams and rivers. One day I was canoeing past an aeration station on the Chicago Canal and became curious about the real story of water in a dense urban area. I approached the District about
beginning an art project that would tell this story. I started a residency at
the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Strange as it
may sound, I fell in love with science in the middle of a wastewater treatment
plant.
S: How did your residency at Fermilab differ from past residencies?
LO: The most striking difference is the amount of resources available at
Fermilab. It’s hard to imagine any other government agency where you will find
not only cutting-edge science, but also a buffalo herd, a beautiful art gallery,
a concert hall, a restored prairie and a graveyard.
S: What will you take with you when you leave Fermilab?
LO: One of the most powerful lessons I learned with this residency is that I
am not afraid to learn any kind of science. I have limits because I lack the
background in math. Despite this, I feel confident about learning enough science
to make meaningful art. If I can learn science, others can too.
S: What’s next?
LO: Once I’ve finished the ct is afrom over. Finding places
to show the work I made while at Fermilab will be the next challenge. I want to
use the work to inspire viewers to take a closer look at science in general and
particle physics in particular. I hope the project helps people with no
technical training, like me, to appreciate the beauty and elegance of our
universe. I have no set plans for my next residency, but I have a few ideas
simmering on the back burner. Perhaps I will be surprised by another
opportunity. My residency with Fermilab has changed my view of reality enough
for me to know that there are surprises out in the universe for any of us who
take the time to discover what science can teach us.
http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/qa-with-fermilabs-first-artist-in-residence
NEWS RELEASE
 “Thornton Reservoir will further improve quality of life in Chicago and southern Cook County,” Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch leads design and implementation of significant components of project to reduce chronic storm water problems, improve upstream water quality
Full article text: OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (1 Oct. 2015) – The Thornton Composite Reservoir, known to Chicago residents as the “Grand Canyon of the South Suburbs,” will benefit the city’s south side and 13 nearby suburbs through improved storm water protection and water quality. Black & Veatch led planning, design and construction of significant components of the reservoir, which comes online by the end of the year. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other stakeholders joined the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago to cut the ribbon on September 1, 2015 for the nearly $450 million facility.
Thornton Reservoir is a key component of the MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan known as TARP. It is one of the largest water infrastructure projects in the world. TARP is designed to protect Lake Michigan, the region’s primary source of drinking water. It will also protect against combined sewer overflows (CSOs) as well as overland and basement flooding.
Black & Veatch performed heavy infrastructure tunneling and engineering at Thornton. The company contributed innovations in grouting practices in the design and construction of the reservoir.
TARP has significantly improved the quality of life for people living and
working in the City and Cook County. Previously, sewage-laced floodwater often
inundated residential properties after heavy rains. Additionally, moving that
water to the reservoir will lessen the need to release sewage into Lake Michigan
when rains overwhelm the area’s storm sewers. Thornton Reservoir will provide an
additional 7.9 billion gallons of storage for capture and treatment of CSOs and
floodwaters.
"In past years, that polluted, untreated water would enter our waterways or
worse, our basements," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "Because of
TARP, combined sewer overflows have been drastically reduced, and the addition
of Thornton will again lead to more water quality improvements upstream."
As part of the TARP initiative, Black & Veatch is also providing engineering
and construction services for the McCook Reservoir. McCook will ultimately
provide 10 billion gallons of additional CSO and floodwater storage when
commissioned in two stages in 2017 and 2029.
"Other cities beset by chronic combined sewer overflows and flooding will
look to this system as a model," said Mike Orth, Executive Managing Director for
the Americas in Black & Veatch’s water business. "We are proud to take part in
helping the MWRD provide this vital water quality and flood protection to and
for the people in and around Chicago."
Editor’s notes:
Grouting included drilling of over
150 miles of 4-inch diameter boreholes—some over 500 feet deep—followed by
controlled injection of cement mixes into surrounding rock to seal off potential
leaks in the reservoir.
Solar powered mixers will be deployed to keep reservoir surface layer
aerated to minimize potential odor concerns.
A photo of the reservoir can be found here. About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is an employee-owned, global leader in building critical human infrastructure in Energy, Water, Telecommunications and Government Services. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people in over 100 countries through consulting, engineering, construction, operations and program management. Our revenues in 2014 were US$3 billion.
Follow us on
www.bv.com and in social media.
Media Contact Information:
CHRISTOPHER CLARK | +1 913-458-2778 P | +1 816-674-0572 M | ClarkCA@bv.com
24-HOUR MEDIA HOTLINE | +1 866-496-9149
http://bv.com/home/news/news-releases/thornton-reservoir-will-further-improve-quality-of-life-in-chicago-and-southern-cook-county
“Thornton Reservoir Will Further Improve Quality of Life in Chicago and Southern Cook County,” Financial Content
Full article text: The Thornton Composite Reservoir, known to Chicago residents as the “Grand Canyon of the South Suburbs,” will benefit the city’s south side and 13 nearby suburbs through improved storm water protection and water quality. Black & Veatch led planning, design and construction of significant components of the reservoir, which comes online by the end of the year. U.S. Sen Dick Durbin, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other stakeholders joined the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago to cut the ribbon on September 1, 2015 for the nearly $450 million facility. Thornton Reservoir is a key component of the MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan known as TARP. It is one of the largest water infrastructure projects in the world. TARP is designed to protect Lake Michigan, the region’s primary source of drinking water. It will also protect against
combined sewer overflows (CSOs) as well as overland and basement flooding.
Black & Veatch performed heavy infrastructure tunneling and engineering at
Thornton. The company contributed innovations in grouting practices in the
design and construction of the reservoir. TARP has significantly improved the
quality of life for people living and working in the City and Cook County.
Previously, sewage-laced floodwater often inundated residential properties after
heavy rains. Additionally, moving that water to the reservoir will lessen the
need to release sewage into Lake Michigan when rains overwhelm the area’s storm
sewers. Thornton Reservoir will provide an additional 7.9 billion gallons of
storage for capture and treatment of CSOs and floodwaters.
"In past years, that polluted, untreated water would enter our waterways or
worse, our basements," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "Because of
TARP, combined sewer overflows have been drastically reduced, and the addition
of Thornton will again lead to more water quality improvements upstream."
As part of the TARP initiative, Black & Veatch is also providing engineering
and construction services for the McCook Reservoir. McCook will ultimately
provide 10 billion gallons of additional CSO and floodwater storage when
commissioned in two stages in 2017 and 2029.
"Other cities beset by chronic combined sewer overflows and flooding will
look to this system as a model," said Mike Orth, Executive Managing Director for
the Americas in Black & Veatch’s water business. "We are proud to take part in
helping the MWRD provide this vital water quality and flood protection to and
for the people in and around Chicago."
http://markets.financialcontent.com/stocks/news/read?GUID=30734948
“Eye-Catching Stocks: General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT), QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM), Weatherford International (NYSE:WFT),” WS News Publications
Summary: With the aim of becoming energy neutral by 2023, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) recently began a demonstration project to evaluate GE’s (GE) new ZeeLung* Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (ZeeLung MABR) technology. The test is being performed at the district’s O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, to prove ZeeLung’s ability to remove nutrients in the plant’s existing footprint and reduce the energy required for biological aeration by 40 percent. Energy neutrality is the ability to reduce energy consumption while increasing energy production to the point that a facility produces as much or more energy than it consumes, which is increasingly important since water and wastewater treatment typically accounts for 35 percent of a municipality’s energy budget. In June 2015, the MWRD and GE commissioned a demonstration of one ZeeLung MABR cassette at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant to prove the concept works—an important first step before the district considers whether to install the technology in the fu3l-scale plant, one of the largest sewage treatment facilities in the United States. Facing the need to meet more stringent regulations for phosphorus removal in the future, the MWRD was motivated to evaluate ZeeLung as a means to implement biological phosphorus removal in its existing bioreactors and without the need for chemical addition. Modeling has shown that at full scale, ZeeLung has the potential to assist the MWRD improve the O’Brien facility’s performance under stressed conditions, specifically cold temperature peak events. Furthermore, these benefits come with the potential energy savings of 40 percent over the existing fine bubble aeration system. GE is a diversified infrastructure and financial services company. The products and services of the Company range from aircraft engines, power generation, oil and gas production equipment, and household appliances to medical imaging, business and consumer financing and industrial products.
http://www.wsnewspublishers.com/eye-catching-stocks-general-electric-company-nysege-abbott-laboratories-nyseabt-qualcomm-inc-nasdaqqcom-weatherford-international-plc-nysewft/1532437/
| |
September 2015 |
| |
“Water Sector Groups Release Water Resources of the Future Annual Report,"WEF
Full article text: Report Gives Update of Utility of the Future Efforts in the Water Sector
CHICAGO, Ill., Sept. 29, 2015
– A partnership of water sector organizations—the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) and WateReuse—today released the Water Resources Utility of the Future 2015 Annual Report. The report was officially released this morning during a special utility executives session at WEFTEC 2015 in Chicago.
Written collaboratively with industry thought leaders, the Annual Report is an update on the water sector’s efforts to transform treatment into full resource recovery that includes sustainable, cost-effective management options that capture valuable and reusable products for society. Since the original Water Resources Utility of the Future (UOTF) efforts began in the summer of 2013, several utilities have successfully implemented new and creative programs to address local watershed-wide challenges. The report includes several notable case studies from across the country.
“Since the UOTF initiative began, utilities like mine have continued to take on broader stewardship roles for their communities and local watersheds. Both the local environment and communities have seen easily measurable benefits from the types of programs and innovations detailed in the report,” said Adel Hagekhalil, NACWA’s President and Assistant Director of City of Los Angeles – LA Sanitation in California.
“Widespread promotion of utilities of the future is a major priority for WEF,” said WEF President Ed McCormick. “This collaboration among water sector organizations to help guide communities toward full resource recovery has put us on the leading edge of a major sea change in the way we manage and sustain our water resources.”
“WERF’s resource recovery research portfolio and the joint WEF-WERF LIFT program are focused on answering the tough questions that have prevented the UOTF from becoming a reality before now,” explains Kevin Shafer, WERF Board Chairman. “It is invigorating to see the progress being made toward becoming the future.”
“This report effectively communicates the transformation of water utilities to full resource recovery centers where everything is reused,” said WateReuse Executive Director Melissa Meeker. “WateReuse is pleased to support and contribute to this important report for the first time, a partnership that will certainly continue.” (The MWRD is a partner agency with WEF.)
Click here to download the Water Resources Utility of the Future 2015 Annual Report.
About NACWA
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) is the leading advocate for responsible national policies that advance clean water. NACWA represents the collective interests of America’s clean water utilities nationwide—and their clear commitment to America’s waters. For over 40 years, NACWA has been the clean water community’s voice in Congress, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies, as well as in the media and in the courts. To learn more about NACWA visit us at
www.nacwa.org.
NACWA Media Contact: Robin Davis, 202-533-1802,
rdavis@nacwa.org
About WEF
Founded in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of 36,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations representing water quality professionals around the world. WEF members, Member Associations and staff proudly work to achieve our mission to provide bold leadership, champion innovation, connect water professionals, and leverage knowledge to support clean and safe water worldwide. To learn more, visit
www.wef.org.
WEF Media Contact: Lori Harrison, 703-216-8565,
lharrison@wef.org
About WateReuse
WateReuse is an international thought-leader on alternative water supply development and the global go-to source for applied research, education, and advocacy on water reuse.
Representing a coalition that includes utilities, government agencies, and industry; WateReuse works to educate policymakers and the public on the science, economic value, and environmental benefits of treating water to safely use it for designated purposes, such as irrigation, manufacturing, and drinking. To learn more, visit
www.watereuse.org.
WateReuse Media Contact: Zachary Dorsey, 571-445-5503,
zdorsey@watereuse.org
http://www.werf.org/c/PressReleases/2015/UOTF_Annual_Report_2015_Announcement.aspx
"Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Tests New GE Technology to Improve Treatment Performance, Reduce Energy Costs,"; Water Online
Full article text: With the goal of becoming energy neutral by 2023, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) recently began a demonstration project to evaluate GE’s (NYSE: GE) new ZeeLung* Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (ZeeLung MABR) technology. The test is being performed at the district’s O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, to prove ZeeLung’s ability to remove nutrients in the plant’s existing footprint and reduce the energy required for biological aeration by 40 percent. Energy neutrality is the ability to reduce energy consumption while increasing energy production to the point that a facility produces as much or more energy than it consumes, which is increasingly important since water and wastewater treatment typically accounts for 35 percent of a municipality’s energy budget.
In June 2015, the MWRD and GE commissioned a demonstration of one ZeeLung MABR cassette at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant to prove the concept works—an important first step before the district considers whether to install the technology in the full-scale plant, one of the largest sewage treatment facilities in the United States. Facing the need to meet more stringent regulations for phosphorus removal in the future, the MWRD was motivated to evaluate ZeeLung as a means to implement biological phosphorus removal in its existing bioreactors and without the need for chemical addition. Modeling has shown that at full scale, ZeeLung has the potential to help the MWRD improve the O’Brien facility’s performance under stressed conditions, specifically cold temperature peak events. Furthermore, these benefits come with the potential energy savings of 40 percent over the existing fine bubble aeration system. “The energy costs for the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant are $5 million per year. Our aspiration is to become energy neutral by increasing our energy production while decreasing energy consumption. GE’s ZeeLung has the potential to help us achieve this goal,” said Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos, president of the MWRD Board of Commissioners. “The demonstration of GE’s new ZeeLung MABR may be an innovative way to meet the future regulation for phosphorous removal within the existing footprint while also decreasing the energy demand of the plant.” ZeeLung is a gas-transfer membrane, which transfers oxygen by diffusion to a biofilm that grows on the outside surface of the membrane. The microorganisms in the biofilm remove nutrients and organics in the wastewater by metabolizing them in the presence of oxygen. The result is a four times reduction in energy compared to conventional fine bubble aeration systems in use today. “The future of wastewater treatment is energy neutrality, and ZeeLung MABR will help local governments save energy while improving nutrient removal within the existing plant footprint. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is the first municipality to demonstrate ZeeLung. In just a few short months, the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant already has achieved significant results in proving the ZeeLung concept,” said Heiner Markhoff, president and CEO—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water.
The O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant began operation in 1928 and was a model
for modern sewage treatment technology. The facility serves more than 1.3
million people residing in a 141-square-mile area, which includes the city of
Chicago, north of Fullerton Avenue, and the northern Cook County suburbs. It
removes pollutants from wastewater through primary clarification and
conventional activated sludge and has a design capacity of 333 million gallons
per day.
To view a video on the MWRD demonstration project of ZeeLung MABR technology,
click
here.
To download photos of the MWRD demonstration project of ZeeLung MABR
technology, click
here. About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming
industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected,
responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of
knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the
same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels
innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services,
technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the
language of industry. www.ge.com
About GE Power & Water
GE Power & Water provides customers with a broad array of power generation,
energy delivery and water process technologies to solve their challenges
locally. Power & Water works in all areas of the energy industry including
renewable resources such as wind and solar; biogas and alternative fuels; and
coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy. The business also develops advanced
technologies to help solve the world’s most complex challenges related to water
availability and quality. Power & Water’s six business units include Distributed
Power, Nuclear Energy, Power Generation Products, Power Generation Services,
Renewable Energy and Water & Process Technologies. Headquartered in Schenectady,
N.Y., Power & Water is GE’s largest industrial business.
Follow GE Power & Water and GE’s water business on Twitter @GE_PowerWater and
@GE_Water.
*Trademark of General Electric Company; may be registered in one or more
countries.
http://www.wateronline.com/doc/metropolitan-water-reclamation-treatment-performance-reduce-energy-costs-0001 "Leading Water Quality Organization Releases Future of Stormwater Report,"
Globe Newswire
Full article text: Today marked the release of a new comprehensive report
from the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an Alexandria-Va.-based, not-for-profit
educational organization for water professionals, that details the challenges,
opportunities, and pathways to improving the nation's stormwater systems. The
release of Rainfall to results: The
future of stormwater at WEFTEC 2015 in Chicago
coincided with the official launch of the WEF Stormwater Institute, a new center
of excellence and innovation to address stormwater issues.
The growing issue of
stormwater pollution coupled with regulatory pressure is driving the need for
innovative approaches, training, technology solutions, and progressive
financing. There is a clear need for national leadership and collaboration to
help forge the path to more sustainable stormwater management. The report draws
from the insights of top stormwater experts from across the United States who
examined the challenges, opportunities, and best practices that will lead to a
more resilient and effective stormwater sector.
"Rainfall to results details a clear vision for where we need to be on stormwater
issues, but more importantly, it also gives us a map for getting there," said
WEF president Ed McCormick. "From encouraging work at the watershed level to
improving governance and the regulatory environment, the report gives
practitioners the tools they need to sustainably manage
stormwater."
According to the report, collaborative action across all
disciplines within the stormwater sector and broader community engagement will
be required to achieve the envisioned future in which all stormwater will be
managed through an optimized mix of affordable and sustainable green, gray, and
natural infrastructure. Six critical objectives were identified to achieve this
goal:
 Work at the watershed scale
– all communities will have integrated, watershed-scale
assessments of water resources needs and challenges;
Transform stormwater governance– communities will catalyze further formation of
stormwater utilities and regulations to stimulate stormwater control innovation
and performance improvement by focusing on program outcomes;
Support innovation and best practices– a broad suite of verified stormwater
controls and best practices will support confident planning and maintenance;
Manage assets and resources – stormwater systems will be maintained through robust
asset management programs and supported by innovative information technology;
Close the funding gap – communities will align stormwater management efforts
with broader community goals to garner funding options and have access to
innovative financing opportunities;
Engage the community – communities will understand and value the contribution
stormwater management makes to flood risk reduction, clean and safe water,
climate resiliency, and other benefits.
"Improving stormwater management will be a key aspect of building resilience
in the face of uncertain climate patterns and extreme weather events," said Mike
Beezhold, senior planner at CDM and chair of WEF’s Stormwater Committee. "We
need to integrate stormwater into broader regional and community planning and
ensure we are managing stormwater in a sustainable way." For more information
and to download the report, please visit
www.wefstormwaterinstitute.org
About WEF
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational
organization of 36,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations
representing water quality professionals around the world. Since 1928, WEF and
its members have protected public health and the environment. As a global water
sector leader, our mission is to connect water professionals; enrich the
expertise of water professionals; increase the awareness of the impact and value
of water; and provide a platform for water sector innovation. To learn more,
visit www.wef.org. About the WEF
Stormwater Institute
Housed within the Water
Environment Federation, the WEF Stormwater Institute is a new center of
excellence and innovation that focuses on addressing critical stormwater
management issues as a means to protect public health and the environment. To
learn more, visit
www.wefstormwaterinstitute.org.
About WEFTEC
WEFTEC 2015, the Water Environment Federation’s 88th
annual technical exhibition and conference will be held
Sept. 26-30, 2015 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The world’s largest annual
water quality event provides the latest developments, technologies, and services
for water preservation, restoration, and sustainability. To learn more, visit
www.weftec.org.
http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/09/28/771555/10150821/en/Leading-Water-Quality-Organization-Releases-Future-of-Stormwater-Report.html
"GE Advances Energy Neutrality for Municipal Wastewater Treatment," Biomass
Full article text: With the energy used by water and wastewater treatment
plants in the U.S. accounting for 35 percent of a typical local government’s
energy budget, GE today formally introduced its new ZeeLung Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) technology
that is four times more energy efficient than existing aeration systems.
Aeration for biological treatment is the largest energy consumer in a wastewater
treatment plant, typically representing 60 percent of a facility’s power usage.
ZeeLung MABR technology is a simple solution that allows municipalities to
achieve nutrient removal and/or capacity expansion in existing tank volumes
while significantly reducing energy consumption. ZeeLung cassettes are immersed
in existing bioreactors to improve treatment performance and/or increase
treatment capacity without the need to expand the footprint of the facilities. GE developed the ZeeLung technology to enable wastewater treatment plants to
achieve energy neutrality by significantly reducing the energy demand of the
largest consumer in a treatment plant—biological process aeration. Coupling this
energy reduction with enhanced on-site energy production from advanced anaerobic
digestion can achieve energy neutral wastewater facilities—where the energy
produced equals or exceeds the energy consumed.
"By inventing ZeeLung, GE is creating an opportunity to transform wastewater
treatment plants from disposal facilities to resource recovery centers that
yield clean water, nutrients and renewable energy from wastewater," said Heiner
Markhoff, president and CEO—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water.
"This is a game-changing innovation in the pursuit of energy neutrality in the
municipal wastewater treatment sector that also addresses the need for
facilities to upgrade for nutrient removal and capacity expansion within an
existing plant footprint."
Municipal wastewater treatment plants are among the biggest industrial users
of energy because they operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Publicly owned
wastewater treatment systems use 75 billion kilowatt hours of energy annually,
which is enough electricity to power 6.75 million homes. More than 3 percent of
all electricity in the United States is used for wastewater treatment.
In conventional biological treatment, fine bubble aeration is used to deliver
oxygen to the microorganisms that metabolize the nutrients and organic
pollutants in the wastewater. However, this approach is not efficient since most
of the oxygen is wasted. To make this process more efficient, GE’s technology
team developed the ZeeLung technology, which transfers oxygen by diffusion to a
biofilm that grows on the outside surface of the membrane. The microorganisms in
the biofilm remove nutrients and organics in the wastewater by metabolizing them
in the presence of oxygen. The result is a four times reduction in energy
compared to conventional fine bubble aeration systems in use today.
ZeeLung technology joins LEAPprimary*, Monsal* advanced anaerobic digestion
as well as Jenbacher gas engines in GE Power & Water’s portfolio of energy
neutral wastewater treatment products.
ZeeLung will be commercially available in 2016.
http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/12438/ge-advances-energy-neutrality-for-municipal-wastewater-treatment
"MWRD to Roll out Free Rain Barrels," Oak Park River Forest (IL)
Full article text: River Forest residents can obtain free rain barrels now
that the village has inked an intergovernmental agreement with the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD).
In mid-September the village board OK’d a deal that will expand the
community’s sustainability efforts. Residents who want to use rain for watering
their plants or washing their cars have a means of storing it up—for free.
Rain barrels will soon be made available through the MWRD, which will supply
each home with as many as four. They’ll be available in a variety of colors to
boot.
Applications will be made available online and in person at village hall.
Details on that process are being worked out, Village Administrator Eric Palm
said.
In addition to the barrels, homeowners will get connection hardware and
instructions for installing, caring for and operating the equipment. Residents
will be responsible for installing and maintaining the barrels.
After one year homeowners who have the barrels will be surveyed to assess how
the program is faring.
Rain barrels have been an effective means of flood prevention as they divert
water that would usually go into the village sewer system. They also are an
important way of conserving water, said Katie Brennan, president of the River
Forest Parks Foundation, which serves as the village's advisory panel on
sustainability issues.
Snow removal
Meanwhile, some more intergovernmental cooperation will make traveling near
schools and the public library easier when the snow starts flying.
The River Forest Park District will remove snow from the sidewalks around
Centennial Park, the library and Roosevelt Middle School. That area encompasses
Chicago Avenue on the north, Oak Avenue on the south, Jackson Avenue on the east
and Lathrop Avenue on the west. The park district also will clear sidewalks in front of Willard Elementary
School and the property around Constitution Park.
River Forest public works crews will salt the parking lots at Roosevelt,
Willard and Lincoln schools once the department is notified that the lots have
been plowed. If the lots run out of space to store snow, public works will haul it away.
The village also will supply bulk rock salt to the park and school districts, if
needed, at no cost.
The proposal first came up during last year’s trustees’ goal-setting and had
been in the works since the spring. The River Forest Village Board inked the
intergovernmental agreement in September.
http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/9-29-2015/MWRD-to-roll-out-free-rain-barrels/
"Stocks Buzz – General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE),
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB)," Techsonian
Full article text: With the goal of becoming energy neutral by 2023, the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) began a
demonstration project to evaluate General Electric Company
(NYSE:GE) new ZeeLung* Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (ZeeLung MABR) technology. The test is being performed at the
district’s O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, to prove
ZeeLung’s ability to remove nutrients in the plant’s existing footprint and
reduce the energy required for biological aeration by 40 percent. Energy
neutrality is the ability to reduce energy consumption while increasing energy
production to the point that a facility produces as much or more energy than it
consumers, which is increasingly important since water and wastewater treatment
typically accounts for 35 percent of a municipality’s energy budget. General Electric Company (NYSE:GE)decreased -2.41% and closed at $24.32 in the last trading session with the
overall traded volume of 42.64 million shares, versus the average volume of
45.20 million shares. Its fifty-two week range was $19.37-$28.68. It has market
cap of $251.60 billion.
Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) recently declared a 28-cent fourth-quarter 2015 dividend on the company’s common stock,
payable December 1, 2015, to shareholders of record at the close of business on
November 6, 2015. The fourth-quarter 2015 cash dividend will be the 308th
consecutive quarterly dividend paid by Pfizer. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) designs, manufactures, and sells integrated digital technology platforms
worldwide. It operates through PC Client Group, Data Center Group, Internet of
Things Group, Mobile and Communications Group, Software and Services, and All
Other segments. The company’s platforms are used in various computing applications comprising notebooks, desktops, servers, tablets, smartphones, wireless and wired connectivity products, wearables, transportation systems, and retail devices.
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) decreased -0.17% to close at $28.76 in the last trading session and its total traded volume was 950.00 shares versus average volume of 34.72 million shares. The company has market cap of $136.96 billion.
Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) operates as a social networking company worldwide. It provides a set of development tools and application programming interfaces that enable developers to integrate with Facebook to create mobile and Web applications. The company’s products include Facebook mobile app and Website that enable people to connect, share, discover, and communicate with each other on mobile devices and personal computers; Messenger, a mobile-to-mobile messaging application available on Android, iOS, and Windows phone devices; Instagram, a mobile application that enable people to take photos or videos, customize them with filter effects, and share them with friends and followers in a photo feed or send them directly to friends; and WhatsApp Messenger, a cross-platform mobile messaging application that allows people to exchange messages on iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows phone, and Nokia devices.
Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) decreased -3.84% to close at $89.21 and its overall volume in the last trading session was 4,978.00 shares, versus average trading volume of 33.08 million shares. It has market cap of $261.38 billion.
http://www.techsonian.com/stocks-buzz-general-electric-company-nysege-pfizer-inc-nysepfe-intel-corporation-nasdaqintc-facebook-inc-nasdaqfb/12590810/
“Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Tests New GE Technology to Improve Treatment Performance, Reduce Energy Costs,” BizWire
Full article text:
With the goal of becoming energy neutral by 2023, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) recently began a demonstration project to evaluate GE’s (NYSE: GE) new ZeeLung* Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (ZeeLung MABR) technology. The test is being performed at the district’s O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, to prove ZeeLung’s ability to remove nutrients in the plant’s existing footprint and reduce the energy required for biological aeration by 40 percent.
Energy neutrality is the ability to reduce energy consumption while increasing energy production to the point that a facility produces as much or more energy than it consumes, which is increasingly important since water and wastewater treatment typically accounts for 35 percent of a municipality’s energy budget.
In June 2015, the MWRD and GE commissioned a demonstration of one ZeeLung MABR cassette at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant to prove the concept works—an important first step before the district considers whether to install the technology in the full-scale plant, one of the largest sewage treatment facilities in the United States.
Facing the need to meet more stringent regulations for phosphorus removal in the future, the MWRD was motivated to evaluate ZeeLung as a means to implement biological
phosphorus removal in its existing bioreactors and without the need for chemical
addition. Modeling has shown that at full scale, ZeeLung has the potential to
help the MWRD improve the O’Brien facility’s performance under stressed
conditions, specifically cold temperature peak events. Furthermore, these
benefits come with the potential energy savings of 40 percent over the existing
fine bubble aeration system.
"The energy costs for the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant are $5 million per
year. Our aspiration is to become energy neutral by increasing our energy
production while decreasing energy consumption. GE’s ZeeLung has the potential
to help us achieve this goal," said Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos, president
of the MWRD Board of Commissioners. "The demonstration of GE’s new ZeeLung MABR may be an innovative way to meet the
future regulation for phosphorous removal within the existing footprint while
also decreasing the energy demand of the plant."
ZeeLung is a gas-transfer membrane, which transfers oxygen by diffusion to a
biofilm that grows on the outside surface of the membrane. The microorganisms in
the biofilm remove nutrients and organics in the wastewater by metabolizing them
in the presence of oxygen. The result is a four times reduction in energy
compared to conventional fine bubble aeration systems in use today.
"The future of wastewater treatment is energy neutrality, and ZeeLung MABR
will help local governments save energy while improving nutrient removal within
the existing plant footprint. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago is the first municipality to demonstrate ZeeLung. In just a few
short months, the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant already has achieved
significant results in proving the ZeeLung concept," said Heiner Markhoff,
president and CEO—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water.
The O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant began operation in 1928 and was a model
for modern sewage treatment technology. The facility serves more than 1.3
million people residing in a 141-square-mile area, which includes the city of
Chicago, north of Fullerton Avenue, and the northern Cook County suburbs. It
removes pollutants from wastewater through primary clarification and
conventional activated sludge and has a design capacity of 333 million gallons
per day.
To view a video on the MWRD demonstration project of ZeeLung MABR technology,
click here.
To download photos of the MWRD demonstration project of ZeeLung MABR
technology, click here.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming
industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected,
responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of
knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the
same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels
innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services,
technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the
language of industry. www.ge.com
About GE Power & Water
GE Power & Water provides customers with a broad array of power generation,
energy delivery and water process technologies to solve their challenges
locally. Power & Water works in all areas of the energy industry including
renewable resources such as wind and solar; biogas and alternative fuels; and
coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy. The business also develops advanced
technologies to help solve the world’s most complex challenges related to water
availability and quality. Power & Water’s six business units include Distributed
Power, Nuclear Energy, Power Generation Products, Power Generation Services,
Renewable Energy and Water & Process Technologies. Headquartered in Schenectady,
N.Y., Power & Water is GE’s largest industrial business.
Follow GE Power & Water and GE’s water business on Twitter @GE_PowerWater and
@GE_Water.
* Trademark of General Electric Company; may be registered in one or more
countries.
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150928006278/en/Metropolitan-Water-Reclamation-District-Greater-Chicago-Tests#.VgmOUK850DV.mailto
"Creek Work to Control Crestwood Flooding," Chicago Tribune (IL), Insurance News Net
Full article text: A multimillion-dollar flood control project that will get
under way later this fall in Crestwood is expected to save nearly 200 homeowners
thousands of dollars in flood insurance costs.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District expects to spend $7.2 million on
a project to clean and widen a section of Tinley Creek east of Central Avenue
that runs through the village and empties into the Calumet Sag Channel.
Earlier this month the district awarded a contract for the work to Industria
Inc., and along with removing debris that slows the flow of water, the work will
include stabilizing the banks of the creek along a 1,000-foot section and taking
steps to control erosion along the banks, according to the district. The company
will also replace three pedestrian bridges, including one next to Playfield
Park, that cross the creek.
The bulk of the work is scheduled to be completed before the end of October
2016, and the project is estimated to provide flood protection for 173 homes,
primarily in the Playfield subdivision of the village, according to Crestwood
Mayor Lou Presta and Trustee Dan Jurka. MWRD says that the full project,
including establishment of vegetation to stabilize the creek banks, will be
finished by October 2019.
According to the MWRD, the work is designed to increase the creek’s
conveyance capacity to handle runoff from major storms. Presta and Jurka said
that, over time, debris has accumulated in the creek, slowing its flow, and that
erosion along the creek's banks has also reduced the waterway’s capacity. "There’s trash, fallen trees, stumps and even the sides of the creek have
washed out," Jurka said. "The water will flow a lot freer (after the MWRD
work)."
The area that will benefit is roughly bounded by 127th and 130th streets on
the north and south, and West Playfield Drive and Central on the east and west,
Presta said.
The mayor said that 173 homeowners who currently need to buy flood insurance,
at a cost of between $1,500 and $2,000 a year, won’t have to once the project
wraps up. He said the village has been working with MWRD for three years to
convince them of the need for the project.
"It’s a big project," he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-crestwood-flood-control-st-0924-20150928-story.html
http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2015/09/28/creek-work-to-control-crestwood-flooding.html
"GE’s Energy-Neutral Wastewater Treatment Technology Could Save
Municipalities Millions," Sustainable Brands
Full article text: Water and wastewater treatment typically account for 35
percent of a municipality’s energy budget, which would mean big savings for
local governments that can make the facilities energy neutral—that is, increase
energy production to a level equal to or greater than the amount of energy it
consumes. GE recently began a demonstration project in Illinois to prove its newest wastewater treatment product can do just that. The
company announced today it has several wastewater treatment products that it
asserts are energy neutral, the latest being the ZeeLung Membrane Aerated
Biofilm Reactor (MABR)—a gas-transfer membrane that diffuses oxygen to a biofilm
that grows on the outside surface of the membrane. The microorganisms in the
biofilm remove nutrients and organics in the wastewater by metabolizing them in
the presence of oxygen. The product is immersed in existing bioreactors to
improve performance and capacity of the facility.
GE claims the ZeeLung MABR is four times more energy efficient than the
conventional fine-bubble aeration systems many municipalities are currently
using. According to GE, aeration for biological treatment typically represents
60 percent of a facility’s power usage. The anaerobic digestion process enhances
on-site energy production and can result in the wastewater facility achieving
energy neutrality.
"By inventing ZeeLung, GE is creating an opportunity to transform wastewater
treatment plants from disposal facilities to resource recovery centers that
yield clean water, nutrients and renewable energy from wastewater," Heiner Markhoff,
president and CEO of water and process technologies for GE Power & Water,
said in a statement. "This is a game-changing innovation in the pursuit of energy neutrality in the municipal wastewater
treatment sector that also addresses the need for facilities to upgrade for
nutrient removal and capacity expansion within an existing plant footprint."
"The energy costs for the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant are $5 million per
year. Our aspiration is to become energy neutral by increasing our energy
production while decreasing energy consumption. GE’s ZeeLung has the potential
to help us achieve this goal," said Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos,
president of the MWRD Board of Commissioners. "The demonstration of GE’s new
ZeeLung MABR may be an innovative way to meet the future regulation for
phosphorous removal within the existing footprint while also decreasing the
energy demand of the plant."
Today’s announcement builds on GE’s other initiatives to tackle municipal
footprints, including products, research, and a competition around "smart
cities." Earlier this year, GE launched a platform to explore the impact of
water reuse on the industrial and municipal sectors, UsedtoUseful.
However, GE is not alone in developing bio-based solutions for wastewater
treatment. In fact, a startup formed at Oregon State University,
called Waste2Watergy, secured $225,000 in federal funding in February to advance
its microbial fuel cell (MFC) system that generates energy from treating
wastewater. And researchers from Arizona State University and New Mexico State University are developing an algae-based wastewater treatment method that
could prove energy positive.
http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/cleantech/hannah_furlong/ges_energy-neutral_wastewater_treatment_technology_could_be_
"Governor Announces Appointments," Real Estate Rama
Full article text: Governor Bruce Rauner announced he has made appointments
to the Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority, the Northern Illinois
University Board of Trustees and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
Name: Mason Budelier
Position: Executive Director – Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Mason Budelier as Executive Director of
the Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority. He currently serves as the
General Counsel of the Authority.
Budelier came to the Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority in
February. Before the Authority, Budelier served as a staff attorney at the
Office of Council to the Inspector General within the Illinois Department of
Healthcare and Family Services. He served in that role from 2011-2015 and
handled legal and policy issues related to the administration of the Illinois
Medicaid program. He also spent three years as an associate attorney with
Bollinger, Ruberry & Garvey.
Budelier earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Iowa State
University and a law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law. He lives in
Chicago.
Name: Tim Struthers
Position: Trustee – Northern Illinois University
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Tim Struthers to the Northern Illinois
University Board of Trustees. He holds two degrees from the institution.
Struthers is the Illinois Market President of First National Bank of Omaha.
His responsibilities include general market and administrative duties for
banking operations across the state of Illinois. He has 35 years of experience
with the company, having started with them in 1980.
Struthers currently serves on the boards of the Northern Illinois University
Foundation, the DeKalb Sanitary District, the Illinois Council on Economic
Education, and Grace Lutheran Church.
Struthers earned both a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA from Northern
Illinois University. He lives in DeKalb.
Name: David Walsh
Position: Member – Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed David Walsh to the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District.
Walsh currently serves as the head of business development for Mark J. Walsh
and Company. MJW&CO is a Chicago based commodity trading advisor. Previously,
Walsh served as Senior Vice President of Advertising for the Minneapolis Star
Tribune. Prior to joining the Star Tribune, Walsh worked in a variety of
positions within the Tribune Company, where his last position was Vice President
of Advertising for the Los Angeles Times. Before joining the Times in 2005, he
served as vice president of Tribune Interactive, where he oversaw print and
online classified strategies for 10 Tribune owned newspapers.
Walsh earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois. He lives in
Chicago.
http://illinois.realestaterama.com/2015/09/28/governor-announces-appointments-2-ID01094.html
"Eye-Catching Stocks: General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), Abbott Laboratories
(NYSE:ABT), QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM), Weatherford International Plc
(NYSE:WFT), "WS News Publishers
Full article text: On Monday, Shares of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE),
lost -2.41% to $24.32.
General Electric Company – With the aim of becoming energy neutral by 2023,
the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) recently
began a demonstration project to evaluate GE’s (GE) new ZeeLung* Membrane
Aerated Biofilm Reactor (ZeeLung MABR) technology. The test is being performed
at the district’s O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, to prove
ZeeLung’s ability to remove nutrients in the plant’s existing footprint and
reduce the energy required for biological aeration by 40 percent.
Energy neutrality is the ability to reduce energy consumption while
increasing energy production to the point that a facility produces as much or
more energy than it consumes, which is increasingly important since water and
wastewater treatment typically accounts for 35 percent of a municipality’s
energy budget.
In June 2015, the MWRD and GE commissioned a demonstration of one ZeeLung
MABR cassette at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant to prove the concept
works—an important first step before the district considers whether to install
the technology in the full-scale plant, one of the largest sewage treatment
facilities in the United States.
Facing the need to meet more stringent regulations for phosphorus removal in
the future, the MWRD was motivated to evaluate ZeeLung as a means to implement
biological phosphorus removal in its existing bioreactors and without the need
for chemical addition. Modeling has shown that at full scale, ZeeLung has the
potential to assist the MWRD improve the O’Brien facility’s performance under
stressed conditions, specifically cold temperature peak events. Furthermore,
these benefits come with the potential energy savings of 40 percent over the
existing fine bubble aeration system.
General Electric Company (GE) is a diversified infrastructure and financial
services company. The products and services of the Company range from aircraft
engines, power generation, oil and gas production equipment, and household
appliances to medical imaging, business and consumer financing and industrial
products. Shares of Abbott Laboratories
(NYSE:ABT), declined -4.41% to $39.06, during its last
trading session.
Abbott Laboratories commitment to support working mothers with progressive
benefits and extraordinary career opportunities was recognized recently by
Working Mother magazine.
Abbott has been a mainstay on Working Mother’s "100 Best Companies" list, and
this year was comprised in the top 10 of all companies evaluated. The highly
regarded ranking assesses workplace attributes such as the advancement of women,
scheduling flexibility, child care, and paid parental leave.
In recognition of Abbott’s 15th successive year on the "100 Best Companies"
list, the healthcare company will also be inducted into Working Mother’s Hall of
Fame during the organization’s annual Work Life Congress event, which will be
held at the Marriott Marquis in New York City on October 14 – 15.
The advancement of women ties closely to Abbott’s identity. Women make up 46
percent of the company’s administration and nearly half of its global workforce.
In executive administration, representation of women has raised 42 percent over
a 10-year period. Three of the 10 leaders reporting to Abbott’s chairman and CEO
are women while four out of 11 members of Abbott’s Board of Directors are
female.
Abbott Laboratories (Abbott) is engaged in the discovery, development,
manufacture and sale of a range of health care products. Abbott operates in four
business segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products,
Nutritional Products, and Vascular Products. The Established Pharmaceutical
Products segment includes the international sales of a line of branded generic
pharmaceutical products. Shares of QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM), declined -1.28% to $52.54, during its
last trading session.
QUALCOMM, declared its intention to invest up to $150 million in Indian
startup companies across all stages as part of its commitment to India during a
meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Digital Economy event in San
Jose. Qualcomm Ventures will advise and direct Qualcomm’s activities with
respect to these planned investments.
Qualcomm has been investing in promising Indian startups since 2007 and there
are more than 20 Indian companies as part of its global portfolio. Sectors of
investment vary across the mobile ecosystem and comprise hardware, software
platforms, e-commerce, healthcare, location based services and retail
technology. Initiatives such as the QPrize™ competition, a global seed
investment competition, in addition to an early stage fund, are part of the
team’s efforts in encouraging early stage entrepreneurs.
Qualcomm directly invests in Indian mobile and internet start-up companies to
keenly foster the local ecosystem. Portfolio companies comprise Yourstory, a
media tech platform for entrepreneurs; Portea Medical, an in-home healthcare
provider; and MapMyIndia, a provider of digital map, navigation, and tracking
products and services. Indian companies receiving funding can benefit from
Qualcomm’s insights on mobile technologies and utilize Qualcomm’s relationships
throughout the industry. Qualcomm Ventures’ India team also provides unique
support through its comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the region.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (Qualcomm) designs, manufactures and market digital
communications products and services based on Code Division Multiple Access
(CDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and other
technologies. Finally, Weatherford International Plc (NYSE:WFT), ended its last trade
with -6.09% loss, and closed at $8.17.
Weatherford International declared that it has decided not to pursue its
formerly declared concurrent public offerings of ordinary shares of the Company
and mandatorily exchangeable subordinated notes of Weatherford International
Ltd., a Bermuda exempted company and wholly owned partner of the Company.
While investor interest was strong for this offering, we are unwilling to
sell securities at prices that do not reflect the value we have created at
Weatherford. The Company continues on its resolute course of focusing on its
core businesses and the efficiency of its operations. The Company also continues
to expect to deliver positive free cash flow in 2015 and years beyond, has ample
liquidity, and remains focused on generating strong returns for our
shareholders.
The securities described above were to be offered following an effective
registration statement (the "Registration Statement") filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). This press release does not constitute an
offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described
above, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful before
registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or
jurisdiction.
Weatherford International plc provides equipment and services used in the
drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and
natural gas wells worldwide.
DISCLAIMER:
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this article is believed to be from reliable sources, but we make no
representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the
completeness, accuracy, or reliability with respect to this article.
All visitors are advised to conduct their own independent research into
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Information contained in this article contains forward-looking information
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, counting statements regarding the
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Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to
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http://www.wsnewspublishers.com/eye-catching-stocks-general-electric-company-nysege-abbott-laboratories-nyseabt-qualcomm-inc-nasdaqqcom-weatherford-international-plc-nysewft/1532437/
"Recovering Phosphorus Nutrients for Reuse," American Infrastructure Magazine
 The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD)
endeavors to protect the source of their drinking water, improve the quality of
the area’s waterways and manage water as a vital resource for the area.
Their
new phosphorus recovery facility is an ongoing project that proactively
counteracts anticipated limitations for nutrients. Phosphorus is a non-renewable
resource essential for life and its limited availability has become a growing
global issue. Sourced from rock mines, phosphorus is transported considerable
distances for distribution. Unfortunately, it is estimated that there are fewer
than 100 years’ worth of phosphorus reserves remaining worldwide. When used in
excess, the discharging into waterways can be detrimental to water quality in
addition to dead zones. One of the largest dead zones is in the Gulf of Mexico,
covering an area the size of New Jersey and growing exponentially over the past
several decades. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandates require
Illinois to reduce phosphorus runoff by 45 percent and the MWRD will achieve 20
percent of the state’s 45 percent reduction goal when fully operational in 2017. "Managing the overabundance of phosphorus and nitrogen in our waterways is a
challenge shared by all sectors of society," said MWRD President Mariyana
Spyropoulos. "With the installation of a nutrient recovery facility at the
Stickney Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), the District is committed to advancing a
long term, sustainable solution."
With the approval of the Board of
Commissioners, the MWRD entered an agreement with Black and Veatch Construction,
Inc., (B&V) for the facility design on June 6, 2013, and construction for
September 3, 2014.
Part of the proposed compliance schedule was the installation of a sidestream
phosphorus recovery system, aiding in the removal of phosphorus from the
centrifuge centrate recycle stream. The facility recovers phosphorus and roughly
15 percent of the nitrogen, as ammonia, from the process stream treated to form
the product.
The combination of this and the enhanced biological phosphorus
removal will result in lower effluent limitation over time. Most importantly,
this process will recover phosphorus and make it available for reuse.
"The
MWRD’s decision to install a nutrient recovery facility is at the forefront of a
growing trend we’re seeing within the wastewater treatment sector," said F.
Phillip Abrary, President and CEO of Ostara, the company behind the innovative
technology used. "Increasingly, these utilities see themselves as more than
simply water treatment plants. Rather, they are resource recovery centers,
recycling water, energy and nutrients for beneficial reuse. Our technology helps
them fulfill this mandate by recovering phosphorus and nitrogen in a way that is
both economically and environmentally sustainable."
This new process will result
in 1,150 tons of phosphorus removed each year from the waste stream at the
Stickney WRP, the largest facility of its kind in the world. The Stickney WRP
serves 2.3 million people, treats a 260-square-mile area including the central
part of Chicago and 46 suburban communities, and covers 413 acres. With
anticipated regulatory limitations for nutrients, the MWRD was proactive in
voluntarily accepting a 1.0 milligram/ liter limitation for total phosphorus in
its next permit at the Stickney WRP. This permit included a compliance schedule
to meet that limitation. 
The first treatment included coarse screens, fine screens, grit removal and
primary treatment, followed by the secondary treatment and then discharged to
the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. For solids, primary sludge will be screened
and concentrated utilizing gravity concentration tanks, waste activate sludge
will be thickened utilizing centrifuges. These solids streams are then combined
and anaerobically digested. The remainder is sent to multiple outlets including
a pelletizer facility, farm land application, solids lagoons for aging or solids
drying areas for air drying centrifuges for further dewatering. The aged solids
from the lagoons is further air dried on solids drying areas prior to
beneficially utilizing. Various recycle streams called centrates from the
various processes are returned to the headworks of the Stickney WRP. This
construction made available over 200 jobs and required over 44,000 man hours of
skilled trade expertise. As the MWRD moves from a waste paradigm to a resource
paradigm, they are evolving into a resource recovery agency through water
recovery and reuse, influencing future builds in infrastructure throughout
America. The MWRD works to maximize Cook County taxpayer dollars, including a
15-year return on investment. This project is one of many underway that
anticipates a considerable return on investment, in addition to anticipating
future situations where a similar impact can be made. The MWRD is working on
energy neutrality by increasing biogas utilization and implementing nutrient
removal and recovery. Additionally, through better control of the treatment
processes they will be able to reduce and make most efficient use of utilities,
such as electricity and natural gas.
Devon Douglas is the Assistant Editor for American Infrastructure magazine.
She may be reached at devon@penpubinc.com.
http://americaninfrastructuremag.com/article/recovering-phosphorus-nutrients-reuse
"Live Stream WEFTEC OGS and Great Water Cities Session,"
What’s Happening at WEF: Special WEFTEC
Edition
Full article text: Can’t make it to the Opening General Session on Monday,
Sept. 28? We’ve got you covered. The Opening General Session, "Leading the Water
Resource Revolution," featuring Rob Stewart, will be streamed live at 8:15 am
CST. You also may access the Great Water Cities Session (moderated by MWRD
Executive Director David St. Pierre), "The Impact of Leadership: Culture,
Communication, and Community in Great Water Cities," at 10:00 am CST. Don’t miss
these motivational and engaging events. Access the live streams from the
WEFTEC homepage.
http://www.weftec.org/WaterCities/
"Unleashing the Power of Potential," American Infrastructure
Full article text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago (MWRD) is involved in many exciting projects. The MWRD is building the
largest phosphorus recovery system in the world, embarking on a water recovery
partnership in a major industrial corridor, working on denitritation as a full
stream energy reduction process, implementing a food to energy project on the
way to energy neutrality by 2023 and exploring an algae acceleration process
that has the potential to transform the clean water world…to name a few. Despite
the progress being made on these major projects, the real key to these
achievements lies in the people behind the curtain. People are quite amazing. A
few people are amazing as individuals, but most of us blend into the background
of the canvass. Yet, when people work together as a team towards a collective
purpose, the sky…no the universe…no the collective universes surrounding our
universe…well, there are just no limits as to what we can accomplish. Stated
another way, the potential of people is unlimited.
If the above paragraph is
true, then the goal of every executive, manager or supervisor should be to
unleash the power of potential that exists within their employees. Nothing
happens without people. People united to accomplish create a powerful force that
rises above the potential of the individual. This power taps into and releases
the creative solutions that have not yet surfaced. This creative spirit is what
creates champions. Every team has common components. Teams are made up of a
variety of roles within four main areas: administration, support personnel,
coaches and players. Every team is ultimately defined by the performance of the
players. A great team has great goals and every member of the organization keeps their eye on the prize and contributes to the
overall success.
Clean water utilities that understand this concept are
utilities that are moving ahead. Excellence is built on the past but stretches
itself out as it reaches higher. The opportunities and stakes have never been
more critical.
Water is fundamental to life and as keepers of this precious
commodity, utilities must excel to meet the challenges of today. Utilities that
are not reaching will struggle maintaining their systems and will age with their
infrastructure.
Utilities have just begun scratching the surface of a new
concept: "The Utility of the Future." The MWRD has built its strategic vision
around this concept. The vision statement is "Recovering Resources, Transforming
Water." This vision incorporates the concepts of the aggressive goals MWRD hopes
to achieve over the next three to five years. A closer analysis of MWRD’s
strategic business plan reveals the important link that the transformative has
with the performance of the team. There are six goals in this plan. One goal is
aimed at transforming the industry—Recovering Resources. Five of these goals are
aimed at unlocking the potential of people. It is not an accident. The utility
of the future will be discovered through the success and failures of people at
work.
MWRD’s five people goals are—to Add Value, Seek Excellence, Develop
Employees, Lead Partnerships and to Develop Technology Tools. Each of these
goals is aimed at giving employees the vision to achieve. They set the stage,
not for mediocrity, but for championship performance. A team must have a
championship vision to obtain championship results. Creating a championship
atmosphere is critical for success. The issues utilities are facing need new,
creative ideas. In a world of tremendous technological change, the clean water
utility has seen very little movement.
The "Utility of the Future" framework is
the start of a creative process that will transform the industry. Clean Water
Utilities will recover valuable resources with processes yet to be discovered as
a viable addition to treatment plants. New and innovative infrastructure models
will enhance and rebuild our current systems. The Clean Water Utility future is
just beginning, but one thing is certain: utilities that unlock the potential of
their people and set a transformational vision will get us there. David St.
Pierre is the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
of Greater Chicago. Find out more by visiting
www.mwrd.org.
http://americaninfrastructuremag.com/article/unleashing-power-potential
"MWRD Opens Levee 37,"
Dredging Today
 Full article text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of
Greater Chicago, in working together with federal leaders, the USACE, various
agencies, and northwest suburban communities surrounding the Des Plaines River, has carried forth its mission
to prevent flooding by officially opening Levee 37. Officials with the MWRD and USACE joined U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep.
Jan Schakowsky, along with state lawmakers, the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources (IDNR), Cook County Forest Preserve District and local leaders from
Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights and Wheeling to open Levee 37 earlier this
month. Levee 37, also known as the Mount Prospect/Prospect Heights Levee, will
protect more than 600 existing homes and dozens of businesses in Mount Prospect
and Prospect Heights, Illinois, from future flooding, with an estimated annual
savings of more than $3 million in avoided flood damage. This scheme is one of six projects authorized as part of an Upper Des Plaines
River endeavor to reduce flooding along roughly 80 miles of the Des Plaines
River, which flows through 33 municipalities in Cook and Lake Counties. This
project and its partner project, Levee 50, are a 65/35 federal/non-federal
share.
http://www.dredgingtoday.com/2015/09/22/mwrd-opens-levee-37/
"Partnership Boosts Skilled Workforce," Millennium Reserve (IL)
Full article text: Quincy Douglas remembers when he came to South Suburban
College to participate in the Calumet Green Manufacturing Partnership’s (CGMP)
five-month job training program. "I was out of high school and really didn’t
know what to do. At first I was skeptical, but then I was really interested in
getting a job in manufacturing. I got excited about how machines work and what
you can do with them," says Douglas, who also attended Prairie State College for
the program. "I gained experience doing manual work on a lathe, and later
learned about CNC (computer numerical control) machines." Douglas is one of more
than 250 people who have participated in the program, which aims to enhance the
manufacturing industry in the Millennium Reserve/Calumet Region. CGMP, which
started in 2012, addresses the mismatch between jobs area manufacturers need to
fill and the lack of skilled jobseekers. It also promotes careers in
manufacturing to ensure that a competitive workforce is a key asset for regional
economic development. In its first three years, participants in the program have
earned over 500 manufacturing industry-recognized certifications through college
trainings. One hundred and eighty-five graduates found employment. About 80
companies have participated in the program. The Calumet Green Manufacturing
Partnership also strongly reflects a priority project of Millennium Reserve to
implement an Industrial Jobs Work Plan. Progress made by the program, however,
cannot just be measured by numbers, but by a meaningful and unique partnership
between companies, colleges, nonprofits and students who have all played an
essential role in its development. "This program is effective because of the
relationships and trust that has been built," says Mollie Dowling, executive
director of OAI, Inc., which coordinates CGMP and is responsible for outreach,
recruitment, screening and job placement for the program. "We are all in this
together." (OAI, Inc. is a 40+ year old non-profit workforce development
organization working in the Calumet Region). One example of working together,
Dowling says, are popular quarterly meetings that give companies in the region
an opportunity to share information about challenges they face, including what
positions they struggle to fill. The Partnership’s priorities for developing a
cohesive workforce and economic development plan also include providing outreach
and recruitment services that educate the public about new and innovative
manufacturing training opportunities. CGMP partners are members of the
SouthWorks Maker Lab Network and OAI operates a community-based MakerLab in Park
Forest, which supports innovation and entrepreneurship efforts and is being
integrated into the training program. The training program is offered at Prairie State College, Richard J. Daley
College, South Suburban College and Moraine Valley Community College. Initially
supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, funders include the
Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance, The Chicago Community Trust and United
Way of Metropolitan Chicago. Once we have recruited and thoroughly screened the applicants, we enroll them into classes with
colleges, support them in training and help them secure jobs," says Dowling. (OAI
is also part of 1,000 Jobs, a campaign to connect residents to manufacturing
jobs or training programs that can lead to full-time employment. The campaign
was developed by World Business Chicago’s Advisory Council for Chicagoland
Manufacturing).
"We are trying to create a method where an employer can work collaboratively
with community colleges—and now high schools—to help create a career pipeline of
skilled people," adds Reggie Greenwood, director of economic development for the
South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association, one of the lead partners of CGMP.
In recent decades, many manufacturers have left the region (and state); as they
left, hopes that the sector would produce decent-paying, secure jobs plummeted. As a result, the
reputation of the manufacturing sector as a provider of jobs in the region took
a major hit. Now, however, many manufacturers that are here can’t find enough
qualified workers to fill many positions. In today’s world, manufacturing jobs
have changed: Students need the kind of computer and manufacturing skills that
many don’t have (but that are taught in this program). CGMP aims to help address
current needs while reversing long-help perceptions by teaching a range of
technical skills as well as how to work as part of a team.
The need for skilled employees could become even more pronounced in the coming years because of the "silver
tsunami," which refers to the aging workforce and impending wave of retirees. By
the year 2020, about one-fourth of the U.S. workforce will be composed of
workers aged 55 and over. "We have concerns about finding skilled CNC
machinists," says Johanna Ryan, director of human resources of Bimba
Manufacturing Company in University Park, which makes pneumatic air cylinders.
"So many people are at the point where they can retire." The company has had
four interns through CGMP’s internship program, which reaches low-income people
between 18 and 24. "Programs like this look at the community as a whole. That
has ripple benefits across the Southland that will help our company in the long
term."
While the Partnership has developed the certification program with local
community colleges, a key next step will be working with high schools to promote
how they provide manufacturing education and career options to students. For
years, many high schools have cut back on programs that prepare students for
manufacturing jobs. In a region with deep roots in manufacturing, the message of
this partnership is that here’s a way to bolster the region by encouraging this
sector. "We want this to be a region with high expectations for our workforce,"
says Marty Wolfe, director of industrial technology at Prairie State College.
"That’s what this program is about: it’s a very accelerated program that
connects students, colleges and employers."
"This program opened a lot of doors for me," says Douglas. "Now I am working
at Kay Manufacturing in Calumet City, which makes car parts for companies. I
help make sure that parts are working like they are supposed to, and sometimes I
make suggestions to engineers and CNC operators. I’ve been here for nine months,
and I like it a lot. I want to get better and better and progress in the
company. And I want to learn more about computers. Someday, I’d like to be an
engineer." (The MWRD is a partner of Millennium Reserve.)
Note: The Calumet Green Manufacturing Partnership is holding a Manufacturing
Day event on October 1 at Bloom High School in Chicago Heights. The event will
include tours of companies in the region as well as open house events at area
community colleges highlighting their manufacturing programs. For more
information, go to http://www.mfgday.com/
http://www.millenniumreserve.org/Priorities/new-pagecalumet-green-manufacturing-partnership/
"Congratulations to (WEFTEC) Illinois Public Official Award Winners," IWEA
Full article text: Commissioner Frank Avila was elected to the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Board of Commissioners in 2002 and
was re-elected in 2008 and 2014. He is the Chairman of the Engineering
Committee, Finance Committee, the Maintenance and Operations Committee and the
Public Health and Welfare Committee. He is Vice Chairman of the Affirmative
Action Committee and the Industrial Waste/Water Pollution Committee. Commissioner Avila works to protect the health and safety of the public and
protect the quality of water in the Chicago area waterways. His top priorities
include cost-effective wastewater treatment, flood prevention, and the
regulation of waste disposal to protect our waterways including eliminating
toxic chemicals from the source to prevent endocrine disruption.
15 0921_IWEAatWEFTEC2015_Avila.pdf
"IWEA Members Contribute to WEFTEC Program," IWEA
Full article text: Our members support WEFTEC by leading workshops and
providing material for technical sessions:
Workshops
Laboratory Skills for the Treatment Plant Operator
IWEA Laboratory Committee,
Sunday, 9/27, S540a Activated Sludge and BNR Process Control: Hands On in the
Real World
Microscopy:The Bugs
Auralene Toni Glymph, Sunday, 9/27, off-site
Communicating with Stakeholders: A Chicago Experience
You Just Can't Hide a Biosolids Program!
Lakhwinder Hundal, Saturday, 9/26, S503a Maximizing the
Potential of Your Mesophilic Anaerobic Digesters
Operating Procedures and
Practical Concerns
Heng Zhang, Sunday, 9/27, S501a
|
Speakers |
Session |
Title |
Date/Location |
|
Dan
Collins (moderator), MWRD |
Energy
Recovery |
|
1:00
PM, Wed. 9/30, S401d |
|
Chuck
Corely,
(conductor)
IEPA, retired |
Water
and Wastewater 101
Mobil Session |
|
10:00
AM, Tues.
9/29, Learning Lounge, WEF Plaza |
|
Maureen
Durkin, MWRD |
Collection System Field Operation |
Maintaining the Invisible: The Future of Managing Greater Chicago's
Collection System |
12:00
PM, Wed. 9/30, Exhibit Hall Booth 4606 |
|
John
Gage, Greeley & Hansen |
Design
Solutions in CSO Settings |
World's
Largest Rain Barrel: Repurposing Abandoned Infrastructure for Innovative
Stormwater Management |
10:30
AM, Tues. 9/29, N426B |
|
Dave
Holland, Aqua-Aerobic Systems |
Worldwide Advances in Water Filtration Technology |
Depth
Filtration with Microfiber Cloth Enhances Performance of Ultrafiltration
as Pretreatment to Seawater Desalination Systems |
3:30
PM, Mon. 9/28, S504a |
|
Mark
Hughs, Aqua-Aerobic Systems |
Phosphorus: The Practice and Performance of Ultra-Low Effluents |
Validating the Reliability of Cloth Media Filtration to Achieve an
Effluent Total Phosphorus Less Than 75 ug/L |
9:30
AM, Wed. 9/30, Exhibit Hall Booth 5453 |
|
Mary
Johnson, RRWRD |
Importance of Accredited Data in the Regulatory Environment |
NELAP
Accreditation:
A Small Laboratory's Experience |
2:30
PM, Mon. 9/28, Exhibit Hall Booth 5478 |
|
Joseph
Kozak (moderator), MWRD |
Greenhouse Gases From Wastewater Systems |
|
1:30
PM, Wed. 9/30, S401c |
|
Sai
Archana Kuchimanchi (moderator), CMT |
Co-Digestion II |
|
1:30
PM, Tues. 9/29, S502A |
|
Larry
McFall, RRWRD |
The
ABCs of Public Outreach and Education |
Use of
an Aquarium and Treatment Plant Scale Model in Public Outreach Expansion
at Water Reclamation Facilities |
11:00
AM, Wed. 9/30, S404A |
|
Billy
Nichols, Greeley & Hansen |
Project
Delivery: Drivers Needed |
Better
Serving the Community through Public-Private Partnerships |
2:30
PM, Mon. 9/28, S403B |
|
Terry
Reid, Aqua-Aerobic Systems |
Low-C
Diet for Activated Sludge: Carbon Diversion From the Primary |
Cloth
Depth Filtration of Primary Domestic Wastewater |
2:00
PM, Wed. 9/30, S404d |
|
David
St. Pierre (moderator), MWRD |
The
Impact of Leadership: Culture, Communication, and Community in Great
Water Cities |
|
10:00
AM, Mon. 9/28, McCormick Place South |
|
Lou
Storino, MWRD |
Collection Systems Design and Construction |
Chicago
Deep Tunnel: Thornton Reservoir Design, Construction and Operation |
1:30
PM, Tues. 9/29, S501a |
|
Kendra
Sveum, Donohue & Associates & Catherine O'Conner, MWRD |
Aeration Forum |
How Low
Can You Go While Treating 1.4 Billion Gallons a Day? An Advanced
Aeration Efficiency Evaluation at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant |
8:30
AM, Tues. 9/29, S404D |
|
Amy
Underwood, Walter E. Deuchler Associates |
Advanced Anaerobic Digestion |
Improved Biosolids Stabilization Utilizing Temperature Phased Anaerobic
Digestion |
1:30
PM, Mon. 9/28, S501D |
"Central Road Flood Project, in Early Stages, Targets Area from DP River to West Glenview," Journal & Topics (IL)
Full article text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of
Greater Chicago is in the early stages of working on a large flood relief
project running from the Des Plaines River near Des Plaines to western sections
of Glenview.
Although there many uncertainties remain, the flood mitigation project could
begin construction by 2017, MWRD officials said.
"If there is a feasible project found at the end of preliminary engineering
and the MWRD and the participating partners agree on the funding, it would be
possible for final engineering to begin in early 2016 and construction could
potentially begin in 2017," MWRD spokeswoman Allison Fore said in an email to
the Journal.
Partners in the project with MWRD are expected to be the village of Glenview,
Maine and Northfield townships and the Illinois Dept. of Transportation (IDOT).
MWRD is performing a preliminary study of the area along Central Road from
the Des Plaines River to Glenwood Lane in Glenview near Greenwood Road using the
firm Fluid Clarity, Ltd. The study began in November 2014 and is expected to be
completed by the end of 2015.
Until the study is complete and MWRD and other officials come to an agreement
on project parameters, MWRD officials said they could not give what specific s would be seen or what
cost shares would be approved betw
een the five agencies.
MWRD held a public meeting with partnering agencies late last month to hear
community input on four possible concepts for flood relief in the area.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_c9567ece-5cb3-11e5-aad8-ab92e43f7df0.html
"MWRD Officially Opens Levee 37 to Better Prevent Flooding, Manage Stormwater," Water World
Full article text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of
Greater Chicago—in working together with federal leaders, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE), various agencies, and northwest suburban communities
surrounding the Des Plaines River—has carried forth its mission to prevent
flooding and manage stormwater by officially opening Levee 37.
Levee 37, also known as the Mount Prospect/Prospect Heights Levee, is located
between Palatine Road to Euclid Avenue on the west side of the Des Plaines
River. It will protect more than 600 existing homes and dozens of businesses in
Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights from future flooding, with an estimated
annual savings of more than $3 million in avoided flood damage.
The project became closer to reality after the MWRD stepped in to build a
compensatory storage facility in Heritage Park in nearby Wheeling, which was
needed to fill a 600-foot gap in the levee structure that could prevent additional water levels from escaping
downstream. The Wheeling compensatory storage filled that gap.
"This project holds a special meaning to the [MWRD], as the Heritage Park
Flood Control Facility was our first major stormwater construction project since
the Illinois General Assembly granted us stormwater management authority in
2004," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "It is also important to us
because of the breadth of intergovernmental partnerships forged thro this
process. Through our relationship with the Village of Wheeling, Wheeling Park
District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Illinois Department of Natural
Resources, the Heritage Park Flood Control Facility will ensure the benefits of
Levee 37 could be realized."
By developing the plan to provide compensatory floodplain storage for the
USACE’s Levee 37 Project on the Des Plaines River, officials estimated they can
protect hundreds of homes and businesses and also provide increased stormwater
detention at Heritage Park for the village of Wheeling. At Heritage Park, the
MWRD, working with the Wheeling Park District, was able to provide six
stormwater storage areas with a total capacity of more than 49 million gallons,
as well as recreational improvements to Heritage Park, including new walkways, a
pavilion by the lake, a band shell, soccer fields and a baseball complex.
Levee 37 is one of six projects authorized as part of an Upper Des Plaines
River endeavor to reduce flooding along roughly 80 miles of the Des Plaines
River, which flows through 33 municipalities in Cook and Lake Counties. This
project and its partner project, Levee 50, are a 65/35 federal/non-federal
share. All but about $100,000 of the $36 million that went into Levee 37 is
federal funding, leaving most of the non-federal share for the construction of
Levee 50. The levee projects include a flood warning system.
Work on Levee 37 began in spring 2009, but flooding has impacted the area for
decades. In September 1986, flooding caused an estimated $35 million in damage
to 10,000 dwellings and 263 business and industrial sites. More than 15,000
residents were evacuated from the flooded area and seven lives were lost.
Prior to Levee 37, flood fighting required the local communities to construct
a wall of Jersey barriers, wrapped in tarp, with sandbags along the centerline
of River Road. Portable pumps were required to provide interior damage. The new
levee will include a pump station designed to handle interior drainage, a
floodwall that reaches eight feet high in stretches and closure structures
equipped with pipes that drain landside water and flap gates preventing backflow
from the river.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/09/completed-levee-37-project-prevents-flooding-in-des-plaines-river-communities.html
"Native American Cultural Center Will Likely Come to Lockport Train Station," My Suburban Life (IL)
Full article text: The Lockport train station likely will soon be sharing
space with a new Native American cultural center.
The City Council is considering a one-year, rent-free lease with the
nonprofit Midwest Soarring Foundation to use part of the Metra train station
building, which the city owns, as a meeting and cultural center.
According to the terms of the lease presented Wednesday to the Committee of
the Whole, the foundation will be allowed to use the 1,400-square-foot office
space in the station for a center to promote Native American culture with
exhibits, educational material and powwows.
The center also will be open to the public for educational purposes.
The group will have the option to extend its lease for another year, but that
will have to be approved by the council, City Administrator Ben Bensen said.
In return the foundation will make some improvements to the building
necessary for its cultural center, as well as maintain and add to the property’s
landscape with Native American plantings, according to Bensen.
The lease will be on the consent agenda for approval at the council’s Oct. 7
meeting.
Foundation Founder Joseph Standing Bear Schranz made a presentation to the
committee at its Sept. 2 meeting, and said Lockport had "the spirit" the
foundation looks for in locations for its annual powwows.
The foundation holds a powwow yearly at Naper Settlement in Naperville and is
looking for an indoor venue for the winter months, he said.
In other news, the city has sent out its letter of support to the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers for a proposed oil storage and barge loading facility to be
built by Ducere LLC on MWRD Island in the west half of the Chicago Sanitary and
Ship Canal in unincorporated Will County, Bensen told the council.
Ducere’s endeavor also includes a 1.75-mile, 30-inch-wide pipeline that would
transport oil from Shell Tank Farm north of Star Business Park to the new
facility. Some of that pipeline’s route would fall under Lockport’s public
right-of-way and would require an easement agreement with the city.
The letter expresses the city’s "willingness to work with Ducere LLC in
having the underground pipeline constructed in a manner that will promote public
safety but also will generate a benefit for nearby residents and businesses."
Bensen’s letter also states any easement agreement with the city would
mandate Ducere comply with federal and state regulations for the pipeline,
especially those that protect the city’s water and sewer systems and drinking
water supply.
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2015/09/17/native-american-cultural-center-will-likely-come-to-lockport-train-station/asiulex
"Harbour Clean-ups US-Style," Maritime Journal (UK)
Full article text: US-based pollution control specialist Elastec is
manufacturing trash and debris collection boats to skim floating litter from
harbours and waterways. Designed to be maneuverable in hard to reach areas, the
boat has an inverted bow to usher floating refuse into its 98 cubic feet trash
basket. The aluminum vessel can also be used for a wide variety of marine
maintenance duties from its spacious 8 x 11 ft work platform. Marine litter and
debris control is an emerging environmental issue as a result of the regulation
of water pollution under the Clean Water Act. Of primary concern are
municipalities with Combined Sewer Systems (CSS).
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD)
recently purchased two Elastec Trash Boats to skim debris from the Chicago
River. The MWRD is located primarily within the boundaries of Cook County,
Illinois serving an 883 square mile area which includes the City of Chicago and
125 suburban communities. The MWRD owns and operates one of the world’s largest
water reclamation plants and treats an average of 1.4 billion gallons of
wastewater each day. The MWRD controls 76.1 miles of the Chicago Areas Waterways
(CAWS), which are part of the inland waterway system connecting the Great Lakes
with the Gulf of Mexico. The MWRD receives flow from combined sewer collection
systems, which means that wastewater and stormwater flow together in a single
pipe. During heavy rain events, stormwater runoff can cause the sewer system to
reach maximum capacity and overflow into the waterways. This is called a
Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). Some of the excess water is stored into the
MWRD's Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) system, but too much runoff finds its
way to the CAWS – and so does the trash. Floating debris such as Styrofoam,
plastic bottles and cigarette butts create health risks, kill marine life and
cause flooding.
To help keep the Chicago River clean and beautiful, Elastec and MWRD worked
together to develop two custom trash and debris collection boats. MWRD requested
a simple design, with few moving parts, and easy to operate. The 23 ft MWRD boats, named Skimmy Dipper and Skim Pickens, are designed for daily
trash skimming near Navy Pier and along seven miles of the river. Elastec Sales
Manager Shon Mosier said, "The Elastec Trash Boat is a unique way to combat
debris from stormwater runoff. Trash flows downstream and into our waterways; we
must begin to manage marine litter." Shon has also delivered similar vessels to
the City of Waco, Texas and the City of Austin, Texas’ Watershed Protection
Departments. The company claims that over 145 countries are currently using
devices and pollution reduction systems developed by Elastec. Specialising in
the recovery of oil, Elastec also sells portable pumps, skimmers, booms, vacuums
and ancillary equipment. The company also manufactures floating barriers for
water protection.
Elastec and MWRD worked together to develop two custom trash and debris
collection boats
http://www.maritimejournal.com/news101/marine-civils/port,-harbour-and-marine-construction/harbour-clean-ups-us-style
"Need to Build an Effective Communication Plan for Your Biosolids Program?
WEFTEC Has the Solution," WEF
Full article text: While there are many excellent biosolids programs across
the country, effective communication in these programs can continue to be a
challenge. A communications crisis can derail a safe, successful biosolids
program.
Workshop 09 (Sat., Sept. 26, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.): You Can’t Hide a
Biosolids Program! (But You Can Communicate It…)
addresses the gap that can exist in biosolids
programs between technical excellence and communications excellence.
Learn Key Lessons from Diverse Case Studies
Case studies, utility response and lessons learned, from various geographic
regions will be presented, followed by breakout sessions designed to delve
deeper into the information presented, within a small group.
Experience Innovative Approaches to Communication and Branding
King County (Seattle area) biosolids program will showcase the advantages of
the innovative approach to their "loop" biosolids branding efforts.
Effectively Interact with the Media and Start to Build a Communications Road
Map
Communications Manager for San Francisco and a freelance reporter will
present practical advice on how to interact with the media, followed by breakout
sessions designed to assist attendees in developing their own biosolids
communications road map.
Speakers
Natalie Sierra, Brown and Caldwell
Kevin Litwiler, Lystek
Lakhwinder Hundal, MWRD
Kate Kurtz, King County DNR Wastewater Treatment Division
Rachel Cernansky, Freelance Journalist
Tyrone Jue, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
The Water Environment Federation and the Water Environment Research
Foundation are pleased to jointly present this workshop through the pre-eminent
experts who are using the latest research.
http://www.wef.org/Conferences/page.aspx?id=113
"MWRD Energy-Reduction Program Leads to Massive Savings for Taxpayers," Water World
Full article text: EnerNOC, a provider of cloud-based energy intelligence
software and services, recently presented a check for $1.09 million to the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago Board of
Commissioners to illustrate the amount of energy savings the agency accrued
through the 2014-15 PJM electric grid electricity curtailment program. EnerNOC
Regional Manager Phil Schrieber presented the check to MWRD President Mariyana
Spyropoulos, Vice President Barbara McGowan and Executive Director David St.
Pierre.
MWRD curtailed 29.5 megawatts, resulting in the payment for the energy
curtailment program that ran from June 1, 2014 through May 31, 2015. In order to
meet program requirement and its commitment to savings, the District was on call
for emergency load curtailment during the program period and participated in a
one-hour mandatory test in September 2014 to prove that it can curtail the
required reduction in electricity and meet its obligation.
"Energy curtailment at our facilities aligns with our district goals to
become energy neutral within the next decade by capturing renewable energy from
our own processes," said Spyropoulos. "Just as we no longer view sewage as a
waste product, but as a resource that can be recovered and reused, we also
acknowledge there are significant amounts of energy savings in the way we run
our plants. We know that when it rains, our facilities have to work overtime,
but in between the deluges, we discovered new ways to be resourceful, cut our
energy demands and put more money back in the hands of taxpayers."
EnerNOC was chosen to work with MWRD after its proposal was accepted through
a competitive procurement process. The company reviewed the District’s
operations and proposed a curtailment strategy that maximized MWRD returns from
the program. In addition, EnerNOC installed its real-time electric monitoring at
six of the treatment plants to enable visibility and management of the
District’s participation in the load curtailment program. The company’s proposal
for participation in the demand response program was $38,950 per megawatt-year
for paid capacity.
 >
Phil Schrieber (second from left) presented a check of $1.09 million to MWRD
officials, including Vice President Barbara McGowan (from left), Executive
Director David St. Pierre and President Mariyana Spyropoulos.
MWRD again participated in a one-hour mandatory test on June 4, 2015, for the
program year of June 1, 2015 through May 31, 2016, during which time it
successfully curtailed 50.3 megawatts. This savings will result in quarterly payments in 2015 and 2016 of
approximately $1.87 million total. This savings represents a sharp reduction in
the amount of energy used by the District, according to the scheduled capacity
at peak demand periods. One megawatt of electricity, for example, can power
between 750 and 1,000 homes.
Since 1997, MWRD has participated in various curtailment programs. Through
voluntary curtailments by the District and other participants, the curtailment
providers have been able to defer the need for additional generating capacity
necessary to meet the very short-lived peak demands expected during the summer
months. Due to participation in these programs, it has been compensated a
cumulative savings of $8 million since 1997.
Utilities have to provide enough energy to provide sufficient power on the
warmest day of the year. The savings is calculated by multiplying the amount of
megawatts reduced with the value of the energy as determined by PJM’s capacity
market. Likewise, the majority of energy used by MWRD facilities is electrical.
To meet these savings, all facility operators have procedures they follow to
reduce electrical energy consumption. These procedures include a list of
equipment that could be shut down without sacrificing operations while avoiding
any flooding concerns.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/09/energy-curtailment-at-mwrd-leads-to-massive-savings-for-taxpayers.html
"‘Trash Boats’ Help Keep Waterways Clean," Marine Link
Full article text: Elastec, a U.S. based manufacturer of pollution control
equipment, is producing trash and debris collection boats to assist local
governments in meeting Clean Water Act standards, aid in the reduction of
floating pollutants in waterways and help protect aquatic ecosystems.
The trash and debris collection vessel, designed to skim floating litter from
harbors and waterways, can also be used for various marine maintenance duties
from its 8- by 11-foot work platform. Designed to be maneuverable in hard to
reach areas, the aluminum boat has an inverted bow to usher floating refuse into
its 98 cubic feet trash basket.
Marine litter and debris control is an emerging environmental issue as a
result of the regulation of water pollution under the Clean Water Act. Of
primary concern are municipalities with Combined Sewer Systems (CSS).
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD)
recently purchased two ELASTEC Trash Boats to skim debris from the Chicago
River. The MWRD is located primarily within the boundaries of Cook County,
Illinois serving an 883 square mile area which includes the City of Chicago and
125 suburban communities. The MWRD owns and operates one of the world’s largest
water reclamation plants and treats an average of 1.4 billion gallons of
wastewater each day. The MWRD controls 76.1 miles of the Chicago Areas Waterways
(CAWS), which are part of the inland waterway system connecting the Great Lakes
with the Gulf of Mexico.
The MWRD receives flow from combined sewer collection systems, which means
that wastewater and stormwater flow together in a single pipe. During heavy rain
events, stormwater runoff can cause the sewer system to reach maximum capacity
and overflow into the waterways. This is called a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO).
Some of the excess water is stored into the MWRD's Tunnel and Reservoir Plan
(TARP) system, but too much runoff finds its way to the CAWS—and so does the
trash. Floating debris such as Styrofoam, plastic bottles and cigarette butts
create health risks, kill marine life and cause flooding.
To help keep the Chicago River clean, Elastec and MWRD worked together to
develop two custom trash and debris collection boats. MWRD requested a simple
design, with few moving parts, and easy to operate. The 23-foot MWRD boats,
named Skimmy Dipper and Skim Pickens, are designed to perform daily trash
skimming near Navy Pier and along seven miles of the river.
Elastec said similar vessels have been delivered to the
cities of Waco and Austin, Texas’ Watershed Protection Departments.
Photo: Elastec
http://www.marinelink.com/news/waterways-boats-trash397966.aspx
"Cunliff Park Re-Opening Signals End is near for Harms Flood Project," >Journal & Topics (IL)
Full article text: Glenview village and park district officials were joined
by officials from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater
Chicago, Cook County and the state to cut the ribbon on the newly renovated
Cunliff Park, 540 Echo Ln., Saturday, Sept. 12. The project is a key part of the
now nearly complete East of Harms flood mitigation project.
The East of Harms project, designed to prevent or mitigate flooding to 1,150
single family homes in Glenview east of Harms Road at a cost of $10.9 million,
is nearly complete after more than one year of construction. The project was
helped by significant funding from MWRD and Cook County.
"Flooding in this neighborhood had long challenged the village," Glenview
Village President Jim Patterson said. "It wasn’t until we were able to partner
with the park district, MWRD and Cook County that a solution could be
implemented in a comprehensive, cost-effective way."
"Working with the village, the Glenview Park Dist. was able to renovate
Cunliff Park while flooding mitigation was being implemented," Glenview Park
District Supt. of Park and Facility Services James Warnstedt said. "Cunliff Park
now has a new playground, with equipment for both tots and older kids, a picnic
pavilion, a renovated fieldhouse with ADA improvements, upgraded appliances and
enhanced landscaping throughout the park."
The Cunliff project included a new lift (pumping) station and backup
generator in the park. Another lift station and backup generator was recently
installed at 815 Harms Rd. as part of the larger East of Harms project.
New 84-inch storm sewers were installed under Harms this summer along with
three backflow preventor devices at three storm sewer outfall points along the
Middle Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River.
Flooding issues in the East of Harms neighborhood are particularly acute
because the area is in such a low-lying floodplain that when the Middle Fork
rises, even a little, it grows higher than the sewer outflows causing stormwater
to run backwards causing heavy flooding and washing out roads. The three
backflow preventors are meant to stop that.
Intergovernmental agreements between the village, MWRD and Cook County offset
the $10.9 million project costs by $8 million with $6 million coming from MWRD
and $2 million from Cook County.
Officials at the ribbon cutting included Patterson, MWRD Commissioner Debra
Shore, Glenview Park Board President Bill Casey and park commissioners Dan
Peterson and Charlie Kuhn, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin (D-13th) and
State Rep. Laura Fine (D-17th).
Harms Road remains closed between Glenview Road and Wilmette Avenue. New
storm sewer pipes are in the ground. Crews are installing connections to other
existing stormwater piping. Village officials said once that work is completed
and the road resurfaced, that section of Harms could be reopened as early as the
end of this month or early October.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_bdadf3b2-5caf-11e5-a7a5-13ec92e005cb.html
"LVJO Honors Avila as Environmental Justice Champion," Lawndale News (IL)
Full article text: The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO)
honored a leader of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago (MWRD) with a first of its kind award based on his dedication to
enhancing the quality of life in the Southwest Side community. The LVEJO saluted
MWRD Chairman of Finance Frank Vila with an Environmental Justice Champion on
August 14th. Avila was honored as the LVEJO celebrated environmental justice
victories at a fundraiser dinner for the organization, which also marked the
occasion of the grand opening of La Villita Park, 2800 S. Sacramento Ave., the
third anniversary of Chicago Coal Power Plants closure, new access to the 31st
street bus and many more initiatives. Among those environmental justice
victories, Avila played a major role in working to improve conditions at the
31st Street Collateral Channel.
Pictured left to right) MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos, David St
Pierre, MWRD Executive Director, Commissioners Frank Avila and MWRD Vice
President Barbara McGowan.
http://www.lawndalenews.com/2015/09/lvejo-honors-avila-as-environmental-justice-champion/
"Cunliff Park Reopens after Flood-Relief Work, Upgrades," >Chicago Tribune (IL)
Full article text: Glenview parks officials, residents and local dignitaries
attended a celebration on Saturday, Sept. 12, of the reopening of Cunliff Park.
The park at 540 Echo Lane was closed this year while the Village of Glenview
undertook work on a flood-relief project for the eastern part of the village. At
the same time as the stormwater work, the Glenview Park District updated the
park’s playground and fieldhouse and added a picnic spot and some landscaping
upgrades. Organizers estimated nearly 100 people attended.
"This is exciting to see the redevelopment of the park and the faces of
children as they try the new playground equipment," said Cook County Board
Commissioner Larry Suffredin of Evanston.
Officials said a lift station and backup generator were installed at Cunliff
Park to pump stormwater into the river during major rain events. Another lift
station and backup generator will operate at 815 Harms Road, according to
officials, who said the flood project impacts 1,150 single-family homes east of
Harms Road between East Lake Avenue and Central Road.
Ideally, officials said, the work will prevent the middle fork of the north
branch of the Chicago River from backing into neighborhood storm sewers that
were installed in the 1960s.
"We had completely flooded twice," said Jim Shikami who attended the
celebration and lives on Echo Lane. "Our basement was totally flooded up to the
ceiling and it happened in the last five years."
Jim and Lois Shikami, both 84 years old and neighborhood residents since
1971, came to Glenview unaware they were moving to a flood risk zone.
"We’re counting on it (to improve) and we're at that stage in our lives when
we want to sell the house," he said.
But: "We’re hanging in there because we like it here," said Lois Shikami, who
has four children with her husband.
"It’s a relief, really," she said, of the project.
Officials said village storm sewers in the area stopped functioning when the
river reached flood stage and river water backed into the sewers, causing some
roads and properties to flood.
Attendees on Saturday could enjoy a cup of coffee, milk and doughnut holes as
they viewed plans placed near the historic fieldhouse fireplace.
"I had Girl Scouts in here, I had Boy Scouts in here for years," said Georgia
Baker, a nearby Glenview Road resident who reminisced about the fieldhouse
space. "It’s amazing what they’ve done."
Glenview Village President Jim Patterson, a Glenview resident since 1986,
said the village, the park district, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
of Greater Chicago and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County all worked
together.
"This project was a longtime coming for residents," Patterson said. "Cunliff
Park has never looked better."
Patterson led a ribbon cutting surrounded by legislators and kids.
Jacob Paterkiewicz of Northbrook, 13, a Northbrook Junior High School
eighth-grader, frequented Cunliff Park when his family lived in Glenview on
Pendleton Lane.
"It brings back good memories," Jacob said. "I remember the field and I used
to play tag on it.
"We love the park. The addition is beautiful," said Jacob’s mother, Marcia
Paterkiewicz.
Officials said that an intergovernmental agreement with the MWRD will result
in $6 million in cost sharing, which will cover more than half the cost of the
project.
The village also entered into an agreement with Cook County to secure $2
million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery grant funds.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/glenview/news/ct-gla-cunliff-park-reopens-tl-0917-20150915-story.html
"Recap: Administration and Public Works Committee," Evanston Now (IL)
Summary: Evanston’s City Council Administration and Public Works Committees
approved 20 year easement agreement extensions for sewers with the MWRD for
sewers.
http://evanstonnow.com/breaking/government/bill-smith/2015-09-15/72287/recap-administration-and-public-works-committee
"Thornton Ribbon Cutting Ceremony," You Tube
Summary: The video features opening remarks from MWRD President Mariyana
Spyropoulos and Congresswoman Robin Kelly; a ribbon cutting ceremony officially
opening the Thornton Composite Reservoir; and interviews by Dolton, IL Mayor
Riley Rogers of Pres. Spyropoulos, MWRD Commissioner Kari Steele and others.
Dolton is one of the municipalities directly receiving stormwater management
benefits from the reservoir.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvM_EtZ5b68
August 2015_WEandT_Shore.pdf
"CTA Says Yellow Line Repair Work Remains on Schedule," CBS Local (IL)
Full article text: Nearly four months have passed since the embankment
collapsed on the CTA’s Yellow Line, shutting it down. But at least another month
of work remains.
It is not immediately obvious to those driving on McCormick Boulevard by the
site of embankment collapse but work is continuing seven days a week. CTA
engineers say the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) underground
disinfection plant being built next to the ‘L’ line must be finished first, and
that has been contractor Walsh Construction’s emphasis. But an MWRD spokesperson
and CTA President Dorval Carter both say it remains on schedule.
Carter calls restoration of service "a top priority."
Free shuttle buses and Skokie terminal parking remain, one of many costs MWRD
is picking up as part of the repair project. A CTA spokesperson said that
ridership on the buses is down at least 50 percent from the pre-collapse
ridership of 2,900 daily riders on the Skokie Swift.
The collapse has affected CTA in many ways in addition to the loss of Yellow
Line service. It has left the agency’s main repair shop isolated from the rest
of the rapid transit system. Work continues at Skokie, which has also accepted
the last 35 cars of its 714-car order of new rapid transit cars since the
collapse occurred. The new ‘L’ cars, and other ‘L’ cars needing major
repairs, must be trucked using a roundabout route between Skokie Shops and
CTA’s 63rd Street lower yard, on the East 63rd branch of the Green Line.
A spokesperson said that some Skokie Shops personnel have been reassigned to
help expedite work on ‘L’ cars at CTA’s other repair facilities.
Carter says disaster was narrowly averted in May and says CTA will test the
embankment and tracks, once rebuilt, to make sure they will remain stable. The
rebuilt line will be tested using trains weighted down to simulate full
passenger loads.
CTA says the collapse did not damage the steel high bridge over McCormick
Boulevard immediately to the east of the collapse. It remains unusable because
of its proximity to the site of the collapse. Despite that, the transit agency
continues to warn the curious not to trespass onto the Skokie Swift
right-of-way, because the third rail remains energized much of the time.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/09/12/cta-says-yellow-line-repair-work-remains-on-schedule/
"Recovering Resources," Water & Wastes Digest
Sept 2015_WaterAndWastesDigest_Phosphorus.pdf
"Thornton Composite Reservoir Ribbon Cutting," You Tube
Full article text: The MWRD hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the
completion of the Thornton Composite Reservoir on Sept. 1. A major part of the
Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP, or "Deep Tunnel"), the 7.9 billion gallon
capacity reservoir will provide flood protection benefits for 556,000 people in
14 communities throughout the south side of Chicago and south suburbs. It will
protect 182,000 homes, businesses and other facilities and improve water quality
in the Calumet Rivers and Calumet-Sag Channel by preventing combined sewer
overflows. Officials with the MWRD, including MWRD President Mariyana
Spyropoulos and Vice Pres. Barbara McGowan, Chairman of Finance Frank Avila, and
Commissioners Timothy Bradford, Cynthia Santos, Debra Shore and Kari Steele and
Exec. Dir. David St. Pierre, unveiled this latest engineering feat alongside
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_70060ac4-5731-11e5-a224-17e3135b0a28.htmlU.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lt. Col. Kevin Lovell, state Senator Napoleon
Harris, IEPA Director Lisa Bonnett, Secretary/Treasurer of Chicago Fed. of Labor
Robert Reiter, South Suburban Mayors Association Exec. Dir. Ed Paesel, and
Friends of Chicago River Exec. Director Margaret Frisbie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYzcQGDGqe4&feature=youtu.be
"Illinois Issues: Urban Flooding," >WUIS 91.9 (IL)
Summary text: Heavier
rainfalls and sprawling development have left outdated sewers struggling to keep
water out of streets, businesses and homes.
Big rainstorms are hitting Illinois more often. In many cities and towns, the
sewers can’t always handle heavy downpours. Without anywhere to go, the water
fills streets, yards and basements.
This article discusses the increase in precipitation over the past 100 years
in Illinois and how that has contributed to flooding issues throughout the
state. It also highlights how weather predictions of the past were used by some
municipalities to calculate how big they needed to make their sewer systems. It
goes on to discuss what is being done now to help businesses and homeowners
affected by the flooding in various municipalities, such as the Metropolitan
Water and Reclamation District’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan and rain barrel
program.
http://wuis.org/post/illinois-issues-urban-flooding
"Sign up with City for Rain Barrels," Journal & Topics (IL)
Full article text: Park Ridge residents have responded favorably to an offer
for free rain barrels, extended this summer by Mariyana Spyropoulos, president
of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD).
During her presentation, she said the district has a large supply of the 50+
gal. capacity barrels, and is willing to work out distribution agreements with
individual communities. The barrels, hooked into a house’s gutter spouts, will
retain water which otherwise would fill yards or basements. The water can be
released later with a hose to use for gardening or washing cars. Ald. Roger Shubert (4th) and Public Works Director Wayne Zingsheim have
pursued the offer, and Public Works has collected about 50 names already from
interested residents. Waiver forms to formally request the barrels will be sent
to them and posted on the city website.
Zingsheim said up to four barrels per household can be requested. MWRD will
assist in the delivery.
Shubert called these "the Rolls Royce of rain barrels."
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_70060ac4-5731-11e5-a224-17e3135b0a28.html
SeptOct 2015_Diversity in Action_MWRD Employee.pdf
"Chicago Welcomes WEFTEC 2015," YouTube
Summary: The Water Environment Federation’s fourth annual conference WEFTEC
2015 is September 26 – 30 at McCormick Place, Chicago. Tom Powers, Commissioner
of the Dept. of Water Management, City of Chicago and MWRD Executive Director
David St. Pierre are featured in a video previewing the conference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH2uEHH46TE&list=PLcIZ_Qi40I1GfPSucsNUEhDLLHwvW3k4V#t=84
"Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Unveils Thornton Composite Reservoir," Water World
Full article text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of
Greater Chicago recently unveiled its latest engineering feat, the Thornton
Composite Reservoir—dubbed the "Grand Canyon of the South Suburbs." Now
connected to a tunnel system and prepared to hold up to 7.9 billion gallons of
water, the reservoir will help reduce flooding in the area while preventing
pollution in Chicago area waterways. The reservoir, tantamount to 12 Soldier
Fields in size, is part of the MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), or "Deep
Tunnel," consisting of more than 100 miles of tunnels deep below the surface of
the Chicago region and three reservoirs designed to capture and hold stormwater
and sewage for treatment at water reclamation plants. Together with the Thornton
Reservoir, the Gloria Alitto Majewski Reservoir (350 million gallons) in the
northwest suburbs, the yet-to-be-completed McCook Reservoir (10 billion gallons)
in the west suburbs, and 109 miles of tunnels (2.3 billion gallons), TARP will
accommodate for 20.55 billion gallons of water. The Thornton Composite Reservoir
will benefit 556,000 people in 14 communities throughout the south side of
Chicago and south suburbs. It will protect 182,000 homes, businesses and other
facilities and improve water quality in the Calumet Rivers and Calumet-Sag
Channel by collecting combined sewer overflows before entering waterways. The
new reservoir’s capacity holds these overflows before pumping the water back to
the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant to be treated. The total cost of TARP is
$3.8 billion, about half of which came from federal money. The total cost of
Thornton is projected at $429 million. Through an agreement reached in 1998, the
MWRD asked Hanson Material Services to create the rough hole needed for the
reservoir. The deal would also allow Hanson to sell the rock through its
existing Thornton Quarry, which dates back to the 1860s. That aggregate is used
in several area road and building construction projects. Beyond mining the large
reservoir, the other challenge was properly sealing it to contain the water much
like a bathtub. A dam, made of 32,000 cubic yards of roller compacted concrete,
was constructed below the Tri-State Tollway (I-80/I-294) to separate the
reservoir and its contained water from reaching the main lobe of the quarry. Two
mining haul tunnels at lower elevations were also plugged with concrete. At the
bottom of the reservoir is an impermeable natural layer of shale existing
approximately 500 feet below ground, preventing water from leaving through the
bottom of the reservoir. To keep water from escaping through its sides, a
double-row grout curtain was installed around the outside perimeter of the hole
and tied into the layer of shale. From the surface, holes were drilled as far
down as 500 feet deep at a 15-degree angle and then filled in stages from the
bottom up with grout under pressure. The grout then migrated into all of the
cracks and fissures in the rock mass to reduce the permeability. The holes were
drilled about every five feet around the nearly two-mile perimeter of the
reservoir. A second row was then constructed about 20 feet away, angled in the
opposite direction in an attempt to intercept and seal as many cracks as
possible. Solar-powered aerators were installed at the bottom of the reservoir.
These will float up and down with the water elevation, keeping the surface layer
of water from going septic and causing any odors. Lastly, the reservoir was
connected with the tunnel system by removing a 10-foot, thick concrete mass that
operates as a plug. The tunnel runs about 1,300 feet before meeting up with the
existing, operational deep tunnels. A concrete apron was constructed in front of
the tunnel to withstand the force of the water coming out of the tunnel, which can be at velocities of up to 30 feet per second. The apron
will prevent erosion of the stone reservoir floor.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/09/mwrd-cuts-ribbon-on-thornton-composite-reservoir.html
15 0901_SSMMA_Thornton Reservoir.pdf
"At Long Last, Levee Completed," Chicago Tribune (IL)
Full article text: Hundreds of River Road residents and businesses in Mount
Prospect and Prospect Heights can now rest assured they’re shielded from Des
Plaines River flooding, officials say.
Federal, state and local officials celebrated the completion of Levee 37, a
$36 million project designed to provide flood protection to more than 600 homes
and dozens of businesses along River Road in both communities. The levee will
save an estimated $3 million a year in flood-related costs, officials say.
The project involved the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Mount Prospect,
Prospect Heights and Wheeling.
Federal funds paid for all but $100,000 of the cost of the project, one of
six aimed at reducing flooding along 80 miles of the Des Plaines River.
"Levee 37 will save communities from flood damage and save money. Dollars
spent on levees like this one help prevent disaster dollars needed down the
line. This milestone is the culmination of many years of work and I am pleased
to see this federal investment come to fruition to keep communities safe," said
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in a statement.
The idea for a levee has been around a long time, said Mount Prospect Mayor
Arlene Juracek.
"It really started in about 1989 when the need became recognized," she said.
"We had some record flooding in the area in the late 1980s, and by 1989, folks
realized this needed some attention."
Juracek credits one of her predecessors, Mayor Gerald Farley, for pushing the
project in the early days. Construction began in 2007 during her tenure as a
village trustee.
"In the past, the flooding has been so bad we’ve actually had sail boats
going down River Road," she said.
Prospect Heights Mayor Nick Helmer said his city has fared no better.
"In the last four years, we’ve had three major flooding situations," he said,
adding that they were the largely the result of heavy rainfalls occurring in
shorts periods of time.
He said the levee, along with a detention basin in Wheeling, "will take care
of almost all of the problems from the standpoint of the river overflowing."
Helmer said his city also plans to help residents, who have had to pay flood
insurance premiums as a result of living in a flood plain, appeal that
designation now that the levy is completed.
Still, Juracek said the levee is not the entire solution with water coming
over land from the west posing a threat to residents and businesses. Ultimately,
she said, a storm sewer must be built to carry the water into the river, but
pumps stationed along the levee wall will mitigate the issue for now.
"It’s likely to be a multi-year effort," she said. And even with more to do,
completion of the levee is significant, she said.
"It definitely serves a useful and important purpose," she said.
Helmer said he and others involved in the project are "euphoric."
"We ended up exactly where we’d hoped to be," he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/arlington-heights/news/ct-arh-levee-37-tl-0910-20150905-story.html
"The State of Water Conservation (Q&A)," Media Planet Climate Change
Full article text: From individual daily activities to citywide initiatives,
experts dedicated to water conservation discuss what the future holds for our
most precious resource, and what we can do to make an impact. The Q & A focuses
on comments by Philip Mezey, President and CEO,
Itron; Rob Zimmerman, Senior Channel Manager, Sustainability, Kohler Co.; and
Radhika Fox, President, U.S. Water Alliance and Director, The Value of Water
Coalition (the MWRD is a partner The Value of Water Coalition).
Mediaplanet: What are the largest advancements currently taking place when it comes to water conservation?
Radhika Fox: Most people think about individual
conservation—shorter showers, watering the lawn less. Individual actions are
important, but large scale water reuse is a significant advancement. Utilities
and water reliant businesses are investing in projects that take wastewater and
clean it so it can be reused for manufacturing, irrigation, toilet flushing and
more. Water reuse is a game changer.
Rob Zimmerman: A wide variety of new technologies
available in the market can help us use less water, including those that enable
water to be treated and reused on a small scale. This reduces the amount of
water that needs to be taken from lakes, rivers and aquifers, and also reduces
energy needed for pumping. And of course, plumbing and appliance manufacturers
continue to improve the efficiency of their products in addition to enhancing
performance and adding features that consumers want, like showerheads that add
air to produce a luxurious spray while reducing water flow.
Philip Mezey: As a technology and services company,
we collaborate with utilities to help them better manage energy and water. There
is a tremendous opportunity to more effectively and efficiently manage and
conserve water through the use of smart water systems and networks. Water
providers are embracing these technologies in order to get a more accurate
picture of how water is being used, including where and when; as well as to
locate costly and wasteful leaks in real-time.
MP: What changes most desperately need to be made to conserve water in our
day-to-day lives?
Radhika Fox: Annually the country loses 1.7
trillion to breaks and leaky pipes—that is water California could desperately
use. Investing in our aging water systems to make them more efficient is one of
the most important things we can do. It’s a generational investment.
Rob Zimmerman: In the short-term, we can take
immediate steps to reduce water use in our homes and businesses, such as
replacing old plumbing fixtures, planting landscapes that are drought-tolerant
and making a concerted effort to limit water consumption.
In the long run, we need to develop a fuller appreciation of how we use
water. The vast majority of Americans’ water use is indirect—for growing food,
producing energy and manufacturing consumer goods. We need to use our power as
consumers to choose products that have a smaller water "footprints" and support
programs that work to protect and replenish water supply.
Philip Mezey: Most consumers simply have no idea of
how much water they use from hour to hour, day to day. Much like the gauges on
newer cars that show real-time miles per gallon, simply providing this
information to consumers will allow them to better manage their water use. At
the same time, implementing added incentives to encourage more efficient water
use, including differentiated pricing similar to what is used for electricity,
could help to shift consumer behavior.
MP: What is one thing you personally do to conserve water?
Radhika Fox: I bathe my kids together. We use half
the water and it’s great time to catch up as a family.
Rob Zimmerman: I’ve upgraded all my plumbing
fixtures and faucets to models that carry EPA’s WaterSense label and purchased a
clothes washer and dishwasher with the Energy Star label. I also have a rain
barrel to collect water for my landscape plants. My household water use is less
than half of my community’s average.
Philip Mezey: I live in the Bay Area and am in the
process of replacing my lawn with a more drought-friendly landscape. This is one
small step I personally felt compelled to do to minimize my impact as much as
possible given our extreme drought.
MP: What adjustments need to be made in our cities’ infrastructures to
promote water conservation?
Radhika Fox: Water systems are
reaching the end of their intended lifespan, so they’re leaking, breaking and
becoming inefficient. Modernizing the 800,000 miles of water pipes across the
country presents a huge opportunity for water efficiency. We should replace old
pipes and invest in smart technology to identify system weaknesses before they
break.
Rob Zimmerman: Several
strategies need to be employed to make our cities more water-efficient. First,
we need to reinvest in our water infrastructure—the pipes, valves and pumps that
carry water. We lose a significant amount of water to leaks every day,
especially in older cities. Second, building codes should encourage use of the
latest energy and water-efficient technologies in new construction. And finally,
we should create more attractive incentives to help owners of existing buildings
upgrade their plumbing, appliances and landscapes. These all cost money, but are
essential investments if we expect to continue to grow our economy in an
increasingly water-stressed world.
Philip Mezey: We need to build
smart water networks so we can begin to measure, monitor and manage water. Just
one benefit of smart water networks will be the ability to track water use in
real time. Across the U.S., water leaks alone are estimated to cost $13.1
billion each year. This is an astounding figure in economic terms, but also in
terms of waste of a limited resource. Imagine what we could do if we could
eliminate even 1% of that waste? I believe through collaboration, together, we
can address the waste and build a more resourceful world.
http://www.climatechangeadvocacy.com/water-conservation/the-state-of-water-conservation
August 2015_LA Times_Water Conservation.pdf
"Dunkin Donuts, Panera Drive-Thru Plans OK’d," >Journal & Topics (IL)
Full article text: Two new drive-thru restaurants are coming soon to Niles
with a third possible in the offing.
Village trustees approved a new Dunkin Donuts at 8080 N. Milwaukee Ave. in
the space where Celli’s Beef was located at their Tuesday, Aug. 25 village board
meeting.
At the same meeting, village trustees approved plans for an outlot building
in the parking lot of Golf Mill Shopping Center, 9400 N. Milwaukee, containing a
Panera with a drive-thru.
The Journal & Topics also learned Golf Mill officials are in talks with
another national "fast casual" restaurant chain to build a second outlot
building in the shopping center’s parking lot, but further details on that plan
are unknown. Village Economic Development Coordinator Ross Klicker said both
outlots are eager to open as soon as possible, but would need to acquire
regulatory approvals from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago. The proposed Panera would be about 4,300 sq. ft. with drive-thru
service and outdoor seating, according to renderings in a village board report.
The proposed Dunkin Donuts would be owned by Ali Merchant, the same man who owns
the Dunkin Donuts on Milwaukee and Harlem avenues in Niles, village officials
said. One restriction that plan commissioners put in place was traffic entering
and exiting the new Dunkin Donuts could only do so off Milwaukee turning right
in or out from the southbound lanes. That property also has a second entrance
off Oriole Avenue, but Oriole is a one-way street moving traffic onto Milwaukee.
Klicker said northbound traffic would need to turn from Milwaukee at Oakton
Street then turn down Oriole for northbound access. Village trustees briefly
questioned that decision by plan commissioners, but approved the
recommendations. Klicker said Merchant accepted the restrictions. "I guess he’s
banking on that a.m. (southbound) traffic," Klicker said.
http://www.journal-topics.com/business/article_573281dc-5365-11e5-aebb-ebd51646f3a4.html
2015 IWEA Summer Clarifier_Calumet Lab.pdf
"President’s Corner," Clarifier, IWEA
This edition of "President’s Corner" is by Lou Storino, president of the
Illinois Water Environment Association and MWRD Principal Civil Engineer.
 "Glenview Residents Seek Answers on Central Road Corridor Flooding," Chicago Tribune (IL)
Summary: Glenview residents who say they’re affected by flooding along the
Central Road corridor attended a recent public meeting where MWRD
representatives addressed the group. Attendees wanted to know the chances of
getting something funded.
"I think it is promising," said the district’s principal civil engineer, Joe
Kratzer. "We’ve identified a number of very feasible projects that can
potentially move forward. … The timeline that we’re talking about is two to
three years until [they are] done."
Many in the audience said they had attended a prior public meeting on area
flooding, which was held by the Northfield Township Road District and the water
reclamation district in July of 2014. There, officials collected comments,
statements and input from residents on their flooding woes.
A year later, sitting in a room at Oakton Community College on Aug. 27,
residents said they were somewhat encouraged by the developments and were eager
to learn about the next steps in the process.
Kratzer said that, in partnership with the Illinois Department of
Transportation, preliminary engineering will take place through the end of the
year to "determine if there’s a feasible project" to pursue. If approved by the
water district’s board, the team will move on to the design phase, he said.
If all goes according to plan, Kratzer said, a contract to build will be put
forth in 2017, one year from this January. He estimated one to two years for
construction to be completed, depending on which project is chosen.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/glenview/news/ct-gla-glenview-flooding-corridor-tl-0903-20150901-story.html
"It's a Call to Action!" Friends of the Chicago River (IL)
Friends of Chicago River have prepared this letter to the editor which also
appears in their online publication.
Full article text: Last Sunday’s story on the front page of the Chicago
Tribune entitled "Chicago River Teems with Filth" highlights the complications
and decades long efforts necessary to make the 156-mile Chicago River what is
deserves to be: one of the world’s greatest metropolitan rivers. And despite the
doom and gloom portrayed by the headline, the Chicago River system is alive with activity on, in, under, and along the water
because the river has improved tremendously. In fact because of water quality
improvements, since Friends was founded in 1979 the number of species of fish
have climbed from under 10 to over 70; birds, beavers, turtles and muskrats call
the river home; riverfront developments now embrace the river as their front
yard, and new public amenities are bringing people to the river to walk, ride,
boat, dine, fish, bird, live, work, and play in numbers larger than ever before.
AND big changes continue to improve water quality.
This July, disinfection started at the Calumet waste water treatment plant to
remove sewage-based pathogens and the north side O'Brien plant will disinfect
before spring. Yesterday the Thornton Reservoir was dedicated (see photos below)
and adds 7.9 billion additional gallons of storage capacity to our sewer system.
It will have an enormous impact preventing sewage releases to the river for the
south side and south suburbs.
However, as Michael Hawthorne points out in his story, water quality is still
not where it ought to be. Even with the vast improvements made from the Tunnel
and Reservoir Plan (TARP, aka Deep Tunnel), too often sewage still ends up in
the river, unmanaged stormwater still contributes noxious runoff, and nutrient
pollution sucks critical dissolved oxygen from the water. All of this can make
people sick, harm or kill fish and other aquatic life, and even contribute to
the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, 1,000 miles downstream.
To make the river truly safe for people and wildlife we must:
Complete McCook, the last and largest TARP reservoir as soon as possible,
Install disinfection technology at Stickney, the world’s largest wastewater treatment plant,
Survey the river to see if there are other sources of pollution,
Develop a regional plan to manage stormwater to protect land and the water,
Reduce nutrients, especially phosphorus, to levels attained by other cities like Milwaukee, and
Help people better understand when the river is safe for use and what they can do to help make it safer.
In the sparkling sunshine of a hot summer day, the Chicago River system looks
like and is a great place for recreation and so many other activities. But we
still need to work together to
make it better. So let’s all view Mr. Hawthorne’s piece as a call to action
and work together to get this done.
 From the top clockwise: Friends' Executive Director Margaret Frisbie with
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Executive Director David St. Pierre,
USACE Lt. Col. Kevin Lovell, and U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley (5th District) at
the Thornton Reservoir ribbon cutting; guests on a Friends' canoe trip; and some
of the 195,000 channel catfish Friends and IDNR released into the river system
over the past 15 months.
http://friendsofthechicagoriver.org
"Chicago Area’s ‘Grand Canyon’ Christened," Chicago Tribune (IL)
Full article text: Soon, in the next few weeks perhaps, a view long familiar
to drivers along the Tri-State Tollway through the south suburbs will be
transformed forever. Water will start flowing into the north lobe of the
Thornton Quarry, turning it into a lake—although it’s not a body of water you’d
want to swim or boat in even if you could. Standing 300 feet below the tollway
at the bottom of the massive limestone pit on Tuesday, officials from the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and area mayors snipped a blue ribbon to formally "open"
what will be the world’s largest stormwater reservoir, with a capacity of just
under 8 billion gallons.
Costing $429 million, the reservoir is designed to ease flooding on Chicago’s
South Side and in 14 suburbs, including Calumet Park, Dolton, Markham, Riverdale
and South Holland.
But along with diverting stormwater, the mammoth basin will capture sewage
from aged lines running under streets throughout Chicago’s South Side and many
south suburbs, which disgorge their contents into streets, waterways and, in
some cases, Lake Michigan during particularly heavy storms. The combined
stormwater and sewage will be treated at a reclamation district plant on the
South Side.
Operational testing of the reservoir is expected to start this month, and all
that’s left to connect it to the rest of the reclamation district’s Deep Tunnel
system is remove a concrete plug that’s 10 feet thick and 30 feet in diameter.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., described it as "Chicago’s Grand Canyon" and said
the reservoir will help to contain storms that are occurring with increasing
frequency and intensity in the Chicago area. Durbin said the project will help
address "changes on this Earth and how it affects the way we live."
"What we’re doing here is necessary but not sufficient," he said. "We’ve got
to leave a better Earth for the next generation."
Lisa Bonnett, director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, said
the reservoir will keep sewage-tainted water out of streams, rivers and lakes,
calling combined sewer overflows "our water quality issue of today."
South Holland, one of the towns that will be helped by the reservoir, had
suffered a "significant amount of overbank flooding" due to heavy storms
inundating Thorn Creek, Mayor Don De Graff said. Those problems were greatly
eased in 2003 when the Thorn Creek diversion tunnel rerouted much of that water
to a temporary reservoir in the quarry.
"That was a huge plus," he said.
That temporary reservoir, in a section of the quarry southwest of the
reservoir, can hold 4.5 billion gallons. Initially, the reclamation district
planned to turn that section back over to the quarry’s operator, Hanson Material
Services, once the permanent reservoir was finished.
However, the district this spring reached an agreement to continue using the
temporary reservoir through 2020, which will allow the district to gauge whether
the extra capacity might be needed because of the increasing severity of storms
in the region.
Despite the massive size of the reservoir, it won’t completely eliminate
flooding problems in the south suburbs, district board President Mariyana
Spyropoulos said. Particularly in areas where combined sewers carry both
stormwater and sewage, the pipes can quickly fill to capacity, and the cost for
some towns to install separated sewers is prohibitive.
"We might have a huge space at the tail end of it," she said, referring to
the new reservoir, but portions of the infrastructure feeding into it are still
too small to carry the water away fast enough.
While the Thornton Reservoir will hold the title of the world’s largest for
several years, another, at a quarry in McCook, will be even bigger. Expected to
be completed in 2029, it will be able to hold 10 billion gallons and represents
the final component of the multibillion-dollar Deep Tunnel project, which began
in 1975.
The Thornton Reservoir is in a section of the quarry that’s a half-mile in
length from east to west and a quarter-mile wide from north to south. A large
concrete dam was constructed to keep the stormwater from pouring into the south
lobe, which is still being mined.
A natural layer of shale about 200 feet below the reservoir's floor will keep
water from seeping out, and a "curtain" of grout was installed around the sides
to stop leaks.
A tunnel 30 feet in diameter will feed water into the reservoir and later
convey it to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant at 130th Street and Cottage
Grove Avenue for disinfection. Where the
tunnel empties into the quarry, a concrete apron three feet thick, with steel
rods securing it to the quarry floor, was built, according to Bipin Patel, a
senior civil engineer with the district.
Without it, he said, water pouring into the reservoir at speeds of up to 30
feet per second would eventually erode the quarry floor.
Although sewage will be in the water flowing into the reservoir, the sludge
will settle to the bottom, and some water will always be kept in the reservoir
to contain the odor, Patel said. Also, solar-powered aerators anchored to the
floor of the reservoir will bob on the surface, churning water to also help
control odors.
Patel said the concrete plug would take a week to remove, making the
reservoir fully functional, and the plan is to do that this month.
Years ago, the reclamation district negotiated an agreement with Hanson to
use the north lobe of the quarry, with Hanson continuing to pull limestone out
of that section until two years ago. That agreement will still allow the company
to mine in that area, but it would take place hundreds of feet below the
reservoir floor, Patel said.
Tunneling diagonally from the quarry’s south lobe, mining could take place
below the thick shale layer without worry that the work might cause a rupture in
the reservoir, he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-thornton-quarry-reservoir-st-0902-20150901-story.html
"What Better Place to Spend Labor Day than in Pullman?" Chicago Tribune (IL)
Full article text: There are a lot of great ways to celebrate Labor Day, but
only one is unique to this area and includes programs with a look back at labor
history in a place that was instrumental to the origins of the Labor Day
holiday. Labor Day in Pullman includes a wide variety of programs, from a tour
by bicycle, which includes talks at historic locations in Pullman and the
Calumet region, to afternoon community and factory site tours, music
performances and historic programs. The events are offered by numerous
organizations including the National Park Service and the Illinois Labor History
Society, plus many resident volunteers and neighborhood organizations sharing
their community's history and their community pride. Events kick off early on
Monday with the Pullman Labor Day Bike Ride, a 30-mile bike ride through the
historic Pullman neighborhood and into nearby Indiana communities, with speakers
at several stops along the route to discuss each site's history, industrial or
labor legacy, or environmental features. "This ride started as: Pullman to
Marktown—A Tale of Two Cities. The ride was between these two futuristic
communities where there were two knowledgeable speakers that talked about the
development of these communities and their history," explained Pullman resident
and volunteer ride organizer Pat Oyervides. "Since then the ride has become more
of a tour. We added some gorgeous nooks and crannies, fascinating old things and
interesting new things. For example, the stop at the
SEPA (sidestream elevated pool aeration) water reclamation area on Torrence
Avenue and going by the wonderful old elevator bridge right there.These have become two treasured places I love
to share," Oyervides said. Other regular stops on the tour include: the Pullman
old market square where Historic Pullman Foundation president Michael Shymanski
will speak; Whiting’s refurbished lakefront area; the Cline Avenue Bridge; and
"The Zone," a church and youth center where there is a presentation about the
"Memorial Day Massacre of 1937" when 10 unarmed labor marchers were killed
nearby. Registration can be completed online at
www.pullmanlaborride.com
starting at 7 a.m. before the ride. A $20 fee includes lunch and ride support.
The ride begins by the Historic Pullman Foundation Visitor Center at 11141 S.
Cottage Grove Ave. in Chicago, about one mile west of the 111th Street exit from
Interstate 94. Oyervides said this year’s bike tour will also have some surprise
stops before the group heads back for lunch by the Pullman Visitor Center and
museum in time for the tours and factory site event.
"This should be a fun day," said Stephanie Seawell, executive director of the
Illinois Labor History Society.
"We’ll start at 12:30 with tours of historic Pullman. Docents will offer
walking tours of the factory site and there will be a trolley that will take
people around the town, by the Florence Hotel and other historic parts of the
community. It will also go up a few blocks to the Pullman Porter Museum and the
new mural there that was dedicated on the Fourth of July."
Seating will be limited on the trolley and will be available on a first come
basis, according to Seawell.
"Then there will be a program at 1:30 at the old factory site at 11057 S.
Cottage Grove. There will be a little play that brings Albert Parsons, Eugene
Debs, Phillip Randolph and other labor activists to life. There will be some
activities for kids, two musicians …with some labor folk songs, and food and
beverages will be available," Seawell said.
The third event is referred to as the "Pullman Love-In," and features
musicians who have been playing "for quite a while" on Labor Days in Pullman.
This year they'll play off the back of the Florence Hotel to family, friends and
other listeners in the adjacent park who are welcome to bring chairs and picnic."Pullman is very much a part of why we have Labor Day," Seawell said. "In the
1890s, several states and municipalities already had a day to recognize labor.
Then, after the 1894 strike that started at Pullman and spread from Chicago
across the country, one of the ideas that the government had to make the workers
more happy again in response to events during the strike was to have a holiday
in their honor. Pullman can be considered the birthplace of Labor Day."
If you have other plans for this Labor Day holiday, you might be interested
to know that tours in historic Pullman are available at other times.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/lifestyles/ct-ptb-dittmann-labor-day-at-pullman-st-0903-20150902-story.html
"Thornton Reservoir Project to Provide Flood Relief to South Side," ABC 7 Chicago (IL)
Full article text: Flood relief became a reality Tuesday for residents on
Chicago’s South Side and more than a dozen southern suburbs with the
ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Thornton Reservoir project. The Thornton Quarry,
the baby Grand Canyon, that when filled will hold eight billion gallons of storm
water and sewer back-up. It’s been in the works for decades. Tuesday, the
politicians came and the ribbon was cut. Behind the ribbon, well within the
tunnel are gates that will regulate the flow of storm water—flood-water, often
laced with foul sewage, that sometimes winds up in south suburban basements
after heavy rains. Filling the quarry is meant to lessen that misery. "This is
one component in what I see as a toolbox to help people combat flooding," said
Mariyana Spyropoulos, MWRD president. A lot of the water will not smell very
nice. So the question is, how do you minimize the odor? Here is one answer.
There are seven floating aerators that will sit atop the water while sending
oxygen in and trapping the bad gas underneath. "When you come here you might
smell a faint odor when you come to the perimeter you shouldn’t be able to smell
anything," said Kevin Fitzpatrick, MWRD Project engineer. There will always be
some water in the bottom of the quarry. Occasionally it may get filled close to
the brim. The gates in the tunnel open for real business in a couple weeks.
http://abc7chicago.com/news/thornton-reservoir-project-to-provide-flood-relief-to-s-side/965971/
"Thinking Big about Sewage: Thornton Reservoir Nears Completion," Chicago Tonight WTTW (IL)
Summary: In light of yesterday’s ribbon cutting, WTTW reran a piecet
origired is project that temporarily holds sewage and rainwater after a storm
to help keep it out of our basements. But when there is a lot of rain—like the rainy spring we had this year—then even Deep Tunnel isn’t
massive enough. So the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is converting
Thornton Quarry into a new, giant reservoir. Today, the MWRD held a
ribbon-cutting ceremony at the site. In May, we sent Jay Shefsky to check it
out. Here’s another look at his visit. When it comes to treating our sewage,
Chicago has a history of thinking big. In the 1800s, when raw sewage in the
Chicago River contaminated our Lake Michigan drinking water, we reversed the
flow of the river…much to the dismay of our neighbors downstream. And then
there’s Deep Tunnel, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago’s massive public works project that temporarily holds the mixture of
sewage and rainwater after big storms to keep it out of our basements until it
can be treated. Well Deep Tunnel isn’t always enough, so the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District is adding a new, massive, holding tank. With a budget of $4
billion and a construction calendar spanning 50 years, the Deep Tunnel project
is one of the largest of its kind in the world. It took engineers 30 years to
finish digging out the 100-mile-long web of underground tunnels which now hold
2.3 billion gallons of overflow until it can be treated. The water will
eventually drain into three reservoirs: Gloria Alitto Majewski Reservoir, opened
in 1998; Thornton Reservoir, slated to open this summer; and McCook Reservoir,
projected for a 2017 opening. Combined, the reservoirs can store more than 18
billion gallons.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/09/01/thinking-big-about-sewage-thornton-reservoir-nears-completion
"Massive New Reservoir to Help Alleviate Chicago Area Flooding," CBS Chicago, Chicago Sun-Times (IL)
Full article text: A massive reservoir designed to reduce flooding on the
South Side and in the south suburbs was set to officially open on Tuesday. The
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago was cutting the
ribbon Tuesday morning at the Thornton Reservoir, which can hold 7.9 billion
gallons of stormwater and sewage. The project has been decades in the making,
and is meant to keep floodwaters and sewer overflow at bay in 14 suburbs and on
the South Side. The Thornton Reservoir is a section of the Thornton Quarry,
which has been used to mine limestone for nearly two centuries. The MWRD has
converted the north lobe of the quarry into a gigantic holding tank, measuring
about a square half mile, and more than 30 stories deep. Water will flow to the
reservoir through a massive tunnel 300 feet below ground, and 30 feet in
diameter. It’s connected to the Deep Tunnel system, a 100-mile network of
tunnels under the Chicago area used to capture and hold stormwater and sewage
for treatment at water reclamation plants. The reservoir is meant not only to
help improve water quality in the area, but prevent flooding to nearly 200,000
homes and businesses during heavy rains.
MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos said the reservoir is expected to prevent
about $40 million in flood damage each year. Thornton is the second MWRD
reservoir to come online. The Gloria Alitto Majewski reservoir near O’Hare
International Airport opened in 1998, and holds 350 million gallons of water.
The McCook Reservoir, which is still under construction, will hold about 10
billion gallons when complete. The first phase, with a capacity of 3.5 billion
gallons, should be completed by 2017; and the second phase, with a capacity of
6.5 billion gallons, should be completed by 2029.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/09/01/massive-new-reservoir-to-help-alleviate-chicago-area-flooding/
http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/7/71/923937/massive-new-reservoir-to-help-alleviate-chicago-area-flooding
"Chicago Area’s ‘Grand Canyon’ Christened," Daily Southtown (IL)
Full article text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District on Tuesday
officially opened a massive reservoir inside the Thornton Quarry, including this
huge tunnel that will carry sewage and stormwater to reduce flooding on
Chicago's South side and in 14 towns. (Photo by Jose M. Osorio / Chicago
Tribune) Soon, in the next few weeks perhaps, a view long familiar to drivers
along the Tri-State Tollway through the south suburbs will be transformed
forever.
Water will start flowing into the north lobe of the Thornton Quarry, turning
it into a lake—although it’s not a body of water you’d want to swim or boat in
even if you could.
Standing 300 feet below the tollway at the bottom of the massive limestone
pit on Tuesday, officials from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and
area mayors snipped a blue ribbon to formally "open" what will be the world’s
largest stormwater reservoir, with a capacity of just under 8 billion gallons.
Costing $429 million, the reservoir is designed to ease flooding on Chicago’s
South Side and in 14 suburbs, including Calumet Park, Dolton, Markham, Riverdale
and South Holland.
MWRD deal supplements Thornton reservoir capacity to contain monster storms.
But along with diverting stormwater, the mammoth basin will capture sewage
from aged lines running under streets throughout Chicago’s South Side and many
south suburbs, which disgorge their contents into streets, waterways and, in
some cases, Lake Michigan during particularly heavy storms. The combined
stormwater and sewage will be treated at a reclamation district plant on the
South Side.
Operational testing of the reservoir is expected to start this month, and all
that’s left to connect it to the rest of the reclamation district’s Deep Tunnel
system is remove a concrete plug that’s 10 feet thick and 30 feet in diameter.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., described it as "Chicago’s Grand Canyon" and said
the reservoir will help to contain storms that are occurring with increasing
frequency and intensity in the Chicago area. Durbin said the project will help
address "changes on this Earth and how it affects the way we live."
"What we’re doing here is necessary but not sufficient," he said. "We’ve got
to leave a better Earth for the next generation."
Lisa Bonnett, director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, said
the reservoir will keep sewage-tainted water out of streams, rivers and lakes,
calling combined sewer overflows "our water quality issue of today."
South Holland, one of the towns that will be helped by the reservoir, had
suffered a "significant amount of overbank flooding" due to heavy storms
inundating Thorn Creek, Mayor Don De Graff said. Those problems were greatly
eased in 2003 when the Thorn Creek diversion tunnel rerouted much of that water
to a temporary reservoir in the quarry.
"That was a huge plus," he said.
That temporary reservoir, in a section of the quarry southwest of the
reservoir, can hold 4.5 billion gallons. Initially, the reclamation district
planned to turn that section back over to the quarry’s operator, Hanson Material
Services, once the permanent reservoir was finished.
However, the district this spring reached an agreement to continue using the
temporary reservoir through 2020, which will allow the district to gauge whether
the extra capacity might be needed because of the increasing severity of storms
in the region.
Despite the massive size of the reservoir, it won’t completely eliminate
flooding problems in the south suburbs, district board President Mariyana
Spyropoulos said. Particularly in areas where combined sewers carry both
stormwater and sewage, the pipes can quickly fill to capacity, and the cost for
some towns to install separated sewers is prohibitive.
"We might have a huge space at the tail end of it," she said, referring to
the new reservoir, but portions of the infrastructure feeding into it are still
too small to carry the water away fast enough.
While the Thornton Reservoir will hold the title of the world’s largest for
several years, another, at a quarry in McCook, will be even bigger. Expected to
be completed in 2029, it will be able to hold 10 billion gallons and represents
the final component of the multibillion-dollar Deep Tunnel project, which began
in 1975.
The Thornton Reservoir is in a section of the quarry that’s a half-mile in
length from east to west and a quarter-mile wide from north to south. A large
concrete dam was constructed to keep the stormwater from pouring into the south
lobe, which is still being mined.
A natural layer of shale about 200 feet below the reservoir's floor will keep
water from seeping out, and a "curtain" of grout was installed around the sides
to stop leaks.
A tunnel 30 feet in diameter will feed water into the reservoir and later
convey it to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant at 130th Street and Cottage
Grove Avenue for disinfection. Where the tunnel empties into the quarry, a
concrete apron three feet thick, with steel rods securing it to the quarry
floor, was built, according to Bipin Patel, a senior civil engineer with the
district.
Without it, he said, water pouring into the reservoir at speeds of up to 30
feet per second would eventually erode the quarry floor.
Although sewage will be in the water flowing into the reservoir, the sludge
will settle to the bottom, and some water will always be kept in the reservoir
to contain the odor, Patel said. Also, solar-powered aerators anchored to the
floor of the reservoir will bob on the surface, churning water to also help
control odors.
Patel said the concrete plug would take a week to remove, making the
reservoir fully functional, and the plan is to do that this month.
Years ago, the reclamation district negotiated an agreement with Hanson to
use the north lobe of the quarry, with Hanson continuing to pull limestone out
of that section until two years ago. That agreement will still allow the company
to mine in that area, but it would take place hundreds of feet below the
reservoir floor, Patel said. Tunneling diagonally from the quarry’s south lobe, mining could take place
below the thick shale layer without worry that the work might cause a rupture in
the reservoir, he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-thornton-quarry-reservoir-st-0902-20150901-story.html
"Officials Celebrate Thornton Reservoir Project," Northwest Indiana Times
Full article text: Officials from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
of Greater Chicago Board of Commissioners, legislators and environmental leaders
gathered at the Thornton Composite Reservoir Tuesday to celebrate a major flood
control/water quality improvement project. Work is nearing completion; the
project is expected to go online later this month.
The project will benefit approximately 556,000 people in 14 communities
throughout the South Side of Chicago and the south suburbs. The reservoir is
expected to protect some 182,000 structures, such as homes, and businesses, from
flooding and improve water quality in the Calumet River and Calumet Sag-Channel
by collecting combined sewer overflows before entering waterways. The new
reservoir’s capacity—nearly 8 billion gallons—holds these overflows before
pumping the water to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant for treatment.
It’s part of the MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, commonly referred to as
the "Deep Tunnel," consisting of more than 100 miles of tunnels deep below the
surface of the Chicago region and three reservoirs designed to capture and hold
stormwater and sewage for treatment at water reclamation plants.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/officials-celebrate-thornton-reservoir-project/article_90de96f6-1d60-5c07-ab72-2da6de8b6697.html
"After 40 Years, Chicago’s Deep Tunnel Project is Complete," WBEZ (Chicago)
Correction requested to statement that Deep Tunnel is "completed." When the
former limestone quarry fills, the Thornton Reservoir will add 7.9 billion more
gallons of capacity to Chicago’s stormwater runoff system. [A series of
interactive photos is included.]
http://interactive.wbez.org/photos/deeptunnel/
"Durbin, Schakowsky, US Army Corps of Engineers, MWRD, and Other Local
Officials Cut Ribbon on Levee 37," Real Estate Rama
Full article text: Hundreds of homes and businesses along the Des Plaines
River will be better protected from flooding with the completion of Levee 37
construction, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Jan
Schakowsky (D-IL-09), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Illinois Department of Natural
Resources and other local officials announced today at a ribbon cutting ceremony
for the project. Levee 37 will provide protection for more than 600 existing
homes and dozens of business in Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights, with an
estimated average annual savings of more than $3 million. "Rising river waters
is something we are all-too-familiar with in Illinois. Homeowners and businesses
along the Des Plaines River shouldn’t have to think about filling sandbags every
time it rains," Durbin said. "Levee 37 will save communities from flood damage
and save money—dollars spent on levees like this one help prevent disaster
dollars needed down the line. This milestone is the culmination of many years of
work and I am pleased to see this federal investment come to fruition to keep
communities safe."
"Flood protection is extremely important in our community as each year homes
and businesses face threats from rainstorms and the Des Plaines River,"
Schakowsky said. "Levee 37 will provide strong controls to reduce flooding for
hundreds of Illinoisans and save millions of dollars. That is exactly the type
of preventive action we must take to keep residents safe and avoid property
damage. I am proud to have worked with federal, state and local leaders to make
Levee 37 a reality."
"The Army Corps of Engineers has been privileged to be a part of the team
working to reduce the risk of flooding along the Des Plaines River," said Lt
Col. Kevin Lovell, Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago
District. "Levee 37 will provide flood protection for over 600 residential
dwellings and dozens of businesses in Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights, with
an estimated average annual savings of over $3 million in avoided flood damage
costs."
"This project holds a special meaning to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District of Greater Chicago as the Heritage Park Flood Control Facility was our
first major stormwater construction project since the Illinois General Assembly
granted us stormwater management authority in 2004," said MWRD President
Mariyana Spyropoulos. "It is also important to us because of the breadth of
intergovernmental partnerships forged through this process. Through our
relationship with the Village of Wheeling, Wheeling Park District, the U.S Army
Corps of Engineers and Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Heritage
Park Flood Control Facility will ensure the benefits of Levee 37 could be
realized. On behalf of the District, we are grateful for the opportunity to
deliver these quality of life improvements to these communities"
Levee 37 is one of six projects authorized as part of an Upper Des Plaines
River endeavor to reduce flooding along roughly 80 miles of the Des Plaines
River, which flows through 33 municipalities in Cook and Lake Counties. This
project and its partner project, Levee 50, are 65/35 federal/non-federal share.
All but about $100,000 of the $36 million that went into Levee 37 is federal
funding, leaving most of the non-federal share for the construction of Levee 50.
In partnership with Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Army Corps’
Chicago District worked with the local communities and several state and federal
agencies to complete the project. Durbin and Schakowsky helped secure
significant federal funding for this initiative, a response to the troubled
history of repeated flooding that had caused significant damage to homes along
the Des Plaines River.
http://illinois.realestaterama.com/2015/09/01/durbin-schakowsky-u-s-army-corps-mwrd-and-other-local-officials-cut-ribbon-on-levee-37-ID01080.html
"Massive New Reservoir to Help Alleviate Chicago Area Flooding," CBS Chicago, Chicago Sun-Times (IL)
Full article text: A massive reservoir designed to reduce flooding on the
South Side and in the south suburbs was set to officially open on Tuesday. The
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago was cutting the
ribbon Tuesday morning at the Thornton Reservoir, which can hold 7.9 billion
gallons of stormwater and sewage. The project has been decades in the making,
and is meant to keep floodwaters and sewer overflow at bay in 14 suburbs and on
the South Side. The Thornton Reservoir is a section of the Thornton Quarry,
which has been used to mine limestone for nearly two centuries. The MWRD has
converted the north lobe of the quarry into a gigantic holding tank, measuring
about a square half mile, and more than 30 stories deep. Water will flow to the
reservoir through a massive tunnel 300 feet below ground, and 30 feet in
diameter. It’s connected to the Deep Tunnel system, a 100-mile network of
tunnels under the Chicago area used to capture and hold stormwater and sewage
for treatment at water reclamation plants. The reservoir is meant not only to
help improve water quality in the area, but prevent flooding to nearly 200,000
homes and businesses during heavy rains.
MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos said the reservoir is expected to prevent
about $40 million in flood damage each year. Thornton is the second MWRD
reservoir to come online. The Gloria Alitto Majewski Reservoir said the
reservoir is expected to prevent about $40 million in flood damage each year.
The McCook Reservoir, which is still under construction, will hold about 10
billion gallons when complete. The first phase, with a capacity of 3.5 billion
gallons, should be completed by 2017; and the second phase, with a capacity of
6.5 billion gallons, should be completed by 2029.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/09/01/massive-new-reservoir-to-help-alleviate-chicago-area-flooding/
http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/7/71/923937/massive-new-reservoir-to-help-alleviate-chicago-area-flooding
"After 40 Years, Chicago’s Deep Tunnel Project is Complete," WBEZ (Chicago)
Full article text: When the former limestone quarry fills, the Thornton
Reservoir will add 7.9 billion more gallons of capacity to Chicago’s stormwater
runoff system. [A series of interactive photos is included with the article.]
http://interactive.wbez.org/photos/deeptunnel/
Durbin, Schakowsky Help Celebrate Levee 37,” Daily Herald (IL)
Full article text: Federal, state and municipal officials came together Monday morning to mark the successful completion of the $36 million Levee 37 to help control Des
Plaines River flooding in Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights and Wheeling.
With all but approximately $100,000 of the project’s funding coming from
federal sources, it was Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Democratic U.S.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky who kicked off the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "I have been in
Congress 17 years, but I actually inherited this project," said Schakowsky, who
recalled spending her 60th birthday filling sandbags along the river.
Though 100-year and 500-year storms occur, residents and businesses that
neighbor the Des Plaines River have struggled with flooding problems nearly
annually, said Schakowsky, a Democrat from Evanston. Levee 37 is now expected to
help protect hundreds of homes and prevent about $3 million in flooding damages
each year, officials said. "Back in the time we used to have something called
earmarks, I used to earmark this project," Durbin said. "This was a joint
project, a common effort, by all of us. I’m glad we made this investment." Among
the agencies that played a role in the project were the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the
Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Forest Preserve District of Cook
County, the Wheeling Park District and Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights and
Wheeling. Mount Prospect Mayor Arlene Juracek, whose village houses the levee,
said it’s a measure of her tenure as an elected official that she was at both
the project’s groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting. Over the years, she and her
colleagues have learned more about hydrology and water management than they ever
expected, she added. Juracek reserved the highest praise for one of her
predecessors, former Mayor Gerald "Skip" Farley, for getting the ball rolling on
the project. "Without Skip’s persistence, this never would have happened," she
said. Farley recalled that flooding issues were something that became a priority
for Mount Prospect almost immediately after he became mayor in 1989.
Coordinating all of the government agencies involved in the project and
finding a reservoir with enough capacity for it to work were among the biggest
challenges in getting Levee 37 started, he said. Both he and Juracek said
flooding in the area has increased over the years, blaming it on a combination
of additional development and poor choices on where and how new buildings were
constructed. Although the new levee is expected to reduce flooding
significantly, there has been an unforeseen drawback. Mount Prospect officials
say that levee wall that keeps the river from rising into the neighborhood to
the west now blocks stormwater that neighborhood from flowing into the river.
Juracek said more pumping capacity and greater sewer capacity is needed to help
that water get over and under the wall. While funding will likely drive the
speed of such an improvement, she doesn’t think it would as difficult or
time-consuming as building the levee. Existing backup pumps should be able to
help as a stopgap measure, she added.
The sandbagging of River Road, at least, should be a thing of the past with
the levee completed, Juracek said.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150831/news/150839840/
"Six Years Later, Levee 37 Project Comes to an End," Journal & Topics (IL)
Full article text: U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky
(D-9th), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC), Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources (IDNR) and
other local officials marked the completion of the Levee 37 flood control
project Monday, aimed at protecting residents and businesses along the Des
Plaines River.
Levee 37 will provide flood protection for more than 600 existing homes and
dozens of businesses in Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights. The project began
in 2009 after back-to-back floods hit the area in 2007 and 2008 causing
significant damage to homes near Seminole Lane and River Road on the border of
Prospect Heights and Mount Prospect.
The wall was mostly completed last year minus a 600-ft. gap near Seminole and
River. Filling that gap was not completed until a major stormwater expansion
project was done upstream at Heritage Park in Wheeling. "Levee 37 will save
communities from flood damage and save money—dollars spent on levees like this
one help prevent disaster dollars needed down the line," said Durbin. "This
milestone is the culmination of many years of work and I am pleased to see this
federal investment come to fruition to keep communities safe."
Levee 37 and its partner project, Levee 50 on Busse Highway in Des Plaines,
are 65/35 federal/non-federal share. All but about $100,000 of the $36 million
that went into Levee 37 is from federal funding, leaving most of the non-federal
share for the construction of Levee 50.
Levee 37 runs along the east side of Des Plaines River Road for about 7,500
ft. Another portion, about 1,500 ft. long, extends east-west along the north
side of Palatine Road south of Chicago Executive Airport. The vast majority of
Levee 37 is sheet pile capped with cast-in-place concrete above grade. There are
many gate structures along the levee to provide gravity and forced drainage.
Mount Prospect Mayor Arlene Juracek credited former Mayor Gerald Farley who
got this project underway more than a decade ago when he was mayor.
"Without his persistence this would have not happened," Juracek said.
http://www.journal-topics.com/breaking/article_60a0b836-5015-11e5-8dcd-3f53557f5ab9.html
"Durbin, Schakowsky, U.S. Army Corps, MWRD, And Other Local Officials Cut Ribbon On Levee 37," >Real Estate Rama
Full article text: Hundreds of homes and businesses along the Des Plaines
River will be better protected from flooding with the completion of Levee 37
construction, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Jan
Schakowsky (D-IL-09), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Illinois Department of Natural
Resources and other local officials announced today at a ribbon cutting ceremony
for the project. Levee 37 will provide protection for more than 600 existing
homes and dozens of business in Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights, with an
estimated average annual savings of more than $3 million."Rising river waters is
something we are all-too-familiar with in Illinois. Homeowners and businesses
along the Des Plaines River shouldn’t have to think about filling sandbags every
time it rains," Durbin said. "Levee 37 will save communities from flood damage
and save money – dollars spent on levees like this one help prevent disaster
dollars needed down the line. This milestone is the culmination of many years of
work and I am pleased to see this federal investment come to fruition to keep
communities safe." "Flood protection is extremely important in our community as
each year homes and businesses face threats from rainstorms and the Des Plaines
River," Schakowsky said. "Levee 37 will provide strong controls to reduce
flooding for hundreds of Illinoisans and save millions of dollars. That is
exactly the type of preventive action we must take to keep residents safe and
avoid property damage. I am proud to have worked with federal, state and local
leaders to make Levee 37 a reality." "The Army Corps of Engineers has been
privileged to be a part of the team working to reduce the risk of flooding along
the Des Plaines River," said Lt Col. Kevin Lovell, Deputy Commander, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Chicago District. "Levee 37 will provide flood protection
for over 600 residential dwellings and dozens of businesses in Mount Prospect
and Prospect Heights, with an estimated average annual savings of over $3
million in avoided flood damage costs." "This project holds a special meaning to
the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago as the Heritage
Park Flood Control Facility was our first major stormwater construction project
since the Illinois General Assembly granted us stormwater management authority
in 2004," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "It is also important to us
because of the breadth of intergovernmental partnerships forged through this
process. Through our relationship with the Village of Wheeling, Wheeling Park
District, the U.S Army Corps of Engineers and Illinois Department of Natural
Resources, the Heritage Park Flood Control Facility will ensure the benefits of
Levee 37 could be realized. On behalf of the District, we are grateful for the
opportunity to deliver these quality of life improvements to these
communities"Levee 37 is one of six projects authorized as part of an Upper Des
Plaines River endeavor to reduce flooding along roughly 80 miles of the Des
Plaines River, which flows through 33 municipalities in Cook and Lake Counties.
This project and its partner project, Levee 50, are 65/35 federal/non-federal
share. All but about $100,000 of the $36 million that went into Levee 37 is
federal funding, leaving most of the non-federal share for the construction of
Levee 50. In partnership with Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Army
Corps’ Chicago District worked with the local communities and several state and
federal agencies to complete the project. Durbin and Schakowsky helped secure
significant federal funding for this initiative, a response to the troubled
history of repeated flooding that had caused significant damage to homes along
the Des Plaines River.
http://illinois.realestaterama.com/2015/09/01/durbin-schakowsky-u-s-army-corps-mwrd-and-other-local-officials-cut-ribbon-on-levee-37-ID01080.html
| | |
August 2015 |
| |
"Cunliff Park Reopening Celebration is Sept. 12,"Patch (IL)
Full article text: A reopening celebration is planned from 9 -10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12 at Cunliff Park, 540 Echo Lane, which was closed while work connected with a major east Glenview flood relief project was undertaken this year by the Village of Glenview. In conjunction with the stormwater project, the Glenview Park District renovated the playground area and fieldhouse and added a covered picnic area. “Working with the Village, the Glenview Park District was able to renovate Cunliff Park while flooding mitigation was being implemented,” said James Warnstedt, Superintendent of Park and Facility Services. “Cunliff Park now has a new playground—with equipment for both tots and older kids—a picnic pavilion, a renovated fieldhouse with ADA improvements, upgraded appliances and enhanced landscaping throughout the park.”
http://patch.com/illinois/glenview/cunliff-park-reopening-celebration-september-12-0
"State of the Suburbs: Recreation Finds Creative Ways to Expand," Chicago Daily Herald (IL)
Full article text: Unlike a private business where an economic rebound can translate to reinvestment, public recreation agencies are more constrained in what they can do. However, through a combination of partnerships, long-term planning, tax support and other circumstances, there has been no shortage of projects—big and small—across the suburbs. Be it golf course renovations, fitness center construction or park improvements, examples of the growth in public recreation facilities and initiatives abound.
The scope ranges from the massive $33 million Heritage Park in Wheeling and the $17 million Oak Meadows Golf Preserve improvement project in Addison, for example, to the $170,000 installation of a new artificial surface at the Libertyville Sports Complex. Also apparent in public recreation are new ways public agencies gauge their offerings, tailoring them to demand and making them more interesting and accessible. Pickleball courts have popped up in many areas and new sports, such as foot golf, are being offered. To accommodate an aging population, the Lake County Forest Preserve District is building some short trail loops. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County teamed with volunteers as part of its centennial celebration on the commemorative 100-mile Century Trail that connects 33 forest preserves. The Forest Preserve District of Cook County determined there is a market for camping and is in the midst of a $29 million initiative to modernize or create five campgrounds throughout its system, including one near Palatine. In Arlington Heights, junior tees are part of a $2.4 million renovation of Arlington Lakes Golf Club. In West Chicago, the $15.5 million Athletics, Recreation and Community Center that opened in fall 2014 has exceeded use expectations, according to Gary Major, executive director of the West Chicago Park District. "This has become a critical part of the community," he said. Park districts and other entities are in the building mode for many reasons, explained Debbie Trueblood, executive director of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. "In some communities, the recession created an increased demand for local services," Trueblood said. In other areas, some facilities, such as swimming pools, have been on hold a long time and now need attention, she added. "During the recession, park districts and park and recreation municipal departments played an important role in supporting families and communities," she said. "Organizations often expanded programs or facilities to better serve the community." That includes the largest project in Naperville Park District history -- a $24 million, 80,000-square-foot indoor activity center that will feature facilities for seniors, those with special needs and others. It's the little things, too," said Connie Kowal, head of the Libertyville
parks department and Sports Complex. Kowal is a longtime sports marketing
executive, including a stint with the Chicago Cubs.
"If you have the programming and facilities and stay on top of your game and
be imaginative, (there is) the potential to be very bullish for the future in
terms of participation, growth and quality," Kowal said.
Here's a sampling of suburban recreation-related projects:
Heritage Park, Wheeling
Despite the threat of bad weather, 3,000 people turned out for the grand
opening in June of the $33 million Heritage Park renovation in Wheeling. The
project had been years in the making, said Jan Buchs, executive director of the
Wheeling Park District.
"It was always a priority because it was in a flood plain and flooded all the
time," she said, adding the necessary improvements always had been considered
out of reach but were incorporated in a master plan completed in early 2009.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago was seeking
water storage for its Levee 37 project to deal with Des Plaines River flooding.
The Village of Wheeling also was a partner.
The result is a 100-acre recreation and community gathering place that
includes: a 10-acre lake encircled by a 1.3-mile trail; lighted synthetic turf
fields; a performance pavilion and amphitheater; and fitness and aquatic
centers.
The lake and six basins can hold 49 million gallons of stormwater to relieve
flooding in Des Plaines, Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights.
Oak Meadows Golf Preserve
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is combining two missions in
one project intended to enhance the environment and improve the experience for
golfers.
Work began this summer on the $16.8 million Oak Meadows Golf Preserve in
Addison. The two-year project combines the 18-hole Oak Meadows course with the adjacent 9-hole
Maple Meadows East course.
The result will be a 288-acre project designed to restore natural habitat,
improve flood control along Salt Creek, which flows for more than a mile through
the property, and improve golf operations by incorporating elevation changes
that will make the course more flood resistant.
"It was long thought if we improved the golf, it would take away our ability
to hold stormwater," said Ed Stevenson, director of business enterprises for the
district. "We realized it doesn't have to be that way."
Besides improving golf operations, stormwater storage capacity at Oak Meadows
will increase by more than 20 million gallons. Twenty-five acres of wetlands
will be created, 108 acres restored and two dams removed to enhance the natural
terrain.
Arlington Lakes renovation
Arlington Lakes Golf Club in Arlington Heights has been a part of the
landscape since it opened decades ago, but not much has changed.
"The course has been open since 1979 and we've never done any type of
renovation except to add irrigation about 10 years ago," said Steve Scholten,
executive director of the Arlington Heights Park District.
In January, the park board voted to proceed with a major renovation expected
to improve the 18-hole course and attract new players or 3-, 6- or 9-hole
rounds for an expedited experience when time is short, he added.
More camping in Cook
Camping in Cook County forest preserves has been available only to organized
groups, but that changed this summer as the district invested about $29 million
to build or revitalize five campgrounds.
The offerings include Camp Reinberg in the woods of the historic Deer Grove
Forest Preserve near Palatine. Deer Grove was the first preserve acquired by the
district beginning in 1916, with the first 500 acres of the 1,800-acre site.
"This is the first time we've really had camping available to the general
public," said Lambrini Lukidis, district spokeswoman. The other camps are in
Northbrook, Willow Springs, South Holland and Oak Forest.
A few years ago, the forest district examined its facilities, and found it
needed to attract more people to the forest preserves, Lukidis said.
"They did surveys and found there was a market," for camping, she said. That
led to a camping master plan and introduction of new and improved venues.
Camp Reinberg opened July 1 and features: eight heated and air-conditioned
year-round cabins that can house eight to 10 people; 13 tent pads that each can
accommodate six people; room for small RVs; and, a large dining hall.
Each camping site offers programming and regular special events for campers.
Gear is available for rent or purchase.
"We really have made the shift to market the preserves to families and
individuals," Lukidis said.
Fort Hill Activity Center
This past spring, the Naperville Park District began work on the biggest
project in its history with the notion it would include something for everyone.
The 80,000-square-foot, $24 million Fort Hill Activity Center, expected to
open by fall 2016, will include a fitness center, walking track, indoor
playground, cafe, multipurpose rooms and athletic courts.
During a groundbreaking in April, local and state leaders spoke of how the
center would benefit
the entire Naperville community and provide programming for seniors, families
and people with special needs.
"This is a huge, huge deal for the community," Executive Director Ray McGury
said. "There's been a lot of excitement in the community."
Other projects:
Wilson Road underpass, Round Lake: The Lake County Forest Preserve District
plans to complete a bike/pedestrian underpass at Wilson Road near the Marl Flat
Forest Preserve. Federal funding paid 80 percent of the project, which will
connect with a half-mile trail to complete the western leg of the Millennium
Trail and Greenway.
• Athletics, Recreation and Community Center, West Chicago: The $15.5 million
West Chicago Park District facility opened in September 2014.
• The Mount Prospect Golf Club, Mount Prospect: The club reopened in August
2015 after a restoration to return the course to its 1926 roots. The estimated
$8.4 million renovation plan includes new irrigation and drainage systems, an
expanded and relocated driving range and various changes to all 18 holes.
• Foglia YMCA gym expansion, Lake Zurich: The expansion, which debuted in
January, features a new basketball court with six additional hoops, a climbing
wall, ropes course and two 1,000-square-foot multipurpose classrooms.
• Community Recreation Center renovation, Schaumburg: Driven by a citizen
survey, the Schaumburg Park District's $2.5 million enhancement and expansion of
the 36-year-old center includes 22,000 square feet of new and renovated program
and fitness space.
• Century Trail, DuPage County: As part of a yearlong celebration, the Forest
Preserve District of DuPage County in July unveiled Century Trail, a 100-mile
trail to honor its 100th anniversary. Century Trail travels through 33 forest
preserves, including the district's 10 most popular.
Fountain View Recreation Center, Carol Stream: The 90,846-square-foot center
opened in September 2013. The $19 million facility was the largest construction
project in the history of the Carol Stream Park District and the largest of a
$37 million voter-approved parks improvement program.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150829/news/150839947/
"About the Value of Water Coalition," Virtual Press Office
Full article text: Today the Value of Water Coalition announced the
Imagine A Day Without Water campaign with the launch of its site, www.ImagineADayWithoutWater.org. This
national education campaign will raise awareness of and build public support for
investment in water. Imagine A Day Without Water will take place from Oct. 6-8, 2015 across the country with
participation from partner organizations, water providers, local elected
officials, and more. "Imagine A Day Without Water is an opportunity for
every organization and individual that cares about water and the systems that
bring it to and from homes and businesses to stand together for our most
precious resource. Across the country, organizations are making plans to raise
awareness and educate the public about the serious state of our aging water
infrastructure systems and the tremendous benefits of investment," said Radhika
Fox, President of the U.S. Water Alliance and Director of the Value of Water
Coalition. "There are countless ways for folks to get involved, so we hope
everyone will use the resources on our website to find an idea that works for
them."
Partners who are interested in participating are encouraged to create their
own event or content to spread the message about the importance of investing in
water infrastructure. Examples of what organizations can do to participate
include: invite local leaders and the press to tour a water treatment facility,
work with the local mayor or city council on a proclamation or resolution,
create a social media campaign, write an op-ed, and more.
ImagineADayWithoutWater.org offers participating organizations a central
location for accessing materials to assist in the planning and production of
events. Site materials include:
11 ideas for how to participate
Messaging Guide
Tips for planning a press event
Op-Ed Template
A toolkit for ads, with horizontal and vertical print
ads, billboards and more.
Organizations interested in hosting an
Imagine A Day Without Water
event can sign up through www.ImagineADayWithoutWater.org and
should contact Abigail Gardner at agardner@thevalueofwater.org to coordinate
event planning and strategy.
About the Value of Water Coalition
The Value of Water Coalition educates and inspires people about how water is
essential, invaluable, and needs investment. The Coalition has come together to
advance positive solutions to our nation's pressing water challenges. Members
include: Alexandria Renew Enterprises, American Society of Civil Engineers,
American Water, American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan
Water Agencies, Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, Black and Veatch,
Brown and Caldwell, Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, CH2M, DC Water,
Dow Chemical Company, Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Hazen and Sawyer,
Kansas City Water Services, LA Sanitation, Metropolitan Sewer District of
Greater Cincinnati, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago,
MWH Global, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, National Association
of Water Companies, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Philadelphia Water
Department, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, United Water, U.S. Water Alliance, Veolia, Water
Environment Federation, and Xylem.
https://www.virtualpressoffice.com/publicsiteContentFileAccess?fileContentId=2117198&fromOtherPageToDisableHistory=Y&menuName=News&sId=&sInfo=
"Ribbon Cutting Marks Levee 37 Completion,"
Journal & Topics (IL)
Full article text: After six years of work, the Levee 37 Des Plaines River flood control project has finally been completed. To mark the occasion, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 31. Work on the levee, which runs from Palatine Road to Euclid Avenue on the west side of the river, began in spring 2009 after floods in 2007-08 caused the river to overflow and damage homes in Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights. The levee consists of 10,000 linear feet of earthen levee and floodwall along with various structures to help water flow to correct areas during storms and protect residents from flood damage. Though Levee 37 was initially projected to take three years to build, compensatory storage at Heritage Park in Wheeling was needed before a 600-ft. gap in the structure could be safely filled. In 2013, controversy about filling the gap caused tension between Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights and Des Plaines, who argued that the levee was causing flooding to become worse in their city. However, by November 2014 the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) gave approval to Wheeling’s compensatory storage area and the gap was finally filled. Further roadblocks in the project occurred when the contractor, Fuel Tank Maintenance Co. LLC of Tennessee, began work on a 60-inch stormline along Palatine Road and 100-ft. closure structure on Milwaukee Avenue months after they were contracted to, according to Army Corps of Engineers Project Manager Jeff Zuercher. Mount Prospect Public Works Director Sean Dorsey told the Journal & Topics that the final parts of the project were completed in June. Only one backflow valve has yet to be finished, but Dorsey said that it has been removed from the project and will be contracted out separately by Prospect Heights. According to Dorsey, no date has been set for Levee 37 to be officially handed over from the Army Corps of Engineers to the Illinois Dept. of Natural Recourses (IDNR) and finally to joint ownership by Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights. However, he did say that he expected the handover to happen soon. Representatives from Mount Prospect, including Dorsey and Mayor Arlene Juracek are expected to be in attendance at the ribbon cutting along with officials from Wheeling and a significant number of city staff and elected officials from Prospect Heights, according to former building director Steve Skiber. “It’s been a long road and we’re very happy,” said Skiber of the project. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-9th), U.S. Dick Durbin and representatives from MWRD and IDNR are also scheduled to attend. The ceremony will take place at the Cook County Forest Preserve picnic area on River Road just north of Euclid, according to Dorsey.
of Engineers Project Manager Jeff Zuercher. Mount Prospect Public Works Director Sean Dorsey told the Journal & Topics that the final parts of the project were completed in June. Only one backflow valve has yet to be finished, but Dorsey said that it has been removed from the project and will be contracted out separately by Prospect Heights. According to Dorsey, no date has been set for Levee 37 to be officially handed over from the Army Corps of Engineers to the Illinois Dept. of Natural Recourses (IDNR) and finally to joint ownership by Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights. However, he did say that he expected the handover to happen soon. Representatives from Mount Prospect, including Dorsey and Mayor Arlene Juracek are expected to be in attendance at the ribbon cutting along with officials from Wheeling and a significant number of city staff and elected officials from Prospect Heights, according to former building director Steve Skiber. “It’s been a long road and we’re very happy,” said Skiber of the project. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-9th), U.S. Dick Durbin and representatives from MWRD and IDNR are also scheduled to attend. The ceremony will take place at the Cook County Forest Preserve picnic area on River Road just north of Euclid, according to Dorsey.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_8c13aa90-4c33-11e5-be18-6fcf66de4b6b.html
"New Thornton Reservoir to Help with Water Excess on South Side and Suburbs," Breaking Voices (IL)
Full article text: In Thornton, Ill., about 10 miles south of Chicago city limits, there is a century-old quarry-turned-reservoir that may soon keep many South-Siders’ streets and basements from flooding. The gaping reservoir can be seen to the north while traveling on I-80 through the village of Thornton, its namesake. It is a part of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s (MWRD's) Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP). It will be completed by the end of this month, capable of storing up to almost 8 billion gallons of sewage and stormwater when existing treatment plants and tunnel systems get overwhelmed.
"[The current] system works well in dry weather, but in heavy rains the intercepting sewers and water reclamation plants can reach capacity and result in combined sewer overflows into the river, impairing water quality and contributing to flooding,” said Allison Fore, the public and intergovernmental affairs officer for the MWRD. “TARP is being built to capture 20.5 billion gallons of that combined sewage and store it so that it doesn’t end up in the waterways or basements.”
The Thornton reservoir, one of three reservoirs in the TARP project, is 700 feet wide by 1,400 feet long with a 300 foot depth, and holds 7.9 billion gallons.
"[Right now] I believe that this is the biggest reservoir of this kind in the United States, and maybe the world," said Adel Awad, the project’s senior civil engineer.
To put it into perspective, this massive space could hold twelve Soldier Field’s stacked on together. It will collect water from a 91 square mile area, serving about 556,000 people south of 87th St. in Chicago, as well as in 13 of Chicagoland’s southern municipalities.
"People in the affected areas will see less pollution in the Cal Sag Channel, less flooding and basement backups, and more wildlife diversity. The reservoir won’t solve all problems but the help it will provide will be substantial,” said Fore.
The reservoir will take in water through two tunnels; a smaller one, 20 feet in diameter, will bring in stormwater from area riverways, and the other, 30 feet in diameter, will connect with the existing tunnel system to bring sewage into the storage space. Water will flow naturally into the reservoir and gates will hold the water there until dry weather conditions are reached. Then the gates will slowly open and let water flow back into the tunnels and toward the treatment plants.
"Now the flow can come easily from the tunnel to our reservoir," Awad said. But he added that each municipality will have to make sure their tunnel systems are updated and able to send their overflow to the reservoir.
"All the municipalities, they have to do their homework to improve their system and to get a good collection system," he said. If any municipality does not have a compatible system, “we can’t help them.”
The reservoir is a converted quarry; it was mined out by Hanson Material Service (HMS) for its limestone, which is used to make cement used in roadways. Once HMS finished, MWRD bought the leftover cavern and began converting it into the Thornton Reservoir. This process has included installing a “grout curtain” around the walls to ensure that the porous limestone surface does not let water escape. About one gallon of grout is inserted into the ground for every cubic foot of space, leading to a combined 150 miles of grout strips. The two tunnels also had to be dug, installed, and fortified with grout and cement.
"You have a lot of different aspects of construction, all of them under civil engineering," Awad said of taking on the massive project. "I get sick of small buildings here and there… I told my bosses I wanted to end my career with a big civil project.”
The reservoir is the second piece of the larger three-part TARP project, which began construction in 1975 and is projected to be completely finished in 2029. The first, the Majewski Reservoir near O’Hare airport, holds 350 million gallons of water. The final piece, the McCook reservoir, will hold 10 billion gallons and become the largest reservoir in the country. At 8 billion gallons, Thornton is an impressive and impactful addition to the project and is predicted to save $40 million per year in flood damages. The complete TARP project has been called the “largest civil engineering project on Earth,” and according to the MWRD’s website. “TARP was named by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency as one of the nation's top Clean Water Act success stories and is serving as a model urban water management tool worldwide.”
http://www.breakingvoic.es/sNgFfLKC
"Skokie Participates in Program to Provide Free Rain Barrels to Residents,"Chicago Tribune (IL)
Full article text: Skokie residents can now receive up to four rain barrels
per house for no charge under a new program initiated by the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District.
The Skokie Village Board Monday, Aug. 17, approved an intergovernmental
agreement with the MWRD allowing the village to participate in the program.
"The program requires that the municipality act as a liaison to the [MWRD],"
said Skokie Director of Engineering Erik Cook in his report to the board.
Under the program, the installation materials and instructions are delivered
to each participating household. Installation is the responsibility of the
resident.
Residents first contact the village, which then provides the request to the
MWRD before the barrel and materials are delivered to residents. Cook said the
village must inspect the site after a year to verify the installation of the
barrel.
"In the event that the barrel has not been inspected, the village returns the
barrel to the district," Cook said.
Cook said the rain barrels will be useful to both the village and residents.
"The engineering division frequently is asked to help provide storm water
solutions to residents," he said. "Rain barrels are a popular way to help reduce
roof runoff and provide a garden watering source."
Although the MWRD oversees the materials to be made available, the
engineering division will be responsible for the management of the program, Cook
said.
The MWRD considers rain barrels "a form of green infrastructure…designed to
capture and reuse rain water."
"The largest benefit of rain barrel use is achieved by disconnecting the roof
runoff from the system and installing rain barrels to reuse water," it states in
program documents supplied to the village.
According to the MWRD, roofs comprise 41 percent of impervious surface in
Cook County. Many of these surfaces are directly connected to the public
drainage system, the MWRD states.
MWRD leaders say they are hoping the program will reduce the direct load of
rain water from entering the sewer system and reduce basement backups, combined
sewer overflow volume, overland flooding and infiltration and inflow.
Skokie is one of 129 communities in Cook County being encouraged by the MWRD
to participate in the rain barrel program. More information from the village
will be forthcoming on making requests for the rain barrels.
Village officials say the program will begin as soon as the intergovernmental
agreement is approved by the MWRD. It’s possible that the barrels can be
delivered this year, they said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-rain-barrel-tl-0827-20150819-story.html
"Skokie Residents Can Get up to Four Rain Barrels," Patch (IL)
Full article text: Residents of Skokie can now receive up to four rain
barrels per house for free.
A new program between the village and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
means materials and instructions will be send to homes of residents who request
the barrels, according to the Skokie Review. Also as part of the deal, Skokie
will act as a liaison to the MWRD.
To get the barrel, residents will have to go through the village, who will
put in a request to the MWRD. The Village will inspect the site a year after the
barrel is sent out to ensure it has been installed.
http://patch.com/illinois/skokie/skokie-residents-can-get-4-rain-barrels-0
"Shout Out: Juan Silva Bigtime Gardener," Chicago Tribune (IL)
Summary: Juan Silva’s Harwood Heights home on the 4500 block of Newcastle
Avenue features a slew of vines, trees and colorful plants. [Silva won a rain
barrel from the MWRD in a drawing at the Harwood Heights Fest, August 8-9,
2015.]
Via the arbor entrance past the sidewalk, visitors can view many of the 420
roses he’s planted since 2002. Tomatoes grow taller than an adult. Silva, from
southern Mexico, works nearby as a manufacturing supervisor.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/norridge/lifestyles/ct-nhh-shout-out-tl-0820-20150820-story.html
"Skokie Participates in Program to Provide Free Rain Barrels to Residents," Chicago Tribune (IL)
Full article text: Skokie residents can now receive up to four rain barrels
per house for no charge under a new program initiated by the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District.
The Skokie Village Board Monday, Aug. 17, approved an intergovernmental
agreement with the MWRD allowing the village to participate in the program.
"The program requires that the municipality act as a liaison to the [MWRD],"
said Skokie Director of Engineering Erik Cook in his report to the board.
Under the program, the installation materials and instructions are delivered
to each participating household. Installation is the responsibility of the
resident.
Residents first contact the village, which then provides the request to the
MWRD before the barrel and materials are delivered to the residents. Cook said
the village must inspect the site after a year to verify the installation of the
barrel.
"In the event that the barrel has not been inspected, the village then
returns the barrel to the district," Cook said.
Cook said the rain barrels will be useful to both the village and residents.
"The engineering division frequently is asked to help provide storm water
solutions to residents," he said. "Rain barrels are a popular way to help reduce
runoff and provide a garden watering source."
Although the MWRD oversees the materials to be made available, the
engineering division will be responsible for the management of the program, Cook
said.
The MWRD considers rain barrels "a form of green infrastructure…designed to
capture and reuse rain water."
"The largest benefit of rain barrel use is achieved by disconnecting the roof
runoff from the system and installing rain barrels to reuse water," it states in
program documents supplied by the village.
According to the MWRD, roofs comprise 41 percent of impervious surface in
Cook County. Many of these surfaces are directly connected to the public
drainage system, the MWRD states.
MWRD leaders say they are hoping the program will reduce the direct load of
rain water from entering the sewer system and reduce basement backups, combined
sewer overflow volume, overland flooding and infiltration and inflow.
Skokie is one of 129 communities in Cook County being encouraged by the MWRD
to participate in the rain barrel program. More information from the village
will be forthcoming on making requests for the rain barrels.
Village officials say the program will begin as soon as the intergovernmental
agreement is approved by the MWRD. It’s possible that the barrels can be
delivered this year, they said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-rain-barrel-tl-0827-20150819-story.html
"Trash Boat Video," Elastec
Summary: A video produced by Elastec, a boat construction company, showcases
the MWRD’s skimmer boats, "Skim Pickens" and "Skimmy Dipper." MWRD Senior Civil
Engineer Brian Levy is featured. The password is 123.
https://vimeo.com/136729055
"Are There Fallout Shelters Left in Chicago?" WBEZ (IL)
Full article text: Kyle Bolyard’s drive to work as a history teacher in
suburban Niles, Illinois, takes him past a strange sign. It’s planted on the
side of a sturdy, brick building owned by the regional wastewater treatment
authority.
"I pass this building every single day and at some point along the way I just
kind of noticed it," says Bolyard, 26. "It's a pretty small sign. It's kind of
rusted a little bit. It says ‘fallout shelter on floors one and in basement.’"
Fallout shelter, as in nuclear fallout following an atomic bomb blast. The
symbol on the sign is familiar to Americans who lived through the Cold War:
three yellow triangles circumscribed in a circle, pointing down. That sign got
Kyle thinking.
I was wondering if there were any nuclear fallout a nuclear blast shelters
left in the city of Chicago or the area.
By some estimates there were hundreds of thousands of dedicated fallout
shelters built in the 20 years following World War II. We looked for one still
standing, and we did find some old shelters. But they’re hardly the
apocalypse-proof, fully-stocked bunkers that were once ready to weather a bomb
blast and weeks-worth of radioactive fallout. Still, these remnants of Cold
War-era infrastructure do exist across the city. In fact, buildings that served
as fallout shelters are often in places you might not expect.
‘It was an eerie time.’
It feels distant to many people today, but for years the world was gripped
with fears of a possible nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the United
States. Each country stockpiled tens of thousands of nuclear warheads in the
decades following World War II, pursuing a strategy of "deterrence" by bulking
up to discourage an attack. Meanwhile the now-defunct Office of Civil & Defense
Mobilization (commonly called Civil Defense) focused on preparing Americans for
the unthinkable. A lot of people from this era remember Bert the Turtle, who
taught a generation of kids to "duck and cover" in the event of a bomb.
They were worried about two things: the actual blast of an atomic bomb, of
course, but also its fallout — contaminated dust and debris kicked up into the
air and rendered radioactive by a nuclear explosion.
Big, industrial cities like Chicago were considered major targets for a
possible nuclear attack. Diane Addams, who grew up in the Woodlawn neighborhood
during the 1950s, remembers it as an anxious time.
"It was kind of scary," she says. "People were buying and making fallout
shelters, and trying to find out where we could go if there was an attack and
all that kind of stuff. And they had those little signs that were saying that
you go here, like in the subway, or certain other areas."
Addams says those who had the money and a little property could build their
own bunkers. As apartment dwellers, her family had to have faith in public
shelters.
"It was just an eerie time," says Addams.
Cold War preparation really got hot in 1961, when Soviet Premier Nikita
Khrushchev threatened to cut off Western access to Berlin, then a divided city.
President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation, pumping up the Civil Defense
budget and urging Americans to prepare.
"In contrast to our friends in Europe, the need for this kind of protection
is new to our shores. But the time to start is now," Kennedy said. "In the
coming months, I hope to let every citizen know what steps he can take without
delay to protect his family in case of attack. I know that you will want to do
no less."
Although some historians say the speech was mainly meant to intimidate
Khrushchev, one effect was to stoke public anxieties about nuclear war.
"There's this huge national debate of whether or not to build a shelter. Some
magazine called that the question, ‘To dig or not to dig,’" says Kenneth Rose, a
professor at California State University Chico and author of the book One Nation
Underground: The Fallout Shelter in American Culture. "Almost every newspaper
and every magazine in the country had articles on nuclear war and fallout
shelters."
Local response: Cold War conversions
Like many cities across the country, Chicago designated existing structures
as public fallout shelters, typically choosing large masonry buildings with
windowless basements and thick stone or concrete walls. Federal officials
affixed these buildings with reflective metal signs measuring 10 by 14 inches.
In Chicago those included public school buildings, City Hall and, indeed, the
Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant at 3500 W. Howard St.—the building
that inspired Kyle Bolyard’s question.
Practically every town in America had some sort of public refuge like this,
and Chicago had thousands. In 1967 the Chicago Tribune reported that Cook County
had 2,522 public fallout
shelters, of which 1,691 were stocked with food and supplies. About three
quarters of the county’s 5 million people could have fit in the shelters, most
of which were downtown, in the Loop.
Federal Civil Defense officials were responsible for stocking fallout
shelters with everything they’d need to survive at least two weeks underground.
Nationally the Pentagon spent more than $80 million on supplies, which included
bulgur wheat crackers for nutrition, giant drums of water and "sanitation kits"
for personal hygiene.
None of the agencies that we talked to—local, county, state, federal—could
say exactly when they stopped checking up on fallout shelters in Chicago, or
even what happened to any of the records about how many shelters existed in the
area. It just kind of dropped off.
And by 1963 some survival kits were already deteriorating in storage. The
Tribune reported supplies for 2.2 million people were sitting "virtually
untouched" in federal warehouses at 39th Street & Pershing Road and at O'Hare
International Airport. "According to records of the federal government, Illinois
ranks 50th in the fallout shelter stocking program. Chicago rates at the bottom
of the list of metropolitan cities," reported David Halvorsen. Just a few dozen
of the 3,000 federally approved shelters had been stocked, months or years after
they’d been designated as public refuges.
Local response: new construction
In some cases, though, the city did more to adapt to Cold War concerns than
just slap a fallout shelter sign onto existing buildings and wait for federal
supplies—a fact that becomes apparent during a tour conducted by Larry Langford,
spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department. Langford drives me, questioner Kyle,
and his wife, Amanda Snyder, around the South Side to see a few fire stations
that had their own dedicated fallout shelters.
"Most of the North Side fire houses have been replaced. So we have to, of
course, go to old firehouses to find this," says Langford, who remembers Bert
the Turtle’s "duck and cover" drills.
Today the space under Engine 60 in Hyde Park looks like a lot of basements:
Firemen use it to store their workout equipment, as well as bicycles they help
repair for kids in the neighborhood. During the Cold War, though, the basement
had heavy steel doors that could seal in hundreds of people at a time. The
shelter also had a generator and a sophisticated air handling system to keep out
radioactive debris.
"The walls are very thick concrete designed to withstand all kinds of shock,"
he says.
As for a direct hit by an atomic bomb?
"Nothing’s going to withstand that," he says.
For questioner Kyle Bolyard, the area looks like what he expected: bare
concrete walls, big open spaces and dark, twisting corridors.
"You can imagine just rows and rows of cots or bed mats," he says. "It would
be really dark and really cramped."
Snyder adds: "I would imagine it would start to smell really bad after a
couple hours."
All of the shelter’s supplies were thrown out a long time ago, says Langford,
but the structure remains solid.
"We could still use it if we had to," he says.
Local response: private construction
Some patriotic citizens built their own shelters, following the advice of
nationally circulated pamphlets and public service announcements preaching
vigilance.
"In the event of enemy attack, every item on this list is essential," reads
one of the many advertisements placed in Civil Defense literature and popular
magazines. Their list includes a personal dosimeter for each member of the
family to measure radiation exposure, as well as fire extinguishers, radios, air
filters and a toilet for the fallout shelter.
In 1961 Bernice Gilhooly built Chicago’s first publicly authorized, private
fallout shelter. The Chicago Tribune reported Gilhooly planned to spend $3,500
on her subterranean shelter —
almost $28,000 in today’s dollars. But, the secretary and mother of three
told the newspaper it was worth it:
"Asked if she expected to be the subject of joshing by her neighbors, she
said: 'I don't care. A lot of them could look foolish because they didn't think
along the same lines we do." Asked if he planned to build a family shelter,
[Mayor Richard J.] Daley replied, "After the matter is thoroly [sic] gone over,
we will take the necessary steps to protect our family."
The structure got in the way of property modifications next door, and the
shelter was imploded. Today Jim Schaller owns the Bridgeport home, as well as
the remains of the bomb shelter.
"It had trundle beds on the wall. It had five gallon glass containers of
water. There was a crank to crank air in, air shafts that were sticking out the
property next door," he says. "They locked a heavy door, metal door locked on
both sides."
Schaller says he threw out the old supplies. Now he does his laundry by the
patched-over drywall that was once home to the shelter’s steel vault door. He
and his wife never thought to save the shelter, even though they’re old enough
to remember those anxious days when Cold War missiles were ready to fly.
"It was a novelty is all it was — a place to put junk," he says. "Another
closet."
What’s the use?
In spite of the nation’s Cold War preoccupation with preparing for a nuclear
attack, many people at the time doubted the shelters’ effectiveness. They also
wondered whether there was any use in preparing for fallout when a blast itself
would likely wipe out most Chicagoans before they had a chance to hunker down.
"No other nation, even Russia, is so perturbed about shelters. Could it be
that it is propaganda to distract our attention from more immediate problems?"
asked "E.H." in a 1961 letter to the Tribune. "Let us by all means make our
homes as safe as possible, but let us not allow "fallout" to become an obsession
with us."
That helps explain why only a minority of Americans built their own shelter.
Add that to the fact that an effective shelter could cost about $2,500 (about
half of the median family income in 1961), and you have an explanation for why
the nation’s brief obsession with bomb-proof shelters translated into relatively
few structures.
"For a very brief time there was this frenzy of private shelter building. But
even the frenzy was only a small number of people. It never really caught on,"
says Stephen Schwartz, editor of the
Nonproliferation Review and adjunct professor at the Middlebury Institute
of International Studies at Monterey. "I think people just sort of resigned
themselves to the fact that if this did happen this was all going to be over
pretty quickly. It didn't matter if you were above ground or below— you were
toast."
That blend of skepticism and fatalism even spread among public officials.
"Someone asked Chicago’s chief Civil Defense administrator what they should
do," says Kenneth Rose. "And he said, and I quote, ‘Take cover and pray.’"
Bernard Kelly, who was the Civil Defense Director of suburban Oak Forest
during the early and mid-sixties, says he never thought fallout shelters were an
effective response. But the exercises of stocking them and practicing drills
proved useful when they needed to deploy responses to natural disasters. And, he
says, it was reassuring.
"There was a general Cold War threat that hung over the nation," he says.
"And the alternative was to do nothing. It's not human nature to do nothing."
After President Kennedy called for millions of dollars to stock fallout
shelters around the country in 1961, Chicago aldermen and Cook County
commissioners decided to allow Chicagoans to build their own shelters, in case
the public network wasn’t enough. A reporter for the Christian Science Monitor was at that
meeting:
When aldermen were not harassing the discussion they clipped fingernails are
gone towards the ceiling for the most for the most part paying little attention
to the government shelter documents handed them at the beginning of the meeting.
Few of them asked to vote for the significant
ordinance had ever seen the pertinence data previously. Further indication of
the perfunctory action apparently expected of the meeting.
So even at the time, the urgency of the threat varied wildly, depending on
who you asked.
"Chicago certainly certainly wasn't unique here," says Rose. "American cities
simply were not prepared for a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. And we can all
thank our lucky stars that this war didn't happen."
(See also: How Cold War anti-aircraft missiles were stationed across Chicago)
What about today? The U.S.S.R. is no more, and there are far fewer nuclear
warheads around now than during the Cold War. But nuclear war is still a
possibility. Should we be stocking up and seeking shelter?
"In my opinion," says Rose, "living in fear of nuclear war is no way to live
a life. And you know there’s plenty of survivalists out there who have spent a
lot of money preparing for this ghastly possibility. But as far as I'm concerned
that’s wasted money, and a wasted way to live your life."
It’s easy to see fallout shelters as an historical oddity, and even to laugh
at people like Bernice Gilhooly, who spent thousands of dollars preparing for a
bomb that never dropped. Today we have our own national anxieties—about airport
security, surveillance, terrorism—with public programs and private responses
just as controversial as was a lot of Cold War culture. Someone born today might
look back on one of our "if you see something, say something" signs with the
same curiosity that drew questioner Kyle Bolyard to that rusty placard
announcing a fallout shelter on his drive to work.
http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/are-there-fallout-shelters-left-chicago-112688
"Metro Water, Park Districts Enter 39-Year Lease for McCormick Park Plans," DNA Info (IL)
The former "eyesore" of a movie theater parking lot-turned-park along
McCormick Avenue in West Ridge made some progress last week when Chicago Park
District officials agreed to enter into a 39-year lease agreement with the MWRD
to convert the currently grass-covered lot into a part of the community. On Aug.
12, Rob Rejman, Park District Division of Planning and Development director,
presented plans to the district's board to use tax increment financing in order
to fund the acquisition and development of the 1.8-acre expansion of Park No.
526. "This property will further enhance recreational opportunities available at
this passive park that abuts both sides of the Chicago River. This expansion
will address the needs of the North Park Community Area and the 50th Ward," the
proposal reads.
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150820/west-ridge/metro-water-park-districts-enter-39-year-lease-for-mccormick-park-plans
"Office Building Designed Before Recession to be Built in Hoffman Estates," Daily Herald (IL)
Full article text: A rare example of a recession-stalled building project
being resurrected virtually intact occurred in Hoffman Estates Monday when
village board members approved a medical office building immediately north of
Poplar Creek Bowl and Barrington Square Town Center.
Joe Caruso, president of Hoffman Estates-based Caruso Development Corp.,
which will be building the project, said this is his only approved design
derailed by the economic downturn to bounce back with barely a tweak.
"It’s unheard of," Caruso said. "It’s fun to see it come through."
Architect Richard Gordon of Northbrook-based Interwork Architects Inc., who
designed the 27,000-square-foot, one-story building at 2359 Hassell Road, said
it’s just as a rare a phenomenon for him.
Though the building was approved by the Hoffman Estates village board in
2006, that approval expired before tenants could be found due to the onset of
recession.
But when Northwest Community Healthcare Associates approached Caruso about a
specific type of building in a specific area, he realized he already had
something that met both criteria.
Though the building was first designed with the possibility of multiple
tenants, Northwest Community Healthcare Associates now plans to occupy the
entirety.
With the consent of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, Caruso said
he aims to get started on the building next week and have it ready to open by
June 30, 2016.
The building’s design is consistent with those of the Blackberry Falls office
park to the northeast off Hassell Road, though it will be a stand-alone
structure.
The space the building will occupy became available when the movie theater at
Barrington Square Town Center was razed in 2001.
The plan calls for trees and other landscaping features to obscure the stark,
sterile architecture on the west side of Poplar Creek Bowl, in similar fashion
to what’s already been done on its north side.
Though Hoffman Estates’ zoning code calls for a building of this size to have
116 parking spaces of its own, village officials deemed the 111 spaces in the
plan to be sufficient for its needs. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150818/business/150819054/
"Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Announces Job Opening," Illinois State Senator Patricia Van Pelt
Full article text: The Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District is currently
seeking applicants for the position of Operating Engineer II. For more details
please view the flyer below.
Job Title: Operating Engineer II
– Applications Accepted Online Only
Examination #: 15074
Opening Date: Friday, August 14,
2015
Closing Date: Friday, September 11, 2015
Qualification Deadline: Sunday,October 11, 2015
Hourly Pay Rate: $48.13
Duties: Under supervision,operates and/or supervises the operation of assigned mechanical equipment at a
sewage treatment plant, sludge disposal facility or pumping station, and checks
various components of the equipment for normal condition and operation. This
class is characterized by those positions requiring considerable skill and
background in operating a variety of complex equipment.
Minimum Requirements:
Absolute Requirement: Must possess a City of Chicago Sanitary Engineer’s
License.
Minimum Requirements: Graduation from a standard senior high school or the
equivalent and four years of experience in pertinent operating work.
Substitution: Additional experience may substitute for the required education on
a year-for-year basis. Successful completion of a recognized training program in
the operation of stationary equipment may be substituted for the required
experience on a month-for-month basis to a maximum of one year.
Examination: The examination
will consist of a written test weighted 100%. The minimum passing score on the
written test will be 70 percent unless determined otherwise by the Director of
Human Resources. Candidates must achieve a passing score to have their names
placed on the eligible list.
The written test will assess candidates’ knowledge, skill and ability in
areas such as operation and maintenance of pumps, motors and related electrical
and mechanical equipment; high pressure boilers, boiler water treatment and HVAC
(including chiller and cooling towers); diagnosing electrical and mechanical
malfunctions; flow and hydraulics; occupational hazards and safety precautions;
reading and interpreting testing and measuring devices; Distributed Control
Systems (DCS) and Supervisory Control and Automated Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems; supervision; planning and prioritizing work; and interpersonal and
written communication including maintenance of records and writing reports.
Examination Process: All
applicants will be advised by email if they have been admitted to the
examination process. Applicants who do not receive a response to their
application by September 18, 2015 should contact the Employment Service Office
at 312-751-5100.
WRITTEN TEST: The written test will be administered on Saturday, September
26, 2015 at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, 3857 West 111th
Street, Chicago IL.
Candidates should report at 9:00 a.m. with the approved admission letter and
a driver’s license or other form of photo identification. Calculators will be
provided. The use of books, study guides, cell phones, PDA’s, tablets, laptops,
or other aids during the test is prohibited.
Appointments: Appointments will
be made from an eligible list with three categories: A (Exceptionally Well
Qualified), B (Well Qualified) and C (Qualified). Candidates in the highest
category will be given first consideration for appointment. This examination is
also being given on a Promotional basis. In instances where both Original
Entrance and Promotional eligible lists result from an examination process, it
is the District’s practice to appoint only from the Promotional eligible list
until all names from that list have been considered. The eligible list has a
duration of three years. Appointment is subject to successfully passing a
physical examination, a drug test and criminal background investigation and an
evaluation of the candidate’s ability to meet the specific physical demands of
the job.
http://senatorvanpelt.com/index.php/district-info/constituent-services/45-constituent-information/203-metropolitan-water-reclamation-district-announces-job-opening
"Cal City Council Recognizes Lincoln Principal," NW Indiana Times (IN)
Summary: In other business, the Calumet City council approved a measure to
allocate $15,000 to allow public works to begin the reporting requirements for
the MWRD. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/cal-city-council-recognizes-lincoln-principal/article_94edd1dc-b089-59d8-a7a4-657262c5bf08.html
"Water Environment Federation Announces WEF Award Recipients,"
Water World
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) has officially announced the
recipients of the 2015 WEF Awards. The annual awards program recognizes
individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the
water environment profession, WEF and its member associations. Recipients
include individuals and organizations that contribute to the sustainability of
water resources and make a profound impact on the future through involvement
with water professionals and education. The awards will be presented next month
during WEFTEC 2015—considered the largest annual water quality event in the
world—taking place Sept. 26-30 at the McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill. They are
listed as follows:
Collection Systems Award
Bradley E. Fix, Indiana Water Environment Association
Eddy Wastewater Principles/Processes Medal
Leiv Rieger, Richard M. Jones, Peter L. Dold, and Charles B. Bott: "Ammonia-Based Feedforward and Feedback Aeration
Control in Activated Sludge Processes"
Emerson Distinguished Service Medal
Andrew Richardson, AZ Water Association
Fair Distinguished Engineering Educator Medal
Francis L. de los Reyes III, North Carolina State University Paul C. Johnson, Arizona State University
Gascoigne Wastewater Treatment Plant Operational Improvement Medal Darrell DeWitt,
David L. Wagoner and Jacqueline Jarrell: "Finding the Right System Balance"
W. Wesley Eckenfelder Industrial Water Quality Lifetime Achievement Award James C. Young
Innovative Technology Award
Algaewheel – OneWater Inc.
McKee Groundwater Protection, Restoration or Sustainable Use Award Manoj P. Samuel, S. Senthilvel, and Abraham C. Mathew: "Performance Evaluation of a
Dual-Flow Recharge Filter for Improving Groundwater Quality"
Member Association Achievement Award
Chesapeake Water Environment Association
Outstanding Member Association Award
New England Water Environment Association
Outstanding Young Water Environment Professional
Award Haley Falconer, Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association
Public Education Awards
Member Association Category: Indiana Water Environment Association; Other Category: San Antonio Water System Youth
Education IMPACT Program
Public Officials Award
Commissioner Frank Avila, Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Maggie Brooks-Monroe County, New York
County Executive The Honorable Laurel Prussing, Mayor of Urbana, Ill.
Rudolfs Industrial Waste Management Medal
Mauro Marinetti, Kar Munirathinam, Bernardino Ciongoli, Carlo Zaffaroni, Ali Redha: "Start up and Commissioning of
a Membrane Bioreactor Plant Treating a High TDS Refinery Wastewater"
Schlenz Public Education Medal
Ashley Halsey III & Bonnie Berkowitz
Water Quality Improvement Award
Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority, Ore.
WEF Canham Graduate Studies Scholarship
Ryan Ziels, University of Washington
WEF Safety Award
AR Wastewater Treatment Plant, Montrose, Mich. Orange County Sanitation District, Fountain Valley, Calif.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/08/recipients-of-the-2015-wef-awards-announced.html
"Wheeling Landscape Upgrades Approved,"
Journal & Topics (IL)
A contract approved by Wheeling trustees signals the next step in plans to
improve a village-owned parcel of land to attract developers. Trustees July 27
approved the $866,718.69 contract with Kanzler Landscape Contractor Inc. to
spruce up the site on Milwaukee Avenue south of Dundee. According to Public
Works Director Mark Janeck, this is Wheeling’s "last opportunity to make these
properties shovel ready," because the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
(MWRD) will soon change water retention requirements. As site plans have already
been approved by MWRD, the parcel will be grandfathered in to old regulations,
according to Village Manager Jon Sfondilis. Trustee Ken Vogel questioned whether
it would be wise to work on the site under the older stipulations, arguing that
developers would be deterred if they knew that the parcel’s flood system was not
up to the most current codes. However, Sfondilis noted that the land offers rare
opportunity to build on a site with tailored regulations. Economic Development
Director John Melaniphy agreed and said "certainly they [the developers] will
recognize that a lot of the work has already been done," in regard to grading
and stormwater management on the site. Melaniphy also eased concerns about
whether this part of the project would limit the use of the land. "With this
plan, we will still have the flexibility to provide the pad where we need it,"
he said, referring to design proposals for the site presented July 6.
Furthermore, Janeck assured the board that the village will always have the
option to amend the contract, providing for financial flexibility.
http://www.journal-topics.com/business/article_1c01e6bc-41ee-11e5-adf1-cbcc62d3506b.html
"Rain Barrel Installation," You Tube
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) has
partnered with Openlands to produce a "how-to" video demonstrating a proper rain
barrel installation. This video is part of MWRD’s rain barrel program which
offers free rain barrels to Cook County, Illinois residents. Rain barrels
capture rainwater from your roof and save it for when you need it. You can use
rain barrel water for watering house plants and gardens or washing cars and
tools. Disconnecting your downspouts and installing rain barrels will also keep
clean water out of the sewer system and help reduce basement backups and
flooding. To learn more about acquiring or installing a rain barrel, visit
mwrd.org or call your local Cook County municipality. Click below for printable
instructions!
http://tinyurl.com/px4t5b7
Disclaimer: With proper installation, maintenance and use, your rain barrel
should function properly. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago and Openlands assume no liability for the installation, maintenance or
use of your rain barrel. We are not responsible for any rain barrel malfunction;
property damage or injury associated with your rain barrel malfunction; property
damage or injury associated with your rain barrel, its accessories or contents.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKD3bqIItpE
"Elk Grove, County, State officials cut ribbon on Busse Dam program,"
Journal & Topics
A large group of assembled dignitaries including (from left front row),
Friends of the Cook County Forest Preserve Director Benjamin Cox, Cook County
Forest Preserve Supt. Arnold Randall, Cook County Board President Toni
Preckwinkle, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago
Board President Mariyana Spyropoulos, Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson,
DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin, and MWRD Board Vice President Barbara
McGowan cut the ribbon today (Wednesday, Aug. 12) on the Busse Woods South Dam
Modification Project intended to control flooding along Salt Creek in Elk Grove
Village and DuPage County
Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson stood on a bridge over the Busse
Reservoir Dam spillway Wednesday, Aug. 12 surrounded by a host of senior state
and county officials, mayors and engineers, cutting the ribbon on a major Salt
Creek flood mitigation project, benefiting Elk Grove Village and DuPage County
communities along Salt Creek. On Monday, Aug. 17,
construction equipment will come in to begin installing two massive
14,000-pound, 37-foot wide hinged curved stainless steel floodgates across
spillways in the Busse Dam. The huge metal gates will be able to completely open
or close in just 10 minutes and withstand a force of 1,500 pounds. per lineal
foot. The project is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving, Johnson said.
"Nearly eight years ago, we began work on the Busse Dam Modification project
with the lofty goal of bringing flood relief to the residents and businesses of
this region." Johnson said. "And now, thanks to the partnership, cooperation and
support of numerous federal, state and local agencies, we are mere months away
from achieving this goal."
Of 40 measurable Salt Creek flood events, Johnson said 20 would not have
happened had this project been in place and an additional 17 flood events would
have had just minimal impact in Elk Grove and along Salt Creek, leaving only
three of the last 40 flood events having a major impact. Johnson said the dam
project is the first in Illinois to include major participation by two counties,
Cook and DuPage and the largest single project the village has ever undertaken.
Dignitaries at the event joining Johnson atop the dam bridge included Cook
County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, DuPage County President Dan Cronin,
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago Board
President Mariyana Spyropoulos, Vice President Barbara McGowan, Illinois Dept.
of Natural Resources Director Daniel Injerd, Cook County Forest Preserve Supt.
Arnold Randall, Friends of the Cook County Forest Preserve Executive Director
Benjamin Cox, mayors from Wood Dale, Itasca and Hanover Park, Elk Grove Village
trustees and staffers and representatives from U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-8th)
and State Rep. Michelle Mussman (D-56th) offices.
Johnson was quick to thank the many political leaders and entities helping
make the project possible since he first announced plans to modify the dam in
the wake of the September 2008 storm and flood that left six northern Illinois
counties, including Cook and DuPage federal disaster areas. Preckwinkle and
Cronin also praised Johnson for his leadership on the project. The project has
an expected total price tag of about $4.6 million with the village picking up
$3.3 million of that cost, MWRD picking up $1.125 million and DuPage picking up
$100,000 of those costs. Johnson said a key moment in the process occurred last
April in a meeting with Preckwinkle in her downtown Chicago office. Johnson said
he was nervous, but said when he saw Cronin hug Preckwinkle, "I knew it was
going to be OK."
When Johnson first announced plans to install flood controls in the dam in
2008, before any engineering studies, influential environmental activists from
the Friends of the Cook County expressed concern about rising water levels
impact on the flora and fauna along the banks of Lake Busse. Cox met with
Johnson in late 2008 and early 2009. Through those meetings, Friends of the
Forest Preserve brought in Northwestern University engineering students to come
up with a plan to detain water using spillway controls in the dam that would
regulate water levels in Lake Busse before and during a storm event to control
flooding along Salt Creek. At the ribbon cutting, Cox said the dam modifications
would actually help the flora and fauna along the lake’s banks more than the
current situation as the lake’s level fluctuates now with storm events bringing
sediment into the lake. Once complete, the lake levels would remain much more
constant. That sentiment was echoed by Randall who said many come to the forest
preserve district with plans for flood detention that are often rejected because
their mandate is to do no harm to the forest preserve. This project actually
helps it. http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_53d5053e-4292-11e5-8f6d-a359b2a61f10.html
"Rain Barrels Available in Lansing,"
NW Indiana Times (IN)
Full article text: Residents can be issued up to four free rain barrels after
the Village Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago recently.
The 55-gallon drums are designed to go under the downspout of a home. The
water collected can be used for things like watering plants or lawns or cleaning
cars or tools. The MWRD began the program as a means to help prevent flooding,
sewer backups and basement overflows.
The barrels come in four colors and include instructions on their
installation. Residents can pick up applications in the building department at
the municipal center at 3141 Ridge Road.
In other business, a street resurfacing project was awarded to low bidder
Gallagher Asphalt for $530,531. A little over two miles of roads inside of TIF
districts will be repaired with all the funding coming from within the TIF’s
coffers.
LGS Plumbing was the low bid for a water main replacement on Bernice Road at
$724,569.95. A 12-inch water main will be installed from the Pennsy Greenway
Bike Path to Chicago Avenue. The existing 10-inch and 8-inch water mains have
experienced numerous breaks in recent years, Executive Assistant Vivian Payne
said.
New sidewalk will also be constructed and five new fire hydrants will be
placed on the south side of Bernice Road.
The roadwork and water main replacement are both expected to be finished in
the fall.
Building Commissioner T.J. Grossi told the board that his department is going
door to door letting residents know that code enforcement officers will be
patrolling alleys this month.
A letter informs homeowners they must maintain the alley behind their
residence, including removing garbage, sticks and debris. Fencing, garage roofs
and siding must be in good condition.
Warnings or citations will be issued to those not in compliance.
Lansing also entered an agreement with Crawford Communications for continued
use of a police radio antenna on Bernice Road. The village will pay $500 per
month. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/rain-barrels-available-in-lansing/article_ede02a99-4891-58da-abd1-d90c06c8f4cf.html
"Does Your Park Stink? Chicago Parks Using Human Poop to Keep Grass Green," WGN Radio (IL)
Full article text: Neighbors near Winnemac Park have noticed a certain aroma—described as a
"kitty litter box" smell by some—emanating from the green space recently.
Hey, don’t go throwing shade on cats. This is a pure case of he who smelt it,
dealt it.
That’s human poo creating the stink.
More accurately, it’s an organic fertilizer known as biosolids produced by
the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
The material is created by removing solids from the city's waste stream and
treating them to eliminate bacteria, parasites and other pathogens.
The result is a fertilizer that looks like dirt and is rich in plant
nutrients including nitrogen and phosphorus.
"We have seen great results from it in terms of the health of the grass,"
said Chicago Park District spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner.
The biosolids are routinely spread at a number of parks, she added
According to the MWRD, the biosolids "meet all regulatory safety standards
for direct contact."
An FAQ provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates
biosolids, says they’re used in all 50 states and have been recycled by
gardeners and farmers "for ages."
"Thirty years ago, thousands of American cities dumped their raw sewage
directly into the nation's rivers, lakes, and bays," the FAQ states. "Through
regulation of this dumping, local governments are now required to ... recycle biosolids as fertilizer,
incinerate it, or bury it in a landfill."
Chicago has opted to not let your waste go to waste.
http://wgnradio.com/tag/metropolitan-water-reclamation-district/
"Thornton Reservoir," Lakeshore Public Media (IL)
Summary: Reporter Steven Lattimore presents an overview of the changes in
progress to transform Thornton Quarry into Thornton Reservoir, a significant
feature of the MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxxKDSrcBr0
"City Using Human Waste to Fertilize Public Park," KHQ Q6 (IL)
Full article text: People in Chicago have recently noticed a strange aroma
coming from one of their local parks. It turns out, the city is using a unique
method to keep the grass green: human waste. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District actually creates the specialized fertilizer, also known as Biosolids.
The MWRD produces Biosolids from treated solids that have been removed from
municipal wastewater. They say Biosolids make landscapes much greener and
healthier, and in the long run, it could be more cost effective than chemical
fertilizer.
http://www.khq.com/story/29755743/video-city-using-human-waste-to-fertilize-public-park
"What Smells in Chicago Parks," WFLA (IL)
Full article text: Visitors in Chicago parks started noticing weird smell in
the grassy areas which seemed a little unusual to them. NBC Chicago got to the
stinky bottom of the story.
Some visitors told NBC Chicago it smelled like mushrooms, others said it
smelled like something chemically refined. The visitors were surprised to learn
that what they smelled was the new fertilizer the city was using to keep the
parks greener. That fertilizer had an ingredient that made some cringe – it was
human waste.
"At first I had a reaction of like oh no don’t tell me that while I am lying
on the ground," Iggy Ladden, a visitor, told NBC Chicago.
Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District creates that fertilizer
called ‘biosolids’ out of the treated solids from municipal wastewater,
according to NBC Chicago. It is used on farm fields, golf course and many other
places, MWRD representative said. The biosolids make the grass much greener and
healthier, and can actually be more cost-efficient in the long run, according to
NBC Chicago.
Some visitors actually found it smart to use the waste in a productive way.
http://wfla.com/2015/08/10/what-smells-in-chicago-parks/
"Chicago’s Other River: Exploring the Calumet by Kayak," WTTW Chicago Tonight (IL)
Full article text: The Chicago River buzzes with life. There are new sections
of the riverwalk downtown, kayaks on the river, water taxis—the city is
embracing its river like never before.
But what about that other hard working river, the Calumet, on the Southeast
Side?
When Jay Shefsky met a couple of local kayakers who regularly venture into
the Calumet River, he asked if he could tag along.
Here’s what they found.
Chicago’s other river
Sharon and Alec Bloyd-Peshkin have paddled their kayaks many places in the
world, from Lake Superior to Wales.
They run Have Kayaks Will Travel and they coach, teach classes and lead trips
in both beautiful and challenging waters.
As lifelong Chicagoans they also use their small boats to explore the city,
starting with Lake Michigan.
"The lake is our big natural resource," says Alec. "That’s how we think of
it. You know, in Chicago we don’t have great opportunities for hiking or for
camping but we do have the lake, and to view it from a kayak gives it a unique
perspective that we always find new things every time we go out."
Today they’ve invited me to join them. But we’re not heading for the lake.
Instead, we’ll be paddling a waterway where Sharon and Alec say they’ve never
seen another kayaker.
They’re taking me into the Calumet River.
Parts of the Calumet are quiet, green and kayak-friendly, but we’re going
into the busy, working part of the river.
It’s on the far Southeast Side of the city, close to the Indiana border.
Since the late 1800s this has been an industrial core of Chicago
"We’ll expect to see some barges, some tugs, some freighters, probably some
commercial traffic, there may be some pleasure boats," says Sharon. "There’s
some spectacular bridges in here."
We start out in the lake, from Calumet Park at 95h Street and paddle north
for about three quarters of a mile toward the mouth of the river.
But before we get into the river, it’s clear this is going to be very
different from any place I have paddled before.
Amazingly—to me—we see an ocean-going freighter.
We find out that the ship is from Portugal and is picking up a load of steel
coils.
As we paddle away from the ship and cross to the north bank of the river, it
looks surprisingly green and natural.
It turns out that this stretch was once anything but. In fact, it was the
home of the U.S. Steel South Works.
Steel was produced here from 1882 through 1992, employing some 20,000 people
at its peak.
Today the land is mostly empty.
Since the early 2000s there has been talk of redeveloping the site as a major
residential and commercial area called Lakeside.
But as we paddle alongside it, nothing seems to have been developed yet. (See
"Lakeside development update" below. MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos is
pictured in one of the photos.)
Alec and Sharon point out that U.S. Steel has left behind some artifacts:
what look like rocks along the shore are actually "slag," a byproduct of steel
production.
And then there’s the railroad bridge up ahead.
"Oh I love this bridge," says Sharon. "It’s sort of like the iconic entrance
to the Calumet River. It was built by U.S. Steel to move coal into the South
Works plant for use in the blast furnaces, and that was its sole purpose, that
was the only thing it did."
While the U.S. Steel site may be quiet, most of the rest of the river is
still working hard.
Among the vessels on the Calumet today is a tugboat called the Terry D. When
they pulled into a slip, we stopped for a chat.
"I started out as a deck hand in 1993," Brenden Bayer tells me. "I became
captain in ’97 and I’ve been doing it ever since."
His coworker, Bud Clarke, has been at it for 13 years. Working his way up
from the lower Mississippi.
Sharon asks, "Once you’re on your boat, are you on for weeks at a time or do
you get on and off?"
"I’ve worked for a couple different companies, and I worked for one where I
worked 28 days on and then 14 days at home. That’s a hard life," says Bayer. "I
go home every day or most days, and I like that because I have a family at
home."
I ask what they think of kayakers on the river.
"Watch out," Clarke tells us.
"I’m a big fan of water sports," Bayer adds. "So I think I wish I was doing
that instead of this. But yeah, it’s a dangerous river especially between this
river and the river downtown there’s a lot of commercial traffic and it’s a
dangerous place."
I ask my guides to talk about the danger of paddling back here.
"We don’t really think of this as a beginner paddle because there’s a lot of
commercial traffic," Sharon tells me. "There aren’t really a lot of
opportunities to get out, and you can get boat wakes and other things coming
through that people with less experience might not handle so well."
We decide to go somewhere quieter. Alec and Sharon say there is one big
advantage to a kayak’s small size. We paddle inside the support structure of a
bridge.
Sharon says, "We can get to places and see things that larger boats can’t
see, people on land can’t see, so it’s a vantage point that’s unusual, and we’re
always discovering new stuff."
In this case, we’re underneath the ruins of a bridge that met a rather
dramatic end.
"This is a relic, a bridge that was actually built by Joseph Straus, the
bridge builder who built the Golden Gate Bridge," explains Sharon. "In 1988, an
inbound boat struck the bridge and ended up getting wrapped in the leaf of the
bridge, destroying both the bridge and the ship."
The Calumet River had to be closed for 10 days.
There are lots of great bridges remaining. Here at 95th Street is a bridge
made famous by the Blues Brothers, in a scene where they jump their car over the
opening bridge.
Next is a magnificent trio of vertical-lift railroad bridges. And just beyond
that, the Skyway Bridge. It’s 125 feet above the river, and so is a guy on top,
whom I hope is up there for some good purpose.
As we make our way back, I’m struck by how much of this city I have left to
explore, and how much more you can see, up close in a kayak.
Lakeside development update
Just north of the Calumet River sits the old U.S. Steel South Works plant,
which has been dormant since it closed in 1992. Developer McCaffery Interests
Inc., in partnership with U.S. Steel Corp., negotiated with the city of Chicago
for years on how to transform the expansive site. What they came up with is a
tremendously ambitious $4 billion project known as Chicago Lakeside development.
Some have deemed the project "a city within a city," which will take 25-45
years to fully complete. All in all, the nearly 600-acre tract will be home to
nearly 14,000 single family dwellings and high-rise units, more than 17 million
square feet of retail space, a 1,500-slip boat marina, its very own high school,
and 125 acres of natural spaces, parks, and bike paths. One area of the
expansive parcel was pitched as the potential home for Barack Obama’s
presidential library, but is no longer in the running. Lakeside development is
also slated to be LEED certified.
According to Dean Welch, the development’s project manager, McCaffery
Interests is in the design and leasing stage for part of the first phase of the
project, a 400,000 square foot shopping center that will be anchored by a
Mariano’s. Welch estimated that construction would begin in late 2016.
One portion of the project that’s already completed is Steelworkers Park,
which opened in May and is located at East 87 Street and
Lake Michigan.
Last year, McCaffery Interests donated area set aside for another park,
currently being called Park No. 566, back to the Chicago Park District in hopes
that they’ll begin development on it next year.
Welch said construction on part of the marina would also begin after the
retail facility is completed.
Along the way, the developers have taken into consideration feedback from
potential retailers and community members. Initially, the design for the
project’s first phase had the retail space on
the north side of the site. Per retailers’ request, it was moved to 87th
and Lake Shore Drive to be closer to public transit options and more
connected to the surrounding neighborhood.
Throughout the process the developer has been hosting open houses, which
serve as opportunities for community members to visit the site and discuss the
project. The next open house is scheduled for October 17-18.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/08/06/chicagos-other-river-exploring-calumet-kayak
"Value of Water Coalition Members Lauded as ‘Game Changers’ in New National
Report from American Society of Chemical Engineers," Water Online
Full article text: Leading Voice in Infrastructure Commends DC Water, Philadelphia Water Department, LA Sanitation,
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for Visionary
Projects
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its "Infrastructure
Game Changers" report last week in the nation’s capital, spotlighting innovative
projects across water, surface transportation, freight, and more. Several Value
of Water Coalition members were commended for visionary water projects which are
forging the way for innovative partnerships, sustainability, environmental
stewardship, cost and energy savings, and beyond.
DC Water, Philadelphia Water, LA Sanitation, and the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago were all featured in ASCE’s report as
well as two American Water projects. All are members of the Value of Water
Coalition.
Radhika Fox, Director of the Value of Water Coalition, said: "I am thrilled
but not surprised to see so many Value of Water Coalition partners in the
spotlight for their vision and innovation in the water industry. Water providers
across the country are stepping up and pursuing creative means for solving some
of our most challenging problems. Cities like Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago
and Los Angeles have to deal with changing weather patterns, storms, droughts,
growing populations all on top of often old and outdated water systems. We have
to innovate so we can continue to bring clean, safe, reliable water service to
communities now and in the future and our Coalition partners are truly game
changers in their regions and a model for the nation."
"Civil engineers are by nature problem solvers," said Robert D. Stevens, PhD,
PE, President of the American Society of Civil Engineers. "There are a lot of
innovative ideas coming to fruition that can modernize our nation’s
infrastructure. However, these game changers will only become the norm if we
seize the opportunity and invest, not just be satisfied with maintaining the
status quo."
DC Water and Philadelphia Water were recognized for using solid waste as an
energy source for treating water and running their operations. DC Water was also
lauded for its massive underground tunnel project designed to reduce untreated
water runoff from flowing into local rivers. LA Sanitation was recognized for
water recycling, a critical issue in water-starved Southern California.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago was also recognized
for an innovative water capture and reuse project. Value of Water Coalition
member American Water is partnering with MWRD on its reclamation project and
operates the U.S.’s largest seawater desalination plant in Tampa Bay, which was
also featured as a game changer in the ASCE report.
Read more about the water game changers at
http://ascegamechangers.org/topics/water and learn more about the Value of Water
Coalition and our members at http://thevalueofwater.org/about-us/members.
About The Value of Water Coalition The Value of
Water Coalition builds national will for investment in water infrastructure and
water resources. The Coalition has come together to advance positive solutions
to our nation's pressing water challenges. Members include: Alexandria Renew
Enterprises, American Water, American Water Works Association, Association of
Metropolitan Water Agencies, Atlanta Watershed Management, Black & Veatch,
Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, CH2M
HILL, DC Water, Dow Chemical Company, Hampton Roads Sanitation District,
Hazen, Kansas City Water Services, LA Sanitation, Metropolitan Sewer District of
Greater Cincinnati, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago,
MWH Global, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, National Association
of Water Companies, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Philadelphia Water
Department, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, United Water, U.S. Water
Alliance, Veolia, Water Environment Federation and Xylem. For more information,
visit thevalueofwater.org.
http://www.wateronline.com/doc/value-coalition-lauded-game-changers-national-american-society-civil-engineers-0001
"Quarry to help fight South Side flooding during storms," ABC7 Chicago
The final piece to the flood protection plan for Chicago's South Side and
south suburbs was lowered into place Wednesday—it’s a huge gate placed in the
Thornton Quarry that will hold back millions of gallons of flood water during
heavy rains. It’s a delicate operation when you're lifting a stainless steel
wheel gate that weighs 54 tons; no room for error. And this is just part of four
huge wheel gates being lowered down this drop shaft—300 feet down—where they
will permanently reside in the deep tunnel. They will be raised and lowered to
regulate the flow of storm and waste water through this last section and into
the north lobe of the Thornton Quarry. "It’s the largest dirty water reservoir
in the world, or it will be when it comes on line at the end of the month," said
Kevin Fitzpatrick, MWRD project engineer. At full capacity, this section of the
quarry can hold nearly 8 billion gallons of water. There will be times,
engineers say, when it will be filled after extremely heavy rains. What that
means is there is another big place to put the stinky sewer and storm water that
has caused flooding headaches on the far South Side and surrounding suburbs for
years. "We don’t say it’s a cure-all for everything, but it’s gonna make a huge
difference in about 500,000 people tied to this reservoir," Fitzpatrick said. So
this functions as a giant bathtub—a dirty bathtub as it were, but to work, all
the quarry walls had to be sealed with grout. That meant drilling 150 miles
worth of 3-inch holes around the perimeter of the quarry and shooting in
pressurized grout. No ground water leaking in or stinky water leaking out. And
at the bottom of the quarry, which looks like a train tunnel, is a 30-foot
diameter tube that leads back to where the wheel gates will be. When the quarry
fills, the gates will go down to keep the bathtub from overflowing. "About 20
times a year we anticipate water coming in here after a storm. After the storm,
we pump it to our Calumet water treatment plant, where it’s cleaned and put back
in the waterway," Fitzpatrick said. More stinky water in the big bathtub, less
in basements—that’s the idea. Operations are scheduled to start first of next
month to place the rest of the gates.
MORE VIDEO: Thornton Quarry drone footage
http://abc7chicago.com/news/quarry-to-help-fight-south-side-flooding-during-storms/905302/
"An Interview with Mariyana Spyropoulos, President of MWRD," You Tube
Oak Lawn Mayor Sandra Bury interviews Mariyana Spyropoulos and discusses a
wide range of topics from rain barrels to flooding.
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=D9rJ4xPIEe0&feature=youtu.be
"How Do Chicago Parks Keep Their Grass So Green? Human Poop," Chicagoist (IL)
Full article text: Chicago parks have gone to—well, you know the saying.
The Park District has started using an organic fertilizer that is one part
last night’s dinner. Yep, these so-called ‘biosolids,’ produced by the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, are created by extracting and treating
solid particles from the city’s waste stream (a.k.a. human waste) for a natural
compound loaded with nitrogen and phosphorous. Just what healthy plants need. We
know what you’re thinking. but before reading about this, you probably couldn't
tell the difference. The fertilizer looks just like dirt, and as far as the
smell goes, residents near Lincoln Square’s Winnemac Park, where the mixture is
often used, describe it as having a rather kitty litter box-type odor, according
to DNA info. We’re not sure how kitty droplets translate to human deuces, but
that option sounds a whole lot prettier. In fact biosolids are nothing new.
Gardeners and farmers have been using them "for ages" according to the article.
And the Environmental Protection Agency, in charge of regulating them and making
sure they are safe for contact, says they are cleared to be used in all 50
states. The agency even has an FAQ for those understandably freaked out by this
phenomenon. But perhaps we shouldn’t poo-poo it. "We have seen great results
from it in terms of the health of the grass," Chicago Park District spokeswoman
Jessica Maxey-Faulkner told DNAinfo. So when you use the bathroom, remember:
Chicago's parks are counting on you.
http://chicagoist.com/2015/08/05/chicago_parks_give_a_crap_about_gre.php
"NEW Rain Barrel Program Brought to you by MWRD & The Village of Richton
Park," Village of Richton Park
(IL)
The goal of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's
(District's) Rain Barrel Program is removing the direct load from entering the
sewer system, reducing basement backups, and reducing combined sewer overflow
volume, overland flooding, and infiltration and inflow. The District believes
the value of keeping water out of the system will benefit the community.
* To request Rain Barrel, participant must be a resident of the Village of
Richton Park * A maximum of four rain barrels may be ordered per location.
http://richtonpark.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=159
"Value of Water Coalition Unveils New Education Campaign and Toolkit, ‘What’s
the Value of Water?’" Sys-Con
Media
Full article text: Yesterday the Value of Water Coalition unveiled its new
education campaign and toolkit: "What’s the Value of Water?" Using striking
images, the campaign aims to shine a light on water—our most precious, but often
invisible, resource. These education materials are available for free to any
organization that is working to raise awareness about the importance of
investment in water infrastructure and water resources.
"The Value of Water Coalition is proud that we created these beautiful and
functional educational materials to help organizations around the country
educate and engage people about the true value of water," said Radhika Fox,
Director of the Value of Water Coalition. "It was an amazing process of
collaboration among the 30 members of our coalition. We have some of the top
leaders in water engaged in our Coalition, and this toolkit brings together
decades of expertise in how to effectively communicate the value of water."
"It’s imperative that we recognize the value of water in so many facets of
our daily lives," said David LaFrance, Chief Executive Officer of the American
Water Works Association. "Water is the world’s most important resource, and the
systems that clean it, bring it to our homes, and return it to the environment
are critical to our communities. Our lives, our economy, our public safety are
severely impacted if we lose access to water service even for a day."
"Our water resources are being stressed more than ever, but it can be
challenging to communicate this in ways that we can all relate to. Sometimes the
most impactful message communicate this in ways that we can all relate to. Sometimes the most
impactful message about water is the simplest one: what would it be like to live a day without
it," said Eileen O’Neill, Executive Director of the Water Environment
Federation. "We can all benefit from taking a moment to think about water and
the importance of maintaining the systems that support our communities. We hope
the entire water sector uses these materials to spread the message of this
campaign from coast to coast."
The "What's the Value of Water?" toolkit provides the following materials to
any organization that wishes to educate and engage people about the value of
water:
Billboards
Outdoor advertisements
Print advertisements (horizontal and vertical layouts)
Bill Stuffers
Conference Banners
Water Fact Sheet
Message Guide
Shareable Social Media Graphics
All materials are available for download on the Value of Water Coalition
website: www.thevalueofwater.org. Please review usage guidelines before
publishing any materials.
About the Value of Water Coalition The Value of Water Coalition educates
and inspires people about how water is essential, invaluable, and needs
investment. The Coalition has come together to advance positive solutions to our
nation's pressing water challenges. Members include: Alexandria Renew
Enterprises, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Water, American Water
Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, Atlanta
Department of Watershed Management, Black and Veatch, Brown and Caldwell, Camden
County Municipal Utilities Authority, CH2M, DC Water, Dow Chemical Company,
Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Hazen and Sawyer, Kansas City Water Services,
LA Sanitation, Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, MWH Global, National Association
of Clean Water Agencies, National Association of Water Companies, Northeast Ohio
Regional Sewer District, Philadelphia Water Department, San Francisco Public
Utilities Commission, United Water, U.S. Water Alliance, Veolia, Water
Environment Federation, and Xylem.
http://news.sys-con.com/node/3397866
"MWRD Officials Laud Cal-Sag Trail," Beverly Review (IL)
Full article text: Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos, president of the board
at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago,
recently announced that the west segment of the Cal-Sag Trail is now open.
"We are thrilled to make this contribution and see the first half of the
Cal-Sag Trail come into fruition," said Spyropoulos. "This trail will connect
communities and lives, and it is our belief that everyone should have access to
our waterways and green space. The Cal-Sag Channel is particularly important to
the MWRD, because we have been tasked with protecting and improving it, and we
are happy any time we have a chance to highlight our work and utilize this
critical resource."
When totally complete, the Cal-Sag Trail will connect 14 communities within
the Southland and Millennium Reserve area, from Lemont to the Burnham Greenway
near the Indiana border. The eastern segment is scheduled to be complete by
2017. The 13-mile western segment runs along the Cal-Sag Channel from 131st
Street and Cicero Avenue, in Alsip, on the east to Archer
Avenue and Route 83 on the west end. Much of it runs through Cook County
Forest Preserves, and it connects with several existing bike trails in the
forest preserve system.
Spyropoulos concluded by saying, "When complete, the Cal-Sag Trail is
expected to be the longest trail in the Southland and will be the busiest
regional trail in the Chicago area after the Chicago lakefront trail."
http://www.beverlyreview.net/news/community_news/article_03335cb0-3acd-11e5-b911-c3ec98ecc0fc.html
"Does Your Park Stink? Chicago Parks Using Human Poop to Keep Grass Green,"
DNA Info, NBC Chicago (IL)
Summary: Organic fertilizer known as biosolids produced by the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District is created by removing solids from the city’s waste
stream and treating them to eliminate bacteria, parasites and other pathogens.
The result is a fertilizer that looks like dirt and is rich in plant nutrients
including nitrogen and phosphorus.
"We have seen great results from it in terms of the health of the grass,"
said Chicago Park District spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner. The biosolids are
routinely spread at a number of parks, she added.
According to the MWRD, the biosolids "meet all regulatory safety standards
for direct contact."
An FAQ provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates
biosolids, says they’re used in all 50 states and have been recycled by
gardeners and farmers "for ages."
"Thirty years ago, thousands of American cities dumped their raw sewage
directly into the nation’s rivers, lakes, and bays," the FAQ states. "Through
regulation of this dumping, local governments are now required to ... recycle
biosolids as fertilizer, incinerate it, or bury it in a landfill." Chicago has
opted to not let your waste go to waste.
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150804/lincoln-square/does-your-park-stink-thats-because-your-poop-is-keeping-grass-green
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Chicago-Parks-Use-Fertilizer-Made-From-Human-Poop-to-Keep-Grass-Healthy-320638932.html
Media Inquiries
ABC7’s Paul Meincke is touring the Thornton Reservoir this morning with a drone.
Colin Hinkle of Soaring Badger Productions operates the drone on behalf of
ABC.
Traci Badalucco, Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University
graduate student, will be touring the disinfection facility at the Calumet Water
Reclamation Plant tomorrow at 10 a.m. She plans on developing the article over
the following four weeks with the plan to pitch it to local magazines.
"Illinois Releases Final State Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy to Reduce
Pollution Loading to Illinois Waters and the Gulf of Mexico," IEPA News (IL)
Full article text: Illinois EPA Director Lisa Bonnett and Illinois Department
of Agriculture Director Philip Nelson announced the release of a finalized
statewide strategy designed to improve water quality in Illinois and the Gulf of
Mexico. The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (the Strategy) is the
culmination of more than a year of work by a policy working group as well as
public input. The Strategy does not call for new regulations for either point or
non-point sources; however, it does rely on the latest science and best
available technologies to guide statewide efforts to reduce phosphorus and
nitrogen losses that impact Illinois waterways and ultimately the Gulf of
Mexico. These nutrients spur algae blooms that deplete oxygen levels, hinder
recreation, and threaten public health. Nutrient pollution can also degrade
drinking water quality and require cities to install costly treatment equipment.
"Illinois EPA appreciates the collaboration of our partners and the public to
make this Strategy an action plan that Illinois is committed to implementing,"
said Illinois EPA Director Lisa Bonnett. "By building on and scaling up the work
that municipalities, sanitary districts, farmers and landowners are already
doing to reduce nutrient losses, we will be able to make great strides in
protecting Illinois rivers, lakes and streams, as well as reducing our
contribution to Gulf of Mexico hypoxia."
"The NLRS is a success story of collaboration between State agencies,
academia, non-profits, and the agricultural industry," said IDOA Director Philip
Nelson. "The next steps in the working groups will be critical to the success of
the Strategy."
The Strategy outlines best management practices to reduce nutrient losses
from point sources such as wastewater treatment plants and industrial
facilities, and non-point sources, including runoff from farm fields and city
streets. It uses scientific assessments to target the most critical watersheds
and to build upon existing state and industry programs. The goal is to reduce
the amount of total phosphorus and nitrate-nitrogen reaching Illinois waters by
45 percent.
Key Strategy components include:
Extending ongoing regulatory and voluntary efforts.
Identifies priority watersheds for nutrient loss reduction efforts.
Establishes the Nutrient Monitoring Council to coordinate water quality
monitoring efforts.
Creates the Nutrient Science Advisory Committee to develop numeric nutrient
criteria for Illinois waters.
Identifies strategies for improving collaboration among government,
non-profits and industry—Forms the Agricultural Water Quality Partnership Forum
and Establishes the Urban Stormwater Working Group.
Defines a process for regular review and revision by the Policy Working
Group for measuring progress and reporting to the public.
"The Illinois Farm Bureau supports the NLRS because it relies on education,
outreach and voluntary incentive-based practices to fulfill agriculture’s role
in reducing nutrient losses," said Lauren Lurkins, Director of Natural and
Environmental Resources – Illinois Farm Bureau. "IFB worked diligently to help
develop the NLRS. In awaiting the final strategy, IFB has been involved in
extensive outreach to raise farmer awareness. IFB will continue its active
participation in the work group, as well as its leadership in raising awareness
and encouraging Illinois farmers to implement the strategy on their own farms."
"Illinois ag retailers work closely with farmers to implement 4R nutrient
practices (right source, rate, time and place) that can reduce nutrient losses
and many farmers are already splitting their nutrient applications as is
recommended in the Strategy," said Jean Payne, President of the Illinois
Fertilizer & Chemical Association. "Reducing losses even further will require
dedication by ag retailers, certified crop advisors and farmers to adopt
enhances nutrient practices and demonstrate that we are making practical and
responsible decisions to improve nutrient utilization and protect water
quality."
Illinois is one of 12 states in the Mississippi River Basin included in the
U.S. EPA’s 2008 Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan. The plan calls on the 12 states to
develop plans to reduce the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen carried to the
Gulf of Mexico. Excess nutrients have led to an aquatic life "dead zone" that
stretches for thousands of miles.
The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy was developed by a Policy
Working Group led by the Illinois EPA and Illinois Department of Agriculture
with representatives from local, state, and federal agencies, agriculture,
non-profit organizations, as well as scientists, academics and wastewater
treatment professionals. The effort was facilitated by the Illinois Water
Resources Center at the University of Illinois.
"Meeting the challenge of nutrient reduction in the Mississippi River Basin
can only be accomplished by shared action," said David St. Pierre, Executive
Director, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. "The MWRD
appreciates the states’ leadership in creating a multi-constituent task force,
and we are moving forward on significant nutrient reductions in support of the
states’ plan."
"The Illinois Association of Wastewater Agencies, representing 8 million
ratepayers of Illinois, appreciates being invited to participate as the State
Agencies have prepared this Strategy," said Rick Manner, Nutrient Committee
Chairman, Illinois Association of Wastewater Agencies. "As front-line
environmental stewards, we’re acutely aware of the financial burden Illinois
residents pay in taxes and fees for treating their sewage."
"Overloading our waters with nutrients is a major problem in Illinois, and
this broad agreement that we must act together to address it is an important
step toward solutions that will protect our drinking water and wildlife," said
Dr. Cindy Skukrud, Clean Water Advocate for the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter.
"Today is only the beginning, but when we fully enact this strategy, we will
protect our drinking water and create good jobs building the infrastructure we
need to improve our water supply for our environment and for our health. We are
ready to work with partners throughout the state to take the steps outlined in
the strategy to clean up our waterways."
The final version of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy and
additional information is available at:
http://www.epa.illinois.gov/topics/water-quality/watershed-management/excess-nutrients/nutrient-loss-reduction-strategy/index.
"Biosolids Law," Chicago
Tribune (opinion) (IL)
Government now has a chance to make sure our waste doesn’t go to waste,
thanks to a new state law passed this year to promote the smarter use of
biosolids. New technological processes, known as "resource recovery," allow for
these by-products of the wastewater treatment process to be reused as fertilizer
which can then be applied to promote more productive soils. State law, however,
was not keeping pace with new science. This spring, we coordinated the push at
the Capitol for House Bill 1445, signed into law recently by Gov. Rauner, which
allows higher-quality biosolids from our wastewater and sewage to be cleaned and
turned into productive, marketable materials. This recent effort follows up on
legislation passed in 2014 to allow the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
of Greater Chicago to enter into agreements to recover renewable resources from
its operations, including biosolids. Not only can MWRD reduce its carbon
footprint and be smarter environmentally with biosolid renewables, but it makes sense economically. There will be an estimated $10
million to $15 million reduction in the overall annual cost of processing and
disposing this waste – money that does not have to come from taxpayers. Federal
regulations recognized the importance of biosolid repurposing, but state law
still considered it a pollutant. By changing the law to match the federal
approach, we're embracing the biosolids as an agricultural asset – a key
component of Illinois’ economy – and setting the right example for
environmentally-friendly water resource management. We're committed to continue
working together on innovative ways to move our state forward, even when it
means putting our waste back to work for us.
—State Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook
—Debra Shore, Commissioner, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD),
Skokie
http://my.chicagotribune.com#
"Wilmette’s Five-Story Building Progresses,"
Daily North Shore (IL)
Full article text: The proposed five story mixed-used building located at 611
Green Bay Road received the final green light from the Wilmette Village Board at
its meeting on July 28.
The Board voted unanimously to approve the final plans for the development by
M & R Development, LLC at its meeting. Trustee Julie Wolfe recused herself to
avoid the appearance of impropriety, since her husband is currently working on
another project with M & R.
In April 2014 the Village adopted a new zoning ordinance that changed the
planned unit development (PUD) process in effort to make it more streamlined.
Under the new zoning ordinance, a zoning administrator must certify that the PUD
plans are conforming. Jonathan Adler, the village’s Director of Community
Development, also plays the role of zoning administrator.
At the meeting, Adler explained to the Board that he and his staff had
conducted an exhaustive review of M & R’s plans. The developer reduced the
overall height of the building to five stories, with the removal of one floor of
residential units. Adler also noted that developer approved the appearance of
the west elevation of the building in response to residents’ complaints.
With the exception of a minor question by Trustee Cameron Krueger about
landscaping, the plans passed with little discussion by the Board.
The Board met earlier on July 28 at a Committee As a Whole meeting, where the
topic of 611 Green Bay Road was briefly discussed. Village Manager Tim Frenzer
said that M & R is awaiting approval from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District concerning stormwater management, which should take approximately 10-12
weeks.
Frenzer estimated that the village could close on the property sale by
October and M & R plans to break ground by year end.
http://dailynorthshore.com/2015/08/03/wilmettes-five-story-building-progresses/
Media Inquiries
ABC7’s Paul Meincke will be touring the Thornton
Reservoir Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 9 a.m.
Traci Badalucco, Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University
graduate student, will be touring the disinfection facility at the Calumet Water
Reclamation Plant on Aug. 6 at 10 a.m. She plans on developing the article over
the following four weeks with the plan to pitch it to local magazines.
WBEZ toured Thornton Reservoir yesterday to record audio.
|
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July 2015 |
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“Thornton
Quarry Transformation Part of ‘Largest Civil Engineering Project on Earth,’”
Northwest Indiana Times
An aerial view shows
Thornton Quarry in Illinois, bisected by Interstate 80. The north lobe,
foreground, will soon become the Thornton Reservoir, part of the TARP flood
relief system of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
(Photo by MWRD Public Affairs)
Full article
text: Laborer Randy Leach was
on lunch break still wearing his hard hat, his yellow vest coated with dust and
boots plastered with white mud. A cool breeze flowed from the dark reaches of a
massive 30-foot tunnel at his back, offering relief from the hot midday sun.
As Leach, of Roselle, Ill.,
prepared to return to his work at the tunnel's far end, he looked out across the
pale, flat moonscape of Thornton Quarry's north lobe floor. Normally consumed
with the day-to-day efforts involved in linking this tunnel to a larger system
underlying much of Chicago, he took a moment to reflect on his job.
"If you stop and think of
it, we're making history," he said.
Once Leach and his fellow
workers complete their efforts, no boots will touch that quarry floor again,
barring an emergency. There will be no dust there and the mud will no longer be
white. Instead, the area will be inundated with as many as 7.9 billion gallons
of storm and sewer water. Driven by gravity, it will come from Lansing and 13
other region communities, along with Chicago's South Side.
Workers and a film
crew stand near the opening of a 30-foot-diameter tunnel that will link the new
Thornton Reservoir with the Deep Tunnel system; President Mariyana Spyropoulos
is being interviewed.
Make no small plans
In 1900, Chicago stunned the
world by reversing the flow of its namesake river, channeling storm runoff along
with a good measure of sewage away from Lake Michigan, where the city's drinking
water is drawn. Instead of cholera epidemics erupting after significant
rainstorms, the polluted water was sent away from the city via canals still in
use today, eventually winding up in the Mississippi River and inspiring the rage
of city leaders in St. Louis.
But as the area's population
grew and land was developed, the city's combined sanitary and storm sewers — and
treatment facilities — again would become overloaded after hard rainfalls.
Warnings were posted. Beaches were temporarily closed. In outlying areas, sewer
systems became overtaxed and property owners along waterways suffered severe
flooding.
So in the 1960s, officials
hatched a plan to construct a tunnel and reservoir system that would conduct
storm and sewer water away from the lake and out of waterways. Rather than send
raw sewage to St. Louis, it would be collected until it could be treated before
being released back into the Cal Sag Channel and other canals.
It was no small plan.
Dubbed by the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago "one of the largest civil
engineering projects on Earth," the plan known as "Deep Tunnel" and "TARP" will
ultimately include three reservoirs, 109 miles of 30-foot diameter tunnels deep
within the bedrock and a total capacity of 20.55 billion gallons of water.
Workers excavate
portions of Chicago's Deep Tunnel system to link it to the new Thornton
Reservoir.
(Photo by MWRD Public Affairs)
A rocky history
While Deep Tunnel is tied to
the river reversal, the Hanson Material Service quarry in Thornton has a link to
another significant part of Chicago history. The first person to start digging
limestone in Thornton was Chicago pioneer Gurdon Hubbard, who years earlier had
been dispatched from Fort Dearborn to gather armed assistance to a rumored
impending attack by Native Americans. By the time he returned the attack was
over, and the massacre of the fort's defenders is commemorated with a star on
Chicago's flag.
While Hubbard's quarrying
efforts didn't last long, others soon took up the work of unearthing limestone
valued for its usefulness throughout the construction industry.
"It's in everything," said
Adel Awad, senior civil engineer with the MWRD. "Buildings, roads, you name it.
Everything in Chicago." Not a polished stone for building faces, it's primarily
used in cements and concrete mixes, or as a base material.
Many of the crushed
limestone rocks contain hints at the area's distant past as well. Fossils of
ancient sea creatures, trilobites and ancestors of snails and mussels as well as
sea plants called crinoids, tell the story of an equatorial tropical reef that
existed 600 million years ago, before tectonics had pushed Illinois and Indiana
north.
Their compressed remains
resulted in a profitable business that's still underway. The last limestone was
removed from the soon-to-be-flooded north lobe in 2013, but rocks still are
being mined from the larger southern lobe of the quarry, where excavation will
continue.
A 30-foot diameter tunnel will connect Thornton Quarry with Chicago's Deep
Tunnel system. (Photo by MWRD Public Affairs)
Filling the holes
Though mining was completed
in the north lobe, much work remained to turn the giant hole in the ground into
a reservoir. Limestone is a porous rock; water flows through it via tiny holes
and chambers.
To keep Thornton Reservoir
water from entering the groundwater supply or escaping back into nearby Thorn
Creek, engineers created a "grout curtain," district spokesman Justin Brown
said.
Workers drilled a few feet
back from the quarry walls and injected tons of pressurized grout, effectively
sealing off the quarry. Injecting the sealant into the limestone also ensures
its longevity, as it's protected from erosion by the rocks in front of it.
"It was better than
spackling over the walls," he said.
Below the quarry's floor is
a layer of naturally occurring shale, an impermeable rock that similarly will
prevent water from escaping. And the large opening under Interstate 80/94 where
huge dump trucks once hauled rocks from the north lobe has been sealed with a
112-foot-tall dam constructed from 34,000 cubic yards of concrete.
"We think it's the largest
dam in Illinois," Brown said.
Vehicles are parked near the outlet of a 30-foot diameter tunnel that connects
Thornton Reservoir with Chicago's Deep Tunnel system. (Photo by MWRD Public
Affairs)
How it works
Once it comes online,
Thornton Reservoir will have the capacity to hold nearly 8 billion gallons of
water. The untreated water will be fed by gravity through a series of tunnels
from municipal sewer systems eventually to the former quarry, where MWRD
President Mariyana Spyropoulos said she expects a constant level of about 10
feet of water to remain at all times.
After rainstorms and in the
spring, that level is likely to be deeper, with the waterline maxing out at
about 5 feet below the reservoir's rim.
"We're excited," Spyropoulos
said. "This will help protect people and reduce flooding in the county."
Through a series of gates,
the water will be slowly drained — once again via gravity — from the reservoir
and processed at the district's Calumet treatment facility before being released
into the Cal Sag Channel. The reservoir's floor is 300 feet deep; the treatment
facility's intake is 350 feet underground.
A 112-foot dam that MWRD officials believe may be the largest of its kind in
Illinois will hold reservoir water back from Thornton Quarry's still-active
south lobe.
Looking into the future
MWRD officials see the
project that's nearly wrapping in Thornton as a permanent fixture.
"We're building this to
last," said Awad, the senior engineer.
For the more than 150,000
estimated vehicles driving every day on I-80/94 300 feet above the quarry floor,
the trip will change from seeming like a Grand Canyon flyover to skirting the
shoreline of a new lake, albeit one filled with sewer water.
Awad said the district will
install aerators in the reservoir, pumping air through the water to "reduce the
septic effect" and cut down on odors. A similar setup is in use at another,
smaller MWRD reservoir, Brown said, "and we haven't had any complaints about the
smell."
But, he noted, that facility
also is near a separate waste treatment facility.
At some point, Awad said, if
all the linking sewer systems can somehow keep their sanitary and storm sewers
separated, most of the water flowing into the new reservoir will be somewhat
clean. But that's not something the district anticipates happening soon, and no
recreational use of the reservoir is in the MWRD's plans.
But if the project fulfills
its potential and significantly reduces flooding in southern Cook County, that
will be enough, Spyropoulos said.
She echoed the words of her
employee, Leach: “We"re making history here.”
“We"re continuing the work
they started with the Chicago River,” Awad added.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/thornton-quarry-transformation-part-of-largest-civil-engineering-project-on/article_23cff1fb-4a54-5d11-bf3c-a325fba33c7b.html
“Cook County
Wants to Buy All the Homes in Riverside Lawn, Turn It into a Forest Preserve,”
My Suburban
Life (IL)
Full article
text: Whatever Cook County
decides to do to bring about flood relief to Riverside Lawn, officials say no
one will be forced to sell their property. According to county officials,
claiming eminent domain is not an option.
Officials from
the county and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
(MWRD) met Riverside Lawn residents July 30 in a public meeting to discuss how
to bring relief to the flood-beleaguered residents in the unincorporated
subdivision on the south bank of the Des Plaines River.
Riverside Lawn lies huddled
in a forested area between Lyons and Riverside on the banks of the Des Plaines
River, which borders the area on three sides.
At the center to the
discussion at the meeting July 30 was the county's offer to purchase Riverside
Lawn land parcels. The county said the homes would be razed and the land turned
over to the Cook County Forest Preserve District to remain permanently green and
undeveloped.
There are approximately 71
parcels with 30 homes in the area, county officials said.
Each property would be
assessed at the pre-2013 flooding date by county assessors. Residents could
independently get their property assessed, as well, and present their appraisal
to the county for consideration.
In the event a property
owner and the county come to an impasse, an arbitrator would be called in,
officials said of the process.
Robert Rose, executive
director of the Cook County Land Bank Authority, said a "critical mass" of
willing property sellers is essential, and the parcels would need to be
contiguous with each other before the county would entertain purchasing them.
Simply put, the county would
not make an offer to a hodgepodge of individual parcels within the flood plain
of the subdivision.
"If you decide as a
community "No," it's over in the truest sense of the word," Rose told homeowners
at the meeting.
However, Jane Hornstein,
deputy director for Community Development for Cook County, said the county would
probably go ahead and purchase any property from a willing seller.
"The idea is to clear out as
much people as we can," Hornstein said. "We don't want to leave just one person
there. There's no way we can force somebody to sell. But for practicality
purposes, we would like to get everyone out of there. The objective is health
and safety."
Richard Fisher, senior civil
engineer for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, said the area was
previously evaluated for the possibility of building a protective levy, but
property issues created a roadblock to the plan.
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2015/07/30/cook-county-wants-to-buy-all-the-homes-in-riverside-lawn-turn-it-into-forest-preserve/abuqj8o/
“Interest in
Backyard Rain Barrels Picking Up in Park Ridge,”
Chicago Tribune (IL)
Full article
text: Social media may be to thank for a flood of interest in rain barrels from
Park Ridge residents.
Park Ridge Public
Works Director Wayne Zingsheim said inquiries about the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District’s free rain barrel program came pouring in after Facebook
posts on the program appeared shortly after a July 15 Water Reclamation District
presentation at City Hall where the barrels were discussed.
“We’ve probably
had about 40 emails already,” he said.
And the city
plans to assist residents in their quest to obtain the barrels, Zingsheim added.
Should a
partnership between Park Ridge and the Water Reclamation District occur,
interested residents “would just call Public Works and we would let MWRD know
which addresses and residents want the rain barrels,” Zingsheim said. “Their
contractors will then deliver the barrels to the residents’ doors.” According to
the MWRD website, residents of communities enrolled in the rain barrel program
can receive a free, 55-gallon barrel that connects to a downspout.
The city of Park
Ridge is not currently among the 21 suburbs enrolled, but an agreement is in the
process of being developed, according to Zingsheim. The majority of the enrolled
communities are located south of Park Ridge, with the exception of Wilmette.
Rain barrels are
used to collect run-off rain water, which can then be reused for tasks like
watering gardens or washing cars and other objects.
Mary Allen, a
Park Ridge resident and recycling and education director for the Solid Waste
Agency of Northern Cook County, has had a backyard rain barrel for six years.
She uses it primarily for gardening purposes.
“I have one rain
barrel that is connected to a downspout on my garage and I use it to water my
outdoor garden, my flowers and vegetables,” she said. Another benefit, Allen
says, is paying less for water.
Though rain
barrels have factored into Park Ridge conversations about flood mitigation—the
city’s Flood-Control Task Force recommended them in 2013—Allen says barrels
alone cannot solve the problem.
“One rain barrel
is not enough, I think, to mitigate against storm water,” she said. “The rain
barrel is only a 55-gallon barrel and when we get torrential storms, my rain
barrel fills up very quickly.”
Allen suggests
homeowners try a combination of rain barrels and initiatives like growing native
plants with long root systems and creating rain gardens—which absorb water and
keep it away from the home—to reduce flooding risks. Residents who don’t want to
wait for Park Ridge to enroll in the Water Reclamation District’s free rain
barrel program can purchase a barrel from the district for $58. More information
is available at
www.mwrd.org under the rain barrel link. Go Green Park Ridge is also
offering a program in which anyone who buys a rain barrel through Labor Day can
receive a $25 rebate. The rebates are provided by Bono Consulting Inc of Park
Ridge and anyone interested must submit a photo of their rain barrel as a
receipt, according to Go Green Park Ridge’s website,
www.gogreenparkridge.org/rain-barrel-rebate.html.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/park-ridge/news/ct-prh-rain-barrels-tl-0730-20150729-story.html
“Flood Project
Targets 3 Roads Around PH Lake,” Journal & Topics (IL)
Full article
text: Two more streets in addition to Willow Road may be physically raised as
part of a flood control project in Prospect Heights.
Hillcrest Drive,
which winds along the lake’s western shore from Willow Road to Owen Street a few
blocks away, was mentioned as another possible street to increase in height.
Owen. Which extends south from Willow on the lake’s east side is being
considered as well, the Journal & Topics has learned.
While an official
timeframe and cost estimates have yet to be determined, city leaders have been
in touch with Cook County and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD)
on moving forward.
The
county-maintained Willow Road hits a low spot between Elmhurst and Wheeling
roads where it crosses Hillcrest Lake and the Willow Sloughs. During heavy
rains, lake water frequently spills over onto the two-lane roadway. When this
happens, Willow can become impassable leading to its closure to vehicles until
the water recedes. Plans that surfaced last year called for raising Willow 2
feet, but not much has been heard since then until this week.
Prospect Heights
Public Works Director Steve Cutaia at Monday’s city council meeting said the
county is looking to meet with city officials on a possible cost-sharing plan
for the project. City Administrator Joe Wade said he was in contact with the
MWRD earlier that day. The MWRD planned to form a letter of proposal to be sent
to the city, according to Wade. Hillcrest Lake connects via tributary to
McDonald Creek that eventually drains into the Des Plaines Rivers. The area is
one of Cook County’s lowest elevations, which leads to increased flooding.
Surrounded by
prairie and wetlands, Hiram Kennicott operated his thousand-acre dairy farm in
the area of Elmhurst and Willow in the 1800s.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_9bb3b0c2-35ee-11e5-a1e5-abb13c3d5507.html
“Water
Reclamation District to Hold Open House on Flooding at La Grange Village Hall,”
My Suburban Life (IL)
Full article
text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) will
host an open house for La Grange residents at the La Grange Village Hall to
provide information on reducing flooding caused by severe storms. Between 5 and
7 p.m. on July 30, visitors can learn about the MWRD study to prevent flooding
in the Plainfield Road corridor south of 47th Street and to improve the Brainard
Avenue flood wall and the 50th Street storm sewer.
Representatives
from MWRD will be on-hand with information for residents to help prevent
flooding. Attendees will also have the opportunity to provide feedback to the
MWRD about their study and their potential solutions to help solve area flooding
issues.
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2015/07/27/water-reclamation-district-to-hold-open-house-on-flooding-at-la-grange-village-hall/ak7lea5/
“Riverside
Joins Free Rain Barrel Program,”
My Suburban Life (IL)
Summary:
Riverside residents soon will have the opportunity to go green by obtaining rain
barrels from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago at
no cost.
Village officials
signed an intergovernmental agreement in which MWRD provides a 55-gallon barrel
along with the necessary hardware to divert water from gutters into the barrel.
It also is equipped with fittings for watering with a hose, as well as a spigot
for filling watering cans.
A mosquito screen
and a linking hose to connect multiple barrels also are included in the kit.
Riverside’s
rainwater and sewage from homes flows through a combined sewer system. As rain
falls from roofs, gutters channel rainwater into down spouts and into the sewer
system. As a result, the sewer system becomes filled with mixed storm water and
sewage, resulting in backups and eventually flooding. Residents must disconnect
downspouts from sewer system to qualify for the free rain barrels. Riverside
resident Richard Ray is something of an old hand at taking advantage of
rainfall. He told officials at the July 16 Riverside Village Board meeting that
he has collected his rainwater for 35 to 40 years.
“I originally had
whiskey barrels but they rotted,” Ray said. “Now I’m using 35-gallon garbage
cans.”
The barrels come
with a color choice of black, terracotta, blue and gray, and are delivered to a
home free of charge. A maximum of four barrels can be ordered per location.
Applications are available under the For Residents tab at
www.riverside.il.us. Other area communities participating in the free rain
barrel program include Berwyn, La Grange Park, Oak Park, Stickney and
Westchester. Cook County residents not living in municipalities that participate
in the program can purchase a rain barrel for $58 that has a connection kit.
There is no charge for delivery.
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2015/07/15/riverside-joins-free-rain-barrel-program/a2olbri/
“Durbin,
Gutierrez Urge Cooperation to Expedite Bubbly Creek Restoration,”
eNews Park Forest (IL)
Summary: U.S.
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) today
urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers to work together to expedite the restoration of the South Fork of the
South Branch of the Chicago River – known as “Bubbly Creek.”
“It’s important for communities in
and around Chicago that this cleanup of Bubbly Creek moves forward,” said
Durbin. “In order to do that, we need the Army Corps and EPA working together
to identify areas where work can begin without delay.”
“We cannot delay the cleanup of
Bubbly Creek any further,” said Gutierrez. “It is essential not just for our
environment, but also for the economic well-being of the surrounding communities
and the City of Chicago.”
A recent
report in the Chicago Tribune noted that plans for a $15.4 million restoration
of “Bubbly Creek” stalled after the EPA discovered contaminated sediment near
the site began conducting a cleanup. Following that report and discussion with
local community leaders, Durbin sent a letter to the Army Corps asking that they
suspend rather than cancel their plans for restoration.
Text of
today’s letter is below.
July 24, 2015
Administrator Gina McCarthy
The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works
1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW
108 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20460
Washington, DC 20310-0108
Dear Administrator McCarthy and
Assistant Secretary Darcy:
We write to urge the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work together to
ensure that the restoration of the South Fork of the South Branch of the Chicago
River (known as ‘Bubbly Creek’) occurs as expediently as possible.
The Corps has spent several years
studying the restoration of Bubbly Creek, has dedicated funding to the project,
and is ready to begin. The EPA discovered contaminated sediment near the site
and is conducting a cleanup. It is our hope that the EPA is able to expedite
its cleanup where the two projects overlap, thus allowing the Corps to begin
restoration. If the Corps and the EPA work together you may be able to mitigate
liability concerns without wasting the time and money that has already been
invested throughout this decade-long study process.
The Corp’s restoration project is
strongly supported by the City of Chicago, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District, and the surrounding community. The restoration activities would
provide much-needed revitalization to an area with a history of industrial
pollution. It would be a valuable step in moving the South Side of Chicago to a
more environmentally sustainable neighborhood. This project is too important to
be delayed.
We encourage you to work together to
see that the EPA cleanup and the Corps restoration is done without delay. Please
give this request your immediate attention and I look forward to hearing from
you.
http://enewspf.com/latest-news/latest-local/63154-durbin-gutierrez-urge-cooperation-to-expedite-bubbly-creek-restoration.html
“Open House to
Collect Flooding Feedback in La Grange,”
Patch (IL)
Full article
text: The
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago will host an open
house in La Grange to provide information and collect feedback about flooding
from severe storms. The open house will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. July 30 at
the La Grange Village Hall, 53 South La Grange Road, according to the Village of
La Grange. The
district is performing an engineering study in the Plainfield Road corridor area
to look for ways to address flooding. “The limits of the Plainfield Road
Corridor study are Willow Springs Road on the west, 47th Street on
the north, Joliet Road on the south, and IL 171 (First Avenue) on the east,”
according to the village. “It includes portions of La Grange, Countryside,
McCook, and unincorporated Cook County.”
“The study area
includes the area south of 47th Street and is in addition to the
Village of La Grange’s storm water initiatives, which include the Brainard
Avenue Floodwall and the 50th Street Storm Sewer Improvements.”
At the open
house, the district will provide information on methods to reduce the effects of
severe storms and take feedback about the study’s findings.
http://patch.com/illinois/lagrange/open-house-collect-flooding-feedback-la-grange
“WEP Receives
NSF Funding Through 2020,”
Water Technology
Full article text:
A National Science Foundation grant will allow the Water Equipment and Policy
I-UCRC Research Center (WEP) to continue operations and water research through
2020, according to a press release. The award is WEP’s second five-year
operations grant, noted the release. WEP exceeded goals during its first five
years, including membership growth, technology for members and the number of
students hired by members. A member’s total five-year dues of $250,000 were
leveraged to $5.73 million in research, stated the release. Members saved $3.51
million in research and development. New members included Autotelic Inc., the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Rexnord Water
Management and Veolia Water, reported the release. WEP directors and members
will decide which proposals to fund in 2016 during the October meeting, shared
the release. Proposals include “System for biomethane production from
bioplastics,” “Ultrasensitive detection of phosphate with graphene-based
platform” and “Low-cost disposable cation exchange membrane electrode for pH and
heavy metal detection.” WEP’s guiding principles are: Pursue collaboration,
research for game changers, immerse in members’ businesses, remain
student-focused and manage through frequent personal contact, noted the release.
http://www.watertechonline.com/watertech-enews-daily/wep-receives-nsf-funding-through-2020/
“Removal
of 15 homes for Melvina Reservoir improvements a ‘Done Deal,’ Burbank Mayor
says,”
Patch.com
Summary: In June, Burbank residents were invited to an MWRD open house at
Reavis High School
to provide feedback on
six possible Melvina Ditch Reservoir improvement plans. Residents
were invited to submit “ballots” stating which plan they favored. Since this
article was written, the village has agreed to partner on “Alternative E,” which
calls for the acquisition of 15 homes to increase the area of flood storage.
Anticipated benefits include protecting 512 homes from reservoir overtopping.
The plan would also reduce overflow across 87th Street into Oak Lawn.
http://patch.com/illinois/oaklawn/removal-15-homes-melvina-reservoir-improvements-done-deal-burbank-mayor-says?
“Des Plaines
aldermen to revisit union-friendly bidding rules,”
Daily Herald
Summary: Des Plaines aldermen will be revisiting the city’s responsible bidder ordinance
which was approved in 2011. The ordinance requires companies bidding on city
contracts over $25,000 to have active apprenticeship and training programs
approved and registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. The city's director
of public works and engineering said responsible bidder ordinances are not
typical in other suburbs, especially for smaller projects like landscaping or
building improvements. There are similar ordinances on the books approved by
Cook County, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, and state of Illinois.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150727/news/150729129/
“Construction
on Long Awaited Busse Dam Flood Project Begins Next Month,”
Journal & Topics (IL)
Full Article
Text: The long awaited Busse Woods dam project to control flooding in Elk Grove
Village and along Salt Creek into DuPage County is set to begin construction
Saturday, Aug. 1.
Elk Grove Village
trustees awarded three contracts at their July 14 village board meeting
including a $2.7 million construction deal, and they authorized Mayor Craig
Johnson to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of
Greater Chicago to offset costs of the project by $1,125,000. The total cost of
the dam is expected run about $3 million. A formal ribbon cutting for the
construction is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12 in Busse Woods.
Johnson said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and DuPage County
Board Chairman Dan Cronin are expected to attend along with federal, state, and
other county and local officials. During construction, several parts of the
Busse Woods trail system will be closed. Johnson first announced his intention
to modify spillways in dams in Lake Busse along Salt Creek to regulate creek
levels by controlling water levels in the Busse Reservoir before and during
major storm events in October 2008. That announcement came one month after a
massive storm the month before caused such severe flooding six counties in
Northeastern Illinois, including Cook and DuPage, were declared federal disaster
areas. Village trustees awarded a $2,736,750 million construction contract to
Illinois Constructors Corp. of Elburn for the Busse Woods Reservoir South Dam
Modifications Project. Two contractors submitted bids requesting construction
documents of which Constructors Corp. submitted the lowest bid. The firm of
Wills Burke Kelsey Associates, Ltd. of St. Charles, was awarded a professional
services contract not to exceed $194,991 for construction engineering for the
Busse Woods Dam Modification Project. Energenecs, Inc. of Cedarburg, WI, was
awarded a $224,000 contract to provide and monitor a dedicated system to monitor
water levels and dam spillway controls and related sites. In March, village
trustees approved contracts to see two massive 14,000 lb., 37-foot wide hinged
curved stainless steel flood gates forged at a cost of $481,510 to Steel-Fab
Inc. of Finchburg, MA. Once complete, the huge metal gates would be able to
completely open or close in just 10 minutes and withstand a force of 1,500 lbs.
per lineal foot. The dam project has seen regulatory reviews and participation
of multiple federal and state agencies, direct assistance by federal
representatives in Congress, the Cook and DuPage county boards and MWRD with Elk
Grove as the lead agency. Busse Woods is also a federally protected national
natural landmark also known as the Ned Brown Forest Preserve.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_c149594e-3234-11e5-9d87-1303cb1b0e06.html
“Board Briefs:
Lincolnwood Police Officers Sworn in, Rain Barrel Program Announced,”
Chicago Tribune (IL)
Full Article
Text: Lincolnwood residents will be able to get up to four free rain barrels
through a new agreement between the village and the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District. Rain barrels are connected to a home’s downspout to
capture rain water, which can be stored and used later for lawn-watering.
Capturing and storing rain water reduces the flow of stormwater into the sewer
systems. Each barrel holds up to 55 gallons.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lincolnwood/news/ct-lwr-news-briefs-tl-0730-20150724-story.html
“County may buy out
Riverside Lawn properties,”
Riverside Landmark (IL)
Summary:
Word has been spreading
around Riverside Lawn—the unincorporated area of Riverside Township between the
Des Plaines River and 39th Street—that Cook County is looking to buy out the
neighborhood. Just what options remain for residents of the flood-prone area
will be the subject of a public meeting on Wednesday, July 29 at 7 p.m. in the
auditorium of the Riverside Township Hall. The meeting, called jointly by the
Cook County Department of Planning, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
and the township reportedly will address flooding and potential solutions for
Riverside Lawn. While township and county officials say all options are on the
table—from infrastructure improvements to property acquisition—the message
residents are hearing loudest is that the county would prefer they volunteer to
sell.
“They"ve already determined that the only option is buying us out,”
said Diane Gryglak, who has lived in her brick bungalow on Stanley Avenue for
the past 30 years. “I’d like to think there are other choices. If they can still
do a berm, we'd be all for it.” Gryglak was referring to a levee that the MWRD
proposed building, one that would protect the 45 or so homes in Riverside Lawn
from the repeated flooding their owners have endured, particularly since 2008.
The MWRD said that if agreement is reached to acquire homes voluntarily that
Cook County and Riverside Township would work with the MWRD to manage “the
process of purchasing the parcels, demolition and maintenance of the land until
its return to open land.” There is not currently a plan to purchase homes. In
2012, the MWRD went so far as to approve preliminary engineering for the levee
and reportedly sent letters to homeowners indicating the project was moving
forward. But that same year, the levee proposal was shelved. The following
April, Riverside Lawn was inundated by flood waters when the Des Plaines reached
its highest-ever crest, more than four feet above flood stage. Rather than
revisit spending millions of dollars to build a levee to protect the properties,
the MWRD began exploring other options. In August 2014, the MWRD board voted to
explore acquiring properties in Riverside Lawn. Riverside Township Assessor Fran
Sitkiewicz said she met with MWRD officials, who showed her flood maps of the
area and the locations of homes where they had received repeated complaints
about flooding. Meanwhile, the Cook County Department of Planning recently
received almost $15 million in Community Development Block Grant funds earmarked
for disaster recovery in the wake of the 2013 flooding in Cook County. “The
whole idea is to coordinate with the MWRD and the actual municipalities,” said
Barbara Maloof, a spokeswoman for the Cook County Department of Planning. In
order to allocate that funding, the department needed to bring community members
to the table to hear what they had to say.
“We’re bringing this hearing so we can hear from the actual
property owners, what their experiences have been,” said Maloof.
Maloof wouldn’t comment on the potential for property acquisition
except to say that “all options are on the table.”
Any buyouts would be voluntary, said Sitkiewicz. No one will be forced to leave.
However, said Sitkiewicz, several homeowners in Riverside Lawn have expressed
interest in the possibility of selling. But nothing, said both Sitkiewicz and
Maloof, is settled at this point. “There are a range of options, but there’s
nothing definite yet,” Maloof said. “We want to explain the options. It’s
important that they come to this meeting.” According to Maloof, the planning
department's deputy director for community development, Jane Hornstein, will be
at the July 29 meeting. As for Riverside Lawn residents, according to Gryglak,
they plan on coming. Several of them met at Gryglak’s home on July 23 to
consolidate information.
http://www.rblandmark.com/News/Articles/7-24-2015/County-may-buy-out-Riverside-Lawn-properties/
“Elastec Creates New Trash
Collecting Boat,”
WSIL TV (IL)
Summary: An engineering company that makes products to help the environment is
at it again. Elastec recently created a boat that picks up trash floating in
rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water. The trash-collecting boats have
already been sold to cities like Austin, Texas and to the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The boats are 23
feet long and the trash-collecting device on the boat doesn’t add extra weight
to the vessel. The company is celebrating 25 years of creating environmentally
helpful products. Elastec leaders hope these boats become one of the main ways
cities combat their debris problems.
http://www.wsiltv.com/home/top-story/Elastec-Creates-New-Trash-Collecting-Boat--318542731.html
“Banner Storage Group Eyes Former Movie Theater in Chicago for Self-Storage Conversion
Project,” Inside
Self-Storage
Summary: Banner
Storage Group LLC, a subsidiary of Banner Apartments LLC that buys, builds,
finances and sells self-storage properties, is eyeing a former movie theater and
adjacent carwash in Chicago for a potential self-storage conversion project.
Called an “eyesore” by residents, the former Cineplex Odeon Cinemas could become
a three-story storage facility, while the carwash would be demolished. The
theater at 6385 N. McCormick Road has been vacant since it closed in 2005 due to
a significant lease increase. Cheder Lubavitch Hebrew Day Schools purchased the
property in 2008 with plans to construct a new school campus at the site. It
later decided to build elsewhere and is now looking to sell the property.
Following the school’s announcement to sell the building last spring, the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), which owns the 2-acre parking
lot attached to the theater, agreed to transform the asphalt into a park with
turf. The Chicago Park District has agreed to take over the lease for the new
park. Banner Apartments is a real estate investment management business
specializing in the ownership, development and management of multi-family
properties. Banner Storage Group was formed in July 2013 to diversify Banner
Apartments’ real estate holdings.
http://www.insideselfstorage.com/news/2015/06/banner-storage-group-eyes-former-movie-theater-in-chicago-for-selfstorage-conversion-project.aspx
“Plastic Microbeads:
Is Your Toothpaste or Facial Scrub Hurting the Environment?”
SafeBee
Summary: Microbeads
are tiny plastic bubbles less than a millimeter wide. These beads show up in
personal hygiene products, like shower gels, body scrubs, toothpastes and
cosmetics. A United Nations study found that a typical exfoliating shower gel
contains as much microplastic as the plastic packaging it arrives in, and a
single tube of toothpaste can contain up to 300,000 of the Lilliputian spheres.
Microbeads don’t dissolve or degrade. Billions of them are washed down drains
each year, slipping through water treatment plants and flowing into rivers,
lakes and ultimately the ocean, where fish and other marine life ingest them.
While plastic pollution
in our waterways is hardly new, the problem of microplastic beads is more
recent. In 1992 manufacturers started receiving patents for microbeads in
cosmetics and personal care products. At that point, microbead use exploded,
eventually replacing natural but more expensive exfoliating
ingredients like salt, sugar
and oatmeal, according to a factsheet published by
the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, one of the
largest water treatment plants in the world. Wastewater officials say that
billions of microbeads are slipping right through their filters. “There are some
microbeads that don’t get through our water treatment facilities,” says David
St. Pierre, the water district’s executive director. “But there is no treatment
process to specifically address the problem of these very, very small microbead
particles. Even in treatment plants with sand filters, which eliminate any
suspended solid to achieve drinking water quality, they get through.” Building
new wastewater treatment facilities, some of which date back to the 1940’s, is
too costly, says St. Pierre. “The best way to eliminate microbeads in personal
care products is to ban them. Those of us in the water treatment industry
recognize that this is the right solution,” he says.
Illinois last year
became the first state to ban all personal care products containing microbeads
smaller than 5 millimeters by 2018. Maine, New Jersey, Colorado, Maryland and
Indiana also have passed microbead bans, and California is poised to follow
suit. At least a dozen other states and the federal government are considering
similar bans. Several major consumer product manufacturers support the bans or
have decided to voluntarily pull microbeads from their cosmetic and personal
hygiene products.
http://www.safebee.com/home/plastic-microbeads-your-toothpaste-or-facial-scrub-hurting-environment
“MWRD earns several Peak
Performance Awards for water treatment compliance,”
Water World
Summary: The
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) was recently
recognized with seven prestigious awards from the National Association for Clean
Water Agencies (NACWA) for its record in meeting compliance for water treatment.
MWRD has received five Platinum Peak Performance
Awards, which are given annually for facilities that meet 100-percent compliance
with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits over a consecutive
five-year period. The District's five water reclamation plants (WRP) have been
lauded for this honor for multiple years, while two additional plants were
recognized with gold awards for avoiding permit violations for an entire
calendar year.
The Calumet WRP received the platinum award for 23
years of 100-percent compliance; followed by the Lemont WRP for 18 years; James
C. Kirie WRP in Des Plaines for 10 years; Terrence J. O'Brien in Skokie for nine
years; and Hanover Park WRP for seven years. The Egan WRP in Schaumburg and
Stickney WRP in Cicero also earned the gold award.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/07/platinum-awards-cement-mwrd-s-sterling-reputation-for-clean-water.html
“Winnetka Reviews
Stormwater Projects,”
Daily North Shore
Winnetka’s Village Council received a monthly
stormwater report from Steve Saunders, Village Engineer and Director of Public
Works at its June 16 meeting. With multiple stormwater projects underway, the
monthly reports are way to keep the village appraised of all of the
construction.
Saunders summarized the status, cost and schedule
of the village’s Northwest Winnetka Stormwater Project, the Willow Road
stormwater tunnel and the Ash Street pump station project. The Northwest project
was started in April and is being completed by A Lamp, who was awarded a
contract in November 2014. Work underground Tower Road to Greenwood Avenue has
been completed. The Village is almost done with pavement restoration with plans
to open up Tower Road to two-way traffic between Greenwood Avenue and Hubbard
Road shortly. A Lamp continues to work on the west end of Tower Road. Saunders
noted that Tower Road is currently open to East bound traffic. In July or August
work should begin on the restoration and erosion control of a pond on the east
side of the Forest Preserve just south of Tower Road. The work was required by
the Forest Preserve in exchange for permission to discharge stormwater into the
pond. The project will include erosion control, native plant restoration and
regrading along the east bank of the pond. Saunders estimated that the project
is on schedule for substantial completion by October 31. The MWRD entered into
an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Village of Winnetka for construction,
operation, and maintenance of the new storm sewers and berms in northwest
Winnetka under Phase II of the Stormwater Management Program, with payment to
the Village of Winnetka in an amount not
to exceed $2M. The total net cost estimate for the
project is now $4,822,640.
http://dailynorthshore.com/2015/07/01/winnetka-reviews-stormwater-projects/
“Oak Lawn
joins rain barrel program,”
Daily Southtown
Oak Lawn is
joining a growing number of Southland communities in a program that offers free
rain barrels to residents to conserve water and reduce the amount of stormwater
in the village's sewers. Each resident can get up to four barrels through the
program run by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Forms can be
downloaded from Oak Lawn's website, filled out and brought to Village Hall. Oak
Lawn Mayor Sandra Bury said more than 1,000 barrels have already been ordered.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-oak-lawn-barrels-st-0707-20150706-story.html
“Thinking Big
About Sewage,” WTTW
“Chicago Tonight”
Summary: After a
month of record-setting rainfall for the Chicago area, WTTW’s Chicago Tonight
revisited its report on the Thornton Composite Reservoir. When it comes to
treating sewage, Chicago has a history of thinking big. The MWRD’s Deep Tunnel
temporarily holds a mixture of sewage and rainwater, until the water can be
treated after big storms. This process intends to keep basements dry, but it
isn’t always enough, so the MWRD is adding a new, massive, holding tank. In this
report, WTTW visited the Thornton Quarry and
went to the bottom of Deep Tunnel to see where the water will flow into the new
reservoir come August.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/07/06/thinking-big-about-sewage
“Harwood
Heights board briefs: Village approves $20,000 of expenses,”
Chicago Tribune
Summary: The
village of Harwood Heights and the MWRD will host a community meeting to gather
input on the state of the village's flooding problems. The input received at the
meeting will contribute to the village's formation of a revised stormwater
management plan. The meeting will be held on Thursday, July 9 from 5:30 to 7:30
p.m. at village hall, 7300 W. Wilson Ave.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/norridge/news/ct-nhh-harwood-heights-briefs-tl-0709-20150706-story.html
“Oak Lawn Free Rain
Barrel Program 2015,”
The Patch
Summary: In its continuing coverage of the MWRD’s Free Rain Barrel Program,
The Patch produced a video to promote the importance of rain barrels
designed to reduce the incidence of street and basement flooding in Oak Lawn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8RTxiTonWs&feature=youtu.be
“Hot on the trail:
Chicago to expand Northwest Side cycling, walking path on river,”
RedEye
Summary: A month after The 606 elevated rails-to-trails project opened, plans
are moving forward on another trail project on the Northwest Side. Plans call
for a bridge crossing over the North Branch of the Chicago River and a multiuse
trail on the east bank of the river underneath Addison Street, near California
Avenue, to connect existing trails for cyclists, runners and pedestrians between
two parks. Those two parks are California Park, north of Addison Street, and
Clark Park, south of Addison Street. At its Wednesday meeting, the Chicago Park
District board is expected to OK a lease with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District, which owns the property along the Chicago River, for the development
of the path, which will eventually stretch for roughly two miles from Montrose
Avenue south to Belmont Avenue. Construction is expected to begin next spring on
the Addison Underbridge Connection to allow bikes and people to safely continue
along the trail without having to cross busy streets. The Park District would be
in charge of operation and maintenance of the trail.
http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/redeye-chicago-riverfront-trail-project-addison-bridge-20150706-story.html
“ETHS student wins medal
for history project,”
Evanston Now
Summary: Laila Sauer (ETHS ’18) was recognized at the National History Day
Contest held recently in College Park, MD. Her project, "Jens Jensen: Parks and
Preservation," received the National Park Service Outstanding Exhibit medal.
Sauer’s exhibit examined the life and legacy of Chicago landscape architect Jens
Jensen. As part of her project, she visited the Chicago Park District archives
and interviewed historian Julia Bachrach and MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore.
http://evanstonnow.com/story/education/charles-bartling/2015-07-07/71217/eths-student-wins-medal-for-history-project#sthash.PcIzVzRK.dpuf
Pending Media Requests
“I Love My Job,”
WCIU-TV
Summary: WCIU-TV will interview
staff who traverse the waterways to collect garbage.
http://www.wciu.com/videos/tag/i-love-my-job
“MWRD’s use of debris boats,”
Elastec
Summary: The company that built the
MWRD’s new debris boats would like to record a video about our boats and their
use. Video recording to be scheduled for July 16.
www.elastec.com
“5 Tips for Sustainable
Wastewater Operations,”
Water Online
Summary: This publication’s editor
has asked for five tips about the essential steps needed to move toward net-zero
waste and thoughts about Chicago’s place as a leader in water/wastewater
management. Article to run in time for WEFTEC; comments due July 17. In
progress.
www.wateronline.com
“7th Circ. Upholds EPA's
Chicago Water Pact,”
Law360
Full Text
Article: The Seventh Circuit on Thursday upheld a settlement inked between the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a Chicago-area water district over
Clean Water Act violations, tossing environmental groups’ claims over a related
multibillion-dollar tunnel and reservoir project. A three-judge panel said in
its decision that private litigants like the Alliance for the Great Lakes and
the Natural Resources Defense Council are bound by the EPA’s pact with
the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for the completion
of the city’s massive Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, or TARP.
“The consent decree … is reasonable in light of the current infrastructure, the
costs of doing things differently — no one proposes to build a new sewer system
or redo the [TARP] project — and the limits of knowledge about what will happen
when the system is completed,” the decision said. “The decree is the outcome of
diligent prosecution and therefore binds would-be private litigants.”
The MWRD, which manages water for Chicago and many surrounding suburbs, and the
EPA agreed to settle longstanding allegations over polluted stormwater runoff in
December 2011 — a settlement that set a series of deadlines for the completion
of TARP, which has been in the works for more than 40 years and has cost $3
billion to date. In addition to the TARP deadlines, the water district also
agreed to build a variety of green infrastructure projects, purchase skimmer
boats to control trash that flows into waterways during storms and pay a
$675,000 civil penalty for CWA violations. The NRDC and the Alliance for the
Great Lakes — joined by the Sierra Club and Prairie Rivers Network — intervened
in the case in August 2012, arguing that the agreement should be rejected
because it failed to adequately address damages caused by untreated sewage
discharges. But U.S. District Judge George M. Marovich shot down the
environmental groups’ allegations in February 2014, finding the claims were
barred since the government diligently prosecuted the case. The appeal to the
Seventh Circuit followed some months later.
The MWRD said in a statement that it was pleased with the outcome, calling TARP
“fair, reasonable and in the public interest.”
“The consent decree’s terms and conditions are not just words on paper entered
by the court,” MWRD said. “Rather, it is an affirmation of the MWRD’s efforts to
provide flood control and relief along with improved water quality for all Cook
County residents.”
A representative for Great Lakes said the group is reviewing the ruling, while
the NRDC did not immediately provide comment on Thursday.
Alliance for the Great Lakes is represented by Anthony B. Borich, Gabrielle
Sigel and Stephen H. Armstrong of Jenner & Block LLP. The NRDC is represented by
Douglas B. Sanders, David P. Hackett and Michael C. McCutcheon of Baker &
McKenzie LLP. The MWRD is represented by Benjamin F. Wilson of Beveridge &
Diamond PC. The EPA is represented by Katherine W. Hazard of the U.S. Department
of Justice. The case is U.S. et al. v. Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
of Greater Chicago, case number 14-1776, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit.
“Bike path over Chicago
River Could Be Ready by 2017,”
DNA Info
Summary: With the opening of the 606/Bloomingdale Trail under the city's belt,
the wheels of bureaucracy are now grinding slowly forward on a proposed
off-street bike path that would soar over the Chicago River and ultimately
connect a string of parks along the water from Belmont to Montrose. On
Wednesday, the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to
approve a lease agreement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District,
which owns the property needed to develop the trail between Clark Park at 3400
N. Rockwell Ave. and California Park at 3843 N. California Ave. The Chicago
Department of Transportation would manage construction of the path — dubbed, for
the moment, the Addison Underbridge Connector. Work could begin in spring of
2016 and wrap up by fall 2017, Rob Rejman, director of planning and development
for the Park District, told the commissioners. Plans for the path, expected to
be used by cyclists, joggers and pedestrians, date back at least to 2010,
according to former Ald. Eugene Schulter (47th), and were presented in final
form to the public in December 2012. When completed, the trail would measure
nearly two miles long and hover at points more than 16 feet above the water. An
underpass at Addison Street and a new bridge over the river to California Park
are also part of the project. Additionally, the trail would take advantage of a
separate project to reconstruct Irving Park Road, effectively extending the path
north to Montrose Avenue via Horner Park. The lease agreement notes: "With a
safe and secure connection between Horner, California and Clark Parks, access to
these parks is substantially enhanced and will reintroduce the river to
thousands of Chicago residents."
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150709/roscoe-village/bike-path-over-chicago-river-inches-ahead-could-be-ready-by-2017
“Village OKs new sewer
contractor,”
Journal & Topics
Summary: Niles trustees met Thursday, July 2, to consider a new bidder for the
village’s largest flood mitigation project to date after the winner of the
project’s bid could not meet added state regulatory requirements. Trustees
awarded the bid to Boulder Contractors Inc. for $8.6 million. Boulder’s bid
still comes in lower than the project’s original construction budget of $9.8
million, according to Village Manager Steve Vinezeano said. In May, trustees
awarded a $7.3 million contract to Dimeo Brothers of Elk Grove Village to build
a new 72-inch sewer main 20 feet below Cleveland Street. The main runs from the
West Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River east of Caldwell Avenue to
Grennan Heights Park at Odell Avenue. Vinezeano said $3.2 million in additional
funds for the project were being provided through a $1.2 million Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) loan and $2 million provided by the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago. Along with
those additional MWRD and IEPA funds come added regulatory requirements
contractors must meet. Vinezeano said Dimeo Brothers did not meet added IEPA
regulatory requirements.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_fc02e248-25ba-11e5-ab38-333347e6743d.html
“Village Officials
Look To Make Parcel Desirable Place To Build,”
Journal & Topics
Summary: Wheeling
Public Works Director Mark Janeck presented trustees with two options for
improving village-owned land at 635-769 S. Milwaukee Ave., running parallel to
the Des Plaines River. Wheeling has owned the property for years and recently
started efforts to make it more attractive as a possible restaurant or
residential location, yet an existing perception of flooding has made the parcel
difficult to sell. The village is working to make the property more desirable to
developers, while also considering the development of an underground sanitary
sewage system. Another aspect of the project of the project debated by the board
was the large compensatory storage area Wheeling would have to construct on the
north end of the property to reduce flooding risks. Approval of Wheeling’s plan
is pending from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_4ecaa8e6-2681-11e5-9820-f3a31246c52d.html
“MWRD Sets
Visit To Park Ridge For July 16,” Journal & Topics
Summary: Ald.
Nick Milissis (2nd), who serves as the city council’s liaison with other
governmental bodies, announced that a presentation from the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago will take place in Park Ridge. MWRD’s
sewer line along Dempster Street, currently in the planning stages, will provide
a sewer pipe link along the northern edge of Mayfield Estates. The program will
be held 7 p.m. Thursday, July 16 at Park Ridge City Hall, 505 Butler Place.
Residents are invited to attend the presentation to learn about the project and
receive updates.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_88e4e5e6-25be-11e5-a58b-eb84d4d47f50.html
Media
Requests
ABC 7
- Asked when the gates will be installed at Thornton Reservoir as they would
like to record the installation by drone; this is tentatively scheduled for July
22-July 23.
Northwest
Indiana Times
- Requested a tour of Thornton Reservoir either the week of July 20 or July 27;
visit to be set up with engineering.
Law 360
Journal -
Response provided regarding the Seventh Circuit's decision to uphold the EPA and
MWRD’s consent decree over the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan: “The MWRD is pleased
with the Court’s decision which acknowledges that the Tunnel & Reservoir Plan
(TARP), the MWRD’s approved Long Term Control Plan, is fair, reasonable and in
the public interest. The Consent Decree’s terms and conditions are not just
words on paper entered by the Court. Rather, it is an affirmation of the MWRD’s
efforts to provide flood control and relief along with improved water quality
for all Cook County residents. The MWRD remains firmly committed to achieving
each of these goals in a fiscally responsible manner.”
“Avila to address Kiwanis
Club,” The
Beverly Review
Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Commissioner Frank Avila
will address the Southwest Kiwanis on Tuesday, July 21, at 10 a.m., at Smith
Village, 2320 W. 113th Pl. Avila will give an update on the Deep Tunnel and
discuss replacing sewers. Avila is the newly elected chairman of finance at the
MWRD. He has more than 40 years of experience as an engineer and land surveyor,
lending his talent to more than 300 engineering projects. Avila received his
bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois
Champaign-Urbana and a master of science from the University of Arizona.
http://www.beverlyreview.net/news/article_84bfc656-2506-11e5-8368-6323663a3968.html
“MWRD
conducting stormwater study in Northbrook,” Northbrook Tower
Full article text: Stormwater flooding is an issue
all across the North Shore and Northbrook is no exception. The Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is currently conducting a pilot
study in Northbrook to identify aspects of the land that contribute to flooding
and to create a Stormwater Management Master Plan for the Village. The study,
available at www.northbrookfloodstudy.org, asks residents if, where and how
often they have experienced flooding; what steps they have taken to address it;
and a whole host of other questions related to the impact of local flooding.
Surveytakers can answer anonymously while still providing the necessary details.
All the answers will be compiled and analyzed by Engineering Resource
Associates, Inc., a consulting firm hired by the MWRD to complete the study.
The project will run through next February, according to Jeff Macke, water
resources engineer with the firm.
“The past 10 years or so there’s been more and
more high-frequency, quick flash flooding events,” Macke told The Tower. “Not
only do you have longer term flooding events that involve the river rising and
over-topping and flooding, but you’re getting a lot of these quick, small, fast
events that affect more of your neighborhoods that are outside the technical
floodplain.”
Flooding is a very real and pressing issue,
especially considering Illinois had the most rainfall — a 9.53-inch average — in
recorded history this June, according to state climatologist Dr. Jim Angel. The
figure is 1.26 inches greater than the old record, set in 1902.
Macke and his team have already visited residents
in unincorporated Northbrook to get their input on flooding. Areas like the
Mission Hills golf course and the Glenbrook Countryside subdivision have shown
to be problem spots for flooding, Macke said. Techny and Midway roads are also
hot spots for the problem.
The survey responses are being compiled into a
database that Engineering Resource Associates, Inc. will use to determine how
best to combat flooding. Geographic Information Systems Technician Cody Frovarp
is already on the job, converting survey results into data points on a map.
“Everyone that takes the survey, I go by the
parcel and location, whether they say they have flooding, I color code them onto
our map and I overlay that on the hydrologic analysis,” Frovarp said.
After reading through all the survey entries and
looking through submitted flood pictures, Frovarp and his colleagues will create
projects to address the floods. They’ll then hold public meetings in late 2015
so residents can give feedback. The public comments will be added to the
findings before the engineering firm presents its final report to MWRD sometime
in February, according to Frovarp and Macke.
“Within the report will be proposed projects. Some
of them will look like previously proposed projects — making pipes bigger,
adding detention ponds,” Macke said. “Other aspects of proposed projects will
include green infrastructure on a wider scale.”
In addition to MWRD infrastructure improvements,
residents can also take matters into their own hands to improve water drainage.
The Village sells 55-gallon rain barrels for $25 each to Northbrook residents to
help reduce the amount of water that enters the storm system. Rain gardens are
another option that absorb stormwater runoff. Green roofs, permeable pavement
and bioswales — depressions in the ground covered with dense vegetation and
underlain by permeable soil — are the other green choices more suitable for
locations in the development process, Macke explained. “They’ve got varying
costs and varying advantages but all of them are beneficial,” he said.
Frovarp estimates that the study will close at the
end of August, unless the firm hasn’t gotten enough responses. The Northbrook
study is one of five pilot studies being conducted by MWRD. The organization has
begun to create a Cook County 100-year stormwater plan so that if a massive
flooding event does occur, municipalities like Northbrook won’t be caught
unprepared. The plan will include town-specific measures to capture stormwater,
according to
MWRD Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Officer
Allison Fore.
“Of course, there are the traditional projects
that will also be identified,” Fore wrote in an email to The Tower. “Some areas
need large reservoirs to address the current situation. The MWRD views these
large reservoirs as emergency room measures. They will help the patient live but
these communities will need to change their water diet and water exercise
program. “Learning to deal with water differently so that it can infiltrate or
be captured on a property by property basis will provide the final bill of
health for a flood-free Chicago.”
Fore noted that the MWRD is currently moving
forward on about 80 flood relief projects and will take the lead on designing
and building stormwater amenities for certain projects in Northbrook. “The MWRD
needs to do its part, the communities need to do their part, and every citizen
needs to learn how to manage water,” Fore wrote.
MWRD conducting stormwater study in Northbrook_The
Northbrook Tower.pdf
“Beveridge and
Diamond secure major clean water act ruling,”
JD Supra
On July 9, 2015,
Beveridge & Diamond secured a unanimous published opinion from the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Seventh Circuit rejecting a citizen suit challenge under the
Clean Water Act. Beveridge & Diamond represented the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) in a case brought by several
environmental groups challenging the consent decree that the District had
negotiated with the U.S. that provides for multibillion dollar investments to
improve wastewater collection and treatment in the Chicago area. The opinion
establishes important precedent limiting the ability of private litigants to
challenge settlements reached with federal and state enforcement authorities on
complex environmental issues.
The consent
decree upheld by the Seventh Circuit will improve stormwater control and
wastewater management throughout metropolitan Chicago during storm events. It
features green infrastructure projects and a large tunnel and reservoir system
(TARP), construction of which began in 1975. The $3.7 billion Clean Water
project is memorialized in a consent decree between the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the
District that Beveridge & Diamond secured on behalf of the District in 2014.
In Judge
Easterbrook’s opinion affirming the ruling and closing out the citizens’ claims,
he wrote, “Yogi Berra observed that it is hard to make predictions, especially
about the future. State and federal agencies are entitled to rely more on
experience and less on predictions. The consent decree that the district court
has approved is reasonable in light of the current infrastructure, the costs of
doing things differently (no one proposes to build a new sewer system or redo
the Deep Tunnel project), and the limits of knowledge about what will happen
when the system is completed. The decree is the outcome of diligent prosecution
and therefore binds would‑be private litigants such as the Alliance.”
“Beveridge &
Diamond congratulates the District on this successful and final result. We are
proud of our partnership with MWRDGC since 2007, and we look forward to seeing
the completion of the TARP project which will be of great benefit to the people
of Greater Chicago,” said Benjamin F. Wilson, Beveridge & Diamond’s Managing
Principal.
The case is
United States v. MWRDGC, ___ F.3d ___, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 11838 (7th
Cir. 2015).
Read the opinion.
http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/beveridge-diamond-secures-major-clean-18728/
“6 Chicago Projects
That Could Be the City's Next "Bloomingdale Trail,"”
DNAinfo Chicago
Now that the 606 exists, what's next? The
2.7-mile-long park system that runs through four city neighborhoods opened
earlier this summer after years of talk and development. But there are a number
of projects all across the city, some further along than others that could merit
some of the hype that The 606 received. Among those projects included is an
unnamed bike path near Addison Street that will two miles along the Chicago
River, linking California Park in Irving Park and Clark Park in North Center.
The project took steps forward after the Chicago Park District board approved a
lease with property owners, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Work
could begin next year and wrap up by 2017.
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150714/streeterville/6-chicago-projects-that-could-be-citys-next-bloomingdale-trail
Media
Inquiries
Pioneer Press
The Pioneer Press asked for
more information about the MWRD’s five stormwater pilot studies. The MWRD is
conducting these studies to investigate urban flooding issues and evaluate
potential green infrastructure solutions. The project will assist MWRD and five
partnering communities and residents by developing a community-based and
supported plan to address local flooding. The communities participating include
Chicago (Far South Side); Harwood Heights; Northbrook; the Little
Calumet/Cal-Sag Channel drainage area, comprised of Blue Island, Calumet Park,
Riverdale, Robbins and Alsip; and the Roberts Road corridor, which includes
Justice, Palos Hills, Hickory Hills, Bridgeview and Bedford Park. To combat
100-year flooding of structures and basement backups that come as a result of
extreme rainfall, the project team is examining the use of green infrastructure.
Currently, stormwater is primarily conveyed through pipes, referred to as "gray
infrastructure" because of the concrete that is typically used to construct the
pipes. Green infrastructure, on the other hand, mimics the natural environment
by handling precipitation where it falls by detaining and infiltrating runoff
through rain gardens, permeable pavement, cisterns and other practices. The
project team is reaching out to residents in these communities about how
flooding impacts their lives and studying what potential solutions they find
acceptable. The MWRD has developed customized questionnaires and is distributing
them to private property owners within the study areas, requesting input on
flooding issues. These questions are based on initial discussions that MWRD and
engineering consultants have had with these communities. The results of these
surveys will help engineers understand the preferences of community residents
and possibilities for solutions. Through this public input, residents have the
opportunity to make a difference in how their communities address flood
problems.
MWRD’s
Stormwater Pilot Studies
-
City
of Chicago (South Side-Wards 7, 8, 9, 10 and 21 and small portions of 6, 19 and
34)
-
Harwood
Heights
-
Little
Calumet River/Calumet-Sag Channel-Blue Island, Calumet Park, Riverdale, Robbins
and Alsip
-
Northbrook
-
Roberts
Road Corridor-Justice, Palos Hills, Hickory Hills and Bridgeview
Bloomberg
Lars-Eric (Lars) Hedberg,
Legal Editor of Water Law
& Policy Monitor for Bloomberg BNA, asked for a statement regarding the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rejecting environmental groups’
challenges to the 2011 consent decree. Statement provided: The MWRD is pleased
with the Court’s decision which acknowledges that the Tunnel & Reservoir Plan
(TARP), the MWRD’s approved Long Term Control Plan, is fair, reasonable and in
the public interest. The Consent Decree’s terms and conditions are not just
words on paper entered by the Court. Rather, it is an affirmation of the MWRD’s
efforts to provide flood control and relief along with improved water quality
for all Cook County residents. The MWRD remains firmly committed to achieving
each of these goals in a fiscally responsible manner.
Nadig Press
Nadig Press
requested photos of the O'Brien WRP job site. Story may run Wednesday.
“Workers putting
finishing touches on Thornton Reservoir,”
CBS Chicago
For perhaps the first, and last time, CBS 2’s
cameras went inside a place that could be key in keeping your home and
neighborhood free of floodwaters. The numbers are staggering and the engineering
nothing short of miraculous. CBS 2’s Derrick Blakley takes us to an old place
with a newfound purpose.
The Thornton Reservoir, a century-old limestone
quarry is about to become a giant holding tank.
“It’s going to hold 7.9 billion gallons of
combined stormwater and wastewater to relieve the system when we have those
heavy rainstorms,” said Mariyana Spyropoulos, Commissioner of the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District.
The vast open pit is roughly a square half mile
and more than 30 stories deep. You’ve probably seen it from I-80, but you
haven’t seen it full of water, which could happen, once its connected to the
Deep Tunnel.
”When that’s full, and it has happened before, it
will overflow into the reservoir,” said Spyropoulos.
The tunnel lies 300 feet below ground, its 30 feet
in diameter and inside it’s never more than 55 degrees. Deep inside, work crews
are preparing to install the gates that will control the flow to the reservoir.
“With the gates we will be able to control the
flow of water going into the reservoir and the flow of water going out of the
reservoir to the treatment plant,” said MWRD engineer Augustine Eyinie.
Thornton will be the second reservoir to come
on-line. The Majewski Reservoir, near O’Hare, is already open. The last, the
McCook Reservoir, won’t be totally finished until 2029.
With Thornton open, 14 south suburban communities
and parts of Chicago’s South Side should see a lot less flooding.
“From our calculations, we’re expecting at least
40 million dollars in damage to be mitigated every year,” Spyropoulos said.
The Thornton Reservoir is expected to be ready for
duty in just a few weeks.
Another benefit: It’s expected to reduce the need
for opening that separate the Chicago River system from Lake Michigan during
storm events and that will keep Lake Michigan water cleaner.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/07/15/workers-putting-finishing-touches-on-thornton-reservoir/
“Summit to showcase
"One Water" strategies to drive water sustainability,”
WaterWorld
WASHINGTON, DC, July 15,
2015 -- On August 26-28, the U.S. Water Alliance's Urban Water
Sustainability Council will host the 2015 One Water Leadership Summit (OWLS) in
San Francisco, Calif., where it will present integrated and holistic "One-Water"
strategies to drive better thinking for water sustainability in a changing
climate. The future of water is One Water -- integration across the water cycle
and within urban management overall. OWLS will convene a number of visionary
water leaders who will drive the paradigm shift to break down silos and unify an
often fragmented water industry in the name of sustainability, renewability and
conservation.
"This year's [Summit]
offers many opportunities to learn how practitioners are applying the One Water
and integrated water management concepts in the context of a changing and
variable climate within the utilities as well as the water sector generally,"
said Tracy Mehan III, U.S. Water Alliance interim president. "Whether it be at
the facility level, or watershed and source water protection at scale, OWLS
provides something for everyone."
The Summit arrives on the
heels of WERF's newest report "Pathways to One Water," which investigates the
steps required to initiate One Water management and the copious benefits of
instituting such changes. At OWLS, attendees will hear firsthand from some of
water's leading minds as they elucidate water's future in a new "One Water
Futures" segment. Speakers include:
- Ben Grumbles,
Secretary of the Environment, State of Maryland
- David St. Pierre,
Executive Director, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago
- George Hawkins,
General Manager, DC Water
- Joe Whitworth,
President, The Freshwater Trust
- Robin Gilthore,
CEO, WaterSmart
For a full agenda and
registration, visit
http://bit.ly/OWLS2015.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/07/summit-showcases-one-water-future.html
“Elk Grove OKs $2.7
million flood abatement,”
Daily Herald
Elk Grove Village has
formally approved a construction contract for the modification of a dam in Busse
Woods that will pave the way for improvements to begin next month.
The village board Tuesday
inked an approximately $2.74 million deal with Illinois Constructors Corp. of
Elburn to alter the dam, which officials believe will make it less likely for
Salt Creek to flood during a major storm. The board also approved contracts for
additional engineering and technology upgrades and an intergovernmental
agreement whereby the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District will contribute
$1.125 million towards construction of the project. In all, project costs amount
to $4.5 million, since engineering studies began seven years ago, Mayor Craig
Johnson said.
Construction is scheduled to begin Aug. 1 and be
complete by Thanksgiving. A ceremony with local dignitaries is scheduled for
early August.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150715/news/150719329/
Media Inquiries
- Paris
Schutz from WTTW called and would like to do a story tonight on Calumet
disinfection at Calumet WRP today.
- Steven
Lattimore from the PBS affiliate in Merrillville, IN wants to film and
interview at Thornton Reservoir Tuesday or Wednesday
"Dr. Thomas Granato to address water quality,"
Friends of the Chicago River
You are cordially invited to learn about the new disinfection process that just
went online Friday at the Calumet WRP and more as Dr. Thomas Granato, MWRD
Director of Monitoring and Research, addresses this and other improvements to
area waterways during Friends of the Chicago River's "Understanding the New
Chicago River" series. His presentation is set for TODAY at 12:15 p.m. at the Bridgehouse Museum, 376 N. Michigan Ave. (river level).
http://www.chicagoriver.org/events/tagged/McCormick%20Bridgehouse%20&%20Chicago%20River%20Museum
“For the first time, wastewater
Being Disinfected Before It Enters Chicago River,”
CBS Chicago
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District of Greater Chicago on Friday celebrated the opening of the first of two
disinfection plants designed to help clean up area rivers. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin
(D-IL) called the opening of the disinfection facility at the Calumet Water
Reclamation Plant along Lake Calumet an historic step. Chicago is the last major
city in the nation to disinfect its treated waste water.
“This disinfection facility now
brings Chicago into the civilized world, when it comes to the treatment of
sewage, and the discharge,” Durbin said.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman told a story of kayaking on the city’s
rivers more than 20 years ago.
“What I didn’t know is that I was
kayaking in an effluent dominated waterway,” she said. “I’m hoping maybe on
Earth Day we can all go kayaking together on our newly disinfected river.”
Friends of the Chicago River
executive director Margaret Frisbie expressed even higher hopes for the rivers.
“It’ll make the river safer for recreators, and brings us closer to our ultimate
goal of swimming; and, yes, I am saying swimming,” she said.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/07/17/for-the-first-time-wastewater-being-disinfected-before-it-enters-chicago-river/
“With new Calumet
facility, cleaner water for Chicago’s waterways,”
Chicago Tribune
A new disinfection plant is sending cleaner water
into Chicago's waterways and bringing the city "into the civilized world" when
it comes to sewage treatment, officials said at a Friday ribbon-cutting. The new
facility at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant recently began cleaning 480
million gallons a day, serving about 1 million people in a 300-square-mile area
that includes Chicago's South Side. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin noted that Chicago was
the last major city in the U.S. to disinfect its treated wastewater. "This
disinfection facility now brings Chicago into the civilized world when it comes
to the treatment of sewage and the discharge," Durbin said.
Susan Hedman, a regional administrator at the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, said a 2011 audit by the EPA showed that water
quality in Chicago's rivers lagged behind federal standards. "Those
water-quality standards needed to be upgraded to protect the recreational users
of the river," she said.
A task force was formed after the EPA released its
findings, and local and state administrators fast-tracked what was once a
12-year cleanup plan into a four-year effort to build the Calumet facility. The
state contributed $31 million for the plant, which will cost the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago roughly $3.5 million to operate
and maintain each year, according to Durbin's office. The plant comprises six
17,000-gallon tanks that hold sodium hydrochloride and sodium bisulfate, two
cleansing agents. These chemicals are filtered into a mazelike contact chamber,
where the water and the chemicals mix and react. Once the water is treated, a
process that lasts about 15 minutes, it is released back into the Calumet River
system. The chlorination/dechlorination process reduces the amount of bacteria —
such as E. coli — in the water. The water is also treated through other
processes, including screening, filtering, settling and microbial aeration,
according to the water reclamation agency.
While chlorinated water can be harmful to the
environment, the dechlorination process mitigates those effects, officials said.
"By the time it gets out to the river, the
chlorine is completely neutralized," said Mark Joyce, an engineer at the plant.
"And we protect the wildlife on the downstream side."
Another facility is under construction in Skokie
that will use a different process — ultraviolet irradiation — to disinfect water
north of the city. Administrators aim to have that plant operational by next
year.
The Calumet facility reflects a broader effort by
Chicago and its suburbs to embrace the recreational opportunities associated
with local rivers. Sections of the Chicago Riverwalk were unveiled earlier this
summer, along with riverside restaurants and boat rental shops.
Durbin said that while the Chicago River had only
five fish species a few decades ago, today nearly 30 fish species prosper in its
waters.
"The good news is the focus of economic
development now in the city of Chicago and nearby is a focus on rivers," he
said.
In 2011, the EPA demanded that Chicago's river
ways be clean enough for "recreation in and on the water," a legal term that
includes activities such as swimming and canoeing.
Margaret Frisbie, executive director of the
Friends of the Chicago River, praised the cleaner water that the plant is
producing and said that while cleaning efforts must continue, she looked forward
to the day when swimming would be allowed.
"We will all be on the river soon enough in
kayaks, and in the not-too-distant future, in our swimsuits," Frisbie said. "I
look forward to seeing you there."
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-84021619/
“New plant helping
clean Little Calumet River,”
Daily Southtown
Susan Hedman reminisced Friday about
how she "eventually found my way to the Little Calumet River" while kayaking
Chicagoland waterways.
But Hedman — a U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regional administrator — was unaware the Little Calumet was
classified as recently as 2011 as unsafe for direct human contact.
"What I didn't know is that I was
kayaking on an effluent-dominated waterway," she said, referring to all of the
industrial waste discharged into the river over many years.
She was speaking Friday during the
formal opening of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago's new disinfection facility, the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant, on
Chicago's South Side.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, also on hand,
said the facility "brings Chicago into the civilized world."
"We were the last city in the U.S.
to put in a disinfection facility" for treated wastewater released back into the
river system, said Durbin, who is credited by MWRD President Mariyana
Spyropoulos as "one of the key movers of this project."
In 2011, the EPA demanded that
Chicago's river ways be clean enough for "recreation in and on the water," a
legal term that includes activities such as swimming and canoeing.
Officials fast-tracked what was once
a 12-year cleanup plan into a four-year effort to build the Calumet facility.
The state contributed $31 million for the plant, which will cost the MWRD about
$3.5 million to operate and maintain each year, according to Durbin's office.
The MWRD's nine-building plant, 400
E. 130th St., less than three blocks from the Little Calumet, will treat an
average of 354 million gallons of wastewater a day from more than 1 million
people living in a 300-square-mile area encompassing Chicago's South Side and
south suburban Cook County, according to the MWRD.
It is the oldest of the metropolitan
area's seven wastewater treatment facilities. While Durbin acknowledged Friday
that "nobody likes to talk about sewage," some might find it interesting to know
how a system can convert raw sewage into clean water in roughly eight hours —
filtering out everything from tree branches to a prosthetic leg, to an
Argentinean
man's identification during the process.
Those are some of the items that the
MWRD says didn't make it through the coarse screens intended to prevent large
items from entering the system, which is capable of treating 430 million gallons
per day.
Secondary treatment uses
microorganisms to separate organic materials from the water, which flows into
settling tanks where solids settle to the bottom and clean water flows out the
top.
Solids remaining from the process
are broken down and dried before being transported — typically 100 dry tons a
day — to a nearby solids management area for further treatment and drying before
being sold for use as sustainable fertilizer.
MWRD Executive Director David St.
Pierre predicted the solids-to-fertilizer process would pay for itself in a
couple of years.
The goal of the plant operation is
to destroy pathogens and reduce the risk of health problems resulting from
direct contact with the water while swimming or recreating on a waterway.
St. Pierre said the disinfection
process will be closely monitored for its first 60 days to determine the
effectiveness.
St. Pierre, with the agency since
2011, said the water is almost — but not — drinkable, estimating the quality at
90 percent.
"It wouldn't take much to get to
drinking water quality," he said.
Spyropoulos, speaking with Durbin,
Hedman and Friends of the Chicago River Executive Director Margaret Frisbie
prior to the formal ribbon-cutting, said the disinfection process should be
fully operational "for the entire 2015 recreation season."
Frisbie said the process "will make
the river safe for recreation and bring us one step closer to swimming. ... Yes,
I said, "Swimming." "
“New Water
Disinfection Plant Helps Chicago Join the "Civilized World,"”
DNAinfo
Chicago’s rivers have a murky reputation, filled
as they have been for more than a century with everything from cattle carcasses
to industrial runoff.
But it’s not as if the region hasn’t tried to
clean up its act. We’ve long filtered out raw sludge from the sewage and storm
overflow systems before sending cleaned and treated water back into the Chicago
and Calumet Rivers.
But starting Friday, the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District will also disinfect water passing through its
Southeast Side plant, effectively bleaching out harmful bacteria too small to be
caught by other forms of filtration.
"This disinfection facility now brings Chicago
into the civilized world when it comes to the treatment of sewage,” said U.S.
Sen. Dick Durbin at a press conference Friday. "We were the last major city in
the United States to put in a disinfection facility.”
Water coming through the Calumet Water Reclamation
Plant will now pass through a maze-like concrete contact basin. The winding path
allows time for added chlorine to kill off E. coli and other harmful
pathogens. Then the water will be de-chlorinated before it empties into the
nearby Little Calumet River.
"It’s the final polishing step,” MWRD Executive
Director David St. Pierre said. "It’s coming in really clean but it’s not
disinfected. So this kills all the bacteria and then it’s discharged to the
waterway."
The Calumet facility can treat 480 million gallons
of water per day, enough to fill every floor of Willis Tower. One million people
live within the plant’s 300-mile South Side and south suburban service area.
"No one likes to talk about sewage,” Durbin said.
"But an awful lot of people want to talk about rivers and they want to know if
those rivers are clean. They want to know if it’s safe to go boating and what
happens if my little boy falls out of the boat? Do I have to worry about that
water?"
Disinfecting water flowing into the Little Calumet
will now protect those boaters and other recreational users, who might be at
risk if they did fall into the water, with say, a cut on their elbow. But the
$37.3 million disinfection facility is also a key part of ongoing and efforts to
clean all of Chicago’s waterways.
MWRD is still working to complete the Tunnel and
Reservoir Plan — better known as the “Deep Tunnel” system — a massive network of
storm overflow tunnels and reservoirs meant to keep untreated sewage from
entering the rivers and Lake Michigan.
Treated water flowing into the Chicago River is
not currently disinfected. That will change when a second disinfection facility
at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie comes online in 2016.
“We’re used to protecting Lake Michigan — it’s a
source of drinking water,” said Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends
of the Chicago River. "The conversation about protecting the river is new in
environmental terms. This stuff moves in glacial time."
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150720/hegewisch/new-water-disinfection-plant-helps-chicago-join-civilized-world
“Prologue Inc. holds
first Freedom Fest,”
Windy City Times
Summary: Prologue Inc. hosted its first-ever
Freedom Fest at the Miracle Marina & Village on the Little Calumet River July
18. The free festival was attended by about 150 people and featured officials"
remarks, an awards ceremony, an eco-art installation unveiling, local artisan
booths and a Journey to Freedom boat tour of Underground Railroad sites, among
other events. Founded in 1973, Prologue Inc. provides Chicago residents with a
variety of social support, housing, public health, employment and training,
mentoring, neighborhood safety and educational programs. Women of the River
Awardees included MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore. The event's goals included
guaranteeing that job opportunities include unemployed Chicagoans from the
city's Far South Side. To do so, Prologue purchased the marina where the event
took place and will be cultivating a village around that marina on the Little
Calumet River as well as establishing programs on the site to expose students
and young adults to various jobs in the maritime industry.
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Prologue-Inc-holds-first-Freedom-Fest/52201.html
“MWRD unveils new disinfection facility at Calumet
Water Reclamation Plant,”
WaterWorld
July 20,
2015 -- On Friday, July 17, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago (MWRD) unveiled its new disinfection facility at the Calumet
Water Reclamation Plant (WRP). The new utility is designed to improve the water
entering the Chicago Area Waterways (CAWS) from the utility, which serves more
than one million people in a 300-square-mile area covering the South Side of
Chicago and surrounding south suburbs. The new step in MWRD's water treatment
protocols will include the chlorination and dechlorination process. This will
reduce the amount of pathogenic bacteria in the water released from the plant
into the Calumet River system. Disinfection technologies neutralize or kill
bacteria and microorganisms in treated water and reduce the risk of health
problems resulting from direct contact with the water while recreating on a
waterway. Disinfection occurs after wastewater passes through a series of
treatment processes, including screening, filtering, settling, and microbial
aeration.
In addition to the disinfection facility at the Calumet WRP, MWRD is also building
a similar facility at the O'Brien WRP in Skokie by implementing an ultraviolet
(UV) irradiation system to disinfect water entering the CAWS. The District has
allocated resources and funding to allow disinfection to occur without
increasing taxes. As recent as 2011, the CAWS had secondary classification for
water quality standards, meaning direct contact with water was not possible
outside of boating. However, in advance of a possible decision by the EPA to one
day re-classify the CAWS for allowing primary contact, the MWRD Board of
Commissioners adopted a policy to disinfect on June 7, 2011. MWRD officials
instituted a blue ribbon panel to evaluate available disinfection technologies
and devoted eight months to research and testing to determine optimal solutions
for disinfecting at the most economical cost. Using an existing chlorine contact
chamber retrofitted for more efficient contact, the disinfection technologies
neutralize or kill bacteria and microorganisms in treated water. Engineers
modified the existing chlorine contact basin by replacing all interior baffle
walls and associated walkways; replacing weir gates, discharge gates, drain
sluice gates, inlet sluice gates, and a bypass sluice gate; replacing liquid
sodium hypochlorite diffuser piping; installing liquid sodium bisulfite diffuser
piping; and installing sampling pumps. In operation since 1922, Calumet WRP is
the oldest of the seven MWRD plants in operation. The facility, which is home to
268 employees, will treat an average 354 million gallons per day and a maximum
430 million gallons per day.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/07/disinfected-water-begins-flowing-to-chicago-river-system-from-mwrd-s-calumet-plant.html
“New
Water Disinfection Plant Helps Clean Chicago Waterways,”
WTTW Chicago
Tonight
It may have
seemed like a pipe dream when former Mayor Richard J. Daley once said he
envisioned swimming and recreation in the notoriously unsanitary Chicago River.
But a brand new $30 million water disinfection initiative is making the former
mayor's prediction a reality. Sanitary officials say a portion of the Chicago
River system is ready for anyone who wants to dive in, and they say, the rest of
the Chicago River is not far behind.
Those who dare
recreate on the Chicago River do so at their own risk. That's because water,
though treated to remove the sludge or solid materials from sewage, still
contains its bacteria and pathogens.
A $30 million
disinfection system has gone online at the Water Reclamation District's Calumet
facility, and dirty water that enters will now leave and be deposited into the
little Calumet River bacteria free.
“This is really
the next step toward swimming in the river,” said Margaret Frisbie of the
advocacy group Friends of the Chicago River.
She calls it the
most significant water quality improvement in decades.
“If you’re a
child, or an older person, you’re more vulnerable to those pathogens,” she said.
“So that means, for those people, the water is much safer now.”
Public officials
broke ground on the new system last Friday. It uses chlorine to kill the
bacteria, and another compound to kill the chorine, so that the treated water
doesn't affect the river's wildlife.
“We’re taking a
historic step because this disinfection facility now brings Chicago into the
civilized world when it comes to the treatment of sewage and discharge,” said
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.
Mark Joyce is the
Calumet plant’s chief engineer. The new system can treat up to 400 million
gallons per day, and he says, the 47 communities located along the river south
of Chicago are safer for swimming.
“You’re not going
to drink it, but swimming in it will be much safer,” Joyce said.
Within the next
year, sanitary officials will start disinfecting the north branch of the Chicago
River. That means the water that runs on the North Side, the Loop, and South
Sides will be one giant leap closer to swimmable.
The O'Brien
treatment plant in Skokie will use ultraviolet radiation to kill bacteria before
water is discharged back into the north branch and North Shore channel.
But Frisbie says
there's still more work to do.
“Every time it
rains, what’s on the ground, instead of going into the ground, ends up in our
sewers and pipes, and it carries with it road salt, fertilizer and other sources
of pollution,” she said.
The Deep Tunnel
and reservoir’s project will mitigate the pollution from storm water runoff, but
it won't be fully completed until the year 2029. The disinfection treatment will
improve the water quality as much as 70 percent, Frisbie said, as the Chicago
River transforms into the city’s next recreational frontier.
The disinfection
system for the north branch of the Chicago River is expected to be operational
before next spring. The project is paid mostly through federal and state
sources.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/07/20/new-water-disinfection-plant-helps-clean-chicago-waterways
“For First Time,
Disinfected Water Begins Flowing To Chicago River System From MWRD’s Calumet
Plant,”
Real Estate Rama
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman and
other community leaders joined the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago (MWRD) in unveiling the new disinfection facility at the Calumet
Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on Friday. The new facility is designed to improve
the water entering the Chicago Area Waterways (CAWS) from the treatment facility
that serves more than one million people in a 300-square-mile area covering the
South Side of Chicago and surrounding south suburbs.
“A safe and healthy waterway system benefits
recreation and economic development alike, yet until now, Chicago was the only
major U.S. city that failed to disinfect its treated sewage before it was pumped
into the river system. With this new facility, the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District will now begin disinfecting wastewater for more than one
million people, bolstering the area’s economic development and strengthening
Chicago’s lakefront,” Senator Durbin said. “I appreciate the ingenuity that went
into this project from staff at the District and the investment made by our area
leaders who made this possible. Together, we have chosen to make our waterways a
priority and take an important step in making our goals of a cleaner environment
a reality.”
The new step in the MWRD’s water treatment
protocols will include the chlorination/dechlorination process. This new process
will reduce the amount of pathogenic bacteria in the water released from the
plant into the Calumet River system. Disinfection technologies neutralize or
kill bacteria and microorganisms in treated water and reduce the risk of health
problems resulting from direct contact with the water while recreating on a
waterway. Disinfection occurs after wastewater passes through a series of
treatment processes, including screening, filtering, settling, microbial
aeration.
“Today marks another significant date in the
history of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago,
dating back to 1889, when the District was first tasked with addressing the
issue of contamination in Lake Michigan,” said President Mariyana Spyropoulos.
“Since then, we have constructed more than 60 miles of canals, reversed the flow
of the Chicago River and built seven water reclamation plants. Creating a
disinfection facility at Calumet is another chapter in our history of water
treatment and one more upgrade we have made into improving the region’s water
quality. I commend our Board and staff for delivering this project ahead of
schedule and on budget.”
In addition to the disinfection facility at the
Calumet WRP, the MWRD is also building a similar facility at the O’Brien WRP in
Skokie by implementing an ultraviolet irradiation (UV) system to disinfect water
entering the CAWS. The MWRD has allocated resources and funding to allow
disinfection to occur without increasing taxes.
As recent as 2011, the CAWS had secondary
classification for water quality standards, meaning direct contact with water
was not possible outside of boating. But in advance of a possible decision by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to one day re-classify the CAWS for
allowing primary contact, the MWRD Board of Commissioners adopted a policy to
disinfect on June 7, 2011. MWRD officials instituted a blue ribbon panel to
evaluate available disinfection technologies and devoted eight months to
research and testing to determine optimal solutions for disinfecting at the most
economical cost.
“The new Calumet disinfection facility will
improve water quality for the growing number of people who kayak, water ski and
enjoy other recreational activities in the Chicago Area Waterway System,” said
Administrator Hedman. “U.S. EPA is proud to have played a role in making this
project happen — a project that created a lot of good jobs and will improve
water quality for years to come.”
Using an existing chlorine contact chamber
retrofitted for more efficient contact, the disinfection technologies neutralize
or kill bacteria and microorganisms in treated water. Engineers modified the
existing chlorine contact basin by replacing all interior baffle walls and
associated walkways; replacing weir gates, discharge gates, drain sluice gates,
inlet sluice gates and a bypass sluice gate; replacing liquid sodium
hypochlorite diffuser piping; installing liquid sodium bisulfite diffuser
piping; and installing sampling pumps.
In operation since 1922, Calumet WRP is the oldest
of the seven MWRD plants in operation. The plant, which is home to 268
employees, will treat an average 354 million gallons per day and a maximum 430
million gallons per day.
“This is a historic moment for the Chicago/Calumet
river system and one of the most significant water quality improvements in
decades,” said Margaret Frisbie, Executive Director, Friends of the Chicago
River. “Friends commends the MWRD Board for their leadership in making this day
come. Not only are we achieving a new benchmark in water quality, we are also
investing in the health of our communities by improving quality of life and
access to the river for recreation and exercise while creating business income
and jobs.
http://illinois.realestaterama.com/2015/07/20/for-first-time-disinfected-water-begins-flowing-to-chicago-river-system-from-mwrds-calumet-plant-ID01043.html
“Harwood Heights on
tap for stormwater management help,”
Norridge-Harwood Heights
News
Summary: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District of Greater Chicago says it's working to overhaul Harwood Heights" World
War II-era stormwater management system. Harwood Heights is one of five
communities in the Chicago area that was selected by the Water Reclamation
District to receive a cost-free upgrade to its stormwater management system. The
main goal of the plan will be to increase the community's ability to handle
heavy rains by putting into place a combination of traditional stormwater
management solutions and green-focused initiatives like rain barrels and
permeable pavement. Flooding is a common occurrence in Harwood Heights, as
officials say the sewers are only able to manage a five-year rain event —
defined as a storm of such severity that it has the statistical chance of
occurring once every five years.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/norridge/news/ct-nhh-water-management-tl-0723-20150720-story.html
“5 Tips for
Sustainable Wastewater Operations,” Water Online
Summary: The
MWRD’s Executive Director David St. Pierre is considered a utility manager who’s
willing to demonstrate leadership in an industry that is experiencing a
groundswell of innovation in equipment, treatment techniques, automation and
other advances. In addition to helping the Board of Commissioners establish the
MWRD’s 2015 Strategic Business Plan which outlines ways for utility operations
to achieve “zero waste” status in five years, the executive director offered
five tips for other municipal managers: (1) Adopt a new vision that extracts
values from all aspects of the resource recovery and wastewater treatment
process; (2) Explore new opportunities to develop product streams; (3)
Appreciate the role of finances in sustainable practices—pursue a return on
investments; (4) Establish partnerships, including those in the private sector;
(5) Look for every avenue to communicate with residents, employees, business
owners, and others; encourage them to become enthusiastic, supportive
participants.
http://www.wateronline.com/doc/tips-for-sustainable-wastewater-operations-0001
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June 2015 |
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"Busse Woods Dam Project Good To Go,"
Journal Topics
 Full article text: Work is expected to begin on Elk Grove Village’s $3
million Lake Busse dam, to control flooding along Salt Creek, in August after
the last two approvals from federal environmental regulators and Cook County
officials were secured last week.
With all technical permitting requirements complete, the project is expected
to go to bid next month with completion expected by Thanksgiving. "This project
is the culmination of nearly 80 years of multi-agency collaboration, engineering
studies, modeling, and design work," Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson said
in a press release. "We are excited to be on the cusp of bringing the flood
relief sought by Elk Grove Village and communities in the Salt Creek Watershed
since the dam’s original construction in the 1970s."
The bureaucratic process, seeking approvals to install spillway controls in
the Busse Reservoir dams in Busse Woods along Salt Creek, began with an
announcement by Johnson in October 2008 after the remnants of Hurricane Gustav
hit Elk Grove Village and much of Northeastern Illinois causing massive flooding
and leading to the push for the dam modifications. The dam project would
regulate water levels in the Busse Reservoir both before and during a storm
event that would also affect Salt Creek levels, minimizing flooding both in Elk
Grove Village and downstream in DuPage County. Massive 14,000-lb., 37-foot
curved flood gates costing nearly $500,000 are being forged out of stainless
steel by a Massachusetts company for the project. Because the project is located
in Busse Woods, also known by its federal designation as the Ned Brown Forest
Preserve, a national natural landmark, federal regulators were brought into the
process. Cook County officials were also brought in to the regulatory process as
Busse Woods is also a county forest preserve. Although the project carries an
estimated $3 million price tag, Elk Grove Village, the lead agency on the
project, would only need to pay between $1.7 and $1.8 million. The Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) approved the project as a
flood control measure of regional significance and pledged $1,125,000.
DuPage County donated $100,000 to the project. DuPage, Cook and Elk Grove
Village all signed intergovernmental agreements for the project to move forward.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_553338e8-0542-11e5-9b85-0fb42a72d622.html
"Flooding topic for seminar,"
Beverly Review
Summary: 19th Ward Alderman Matt O’Shea, Mariyana Spyropoulos of the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and the Historic Chicago Bungalow
Association will host a seminar entitled Basement Flooding: Understanding Your
Sewers and Reducing Flooding Risks on Your Property, on Wednesday, June 3, at 7
p.m. at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. Attendees can also request a
free rain barrel for their home at the seminar. Reserve your space online at
chicagobungalow.org or call (312) 675-0300 ext. 10.
http://www.beverlyreview.net/news/community_news/article_f483251a-03cc-11e5-a572-0bc4fc1e6c47.html
"Chicago River lunchtime speaker series starts,"
Marina City Online
- 31-May-15 – Learning about the Chicago River is getting more convenient.
Friends of the Chicago River will start a new lunchtime series on Monday of
river-related presentations from the Chicago Riverwalk. Understanding the New
Chicago River has seven speakers scheduled over the next eight weeks and one
more who has been invited. The presentations will take place on the Riverwalk in
front of McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum in the southwest corner of
the DuSable Bridge at Michigan Avenue. The speaker series is a project of
Friends of the Chicago River and the City of Chicago. Topics about the health of
the river and recent improvements will be presented on Monday afternoons from
12:15 to 12:45. The series is free and open to the public.
- June 1 – Chicago’s Bridges. Dan Burke, Deputy Commissioner, Chicago
Department of Transportation.
- June 8 – Chicago River Chemistry: What Does the Water Tell Us? Mark Hauser,
Education Manager, Friends of the Chicago River.
- June 15 – Landscapes Along the Chicago River: Parks, Boat Houses, Riverwalk.
Cathy Breitenbach, Director of Cultural and Natural Resources, Chicago Park
District.
- June 22 – Our Liquid Asset, the Economic Benefits of a Clean Chicago River.
Margaret Frisbie, Executive Director, Friends of the Chicago River.
- July 6 – Increasing Wildlife Habitat Along the Chicago River. John Quail,
Director of Watershed Planning, Friends of the Chicago River.
- July 13 – Invasive Species: What’s the Word on Asian Carp? Dr. Phil Willink,
Senior Research Biologist, Shedd Aquarium.
- July 20 – Making Progress Towards A Clean Chicago River. Dr. Thomas Granato,
Director of Monitoring & Research Department, Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District of Greater Chicago.
- July 27 – Tom Powers, Commissioner of Chicago Department of Water
Management (invited).
Friends of the Chicago River is a 6,000-member nonprofit organization with a
mission to improve and protect the Chicago/Calumet river system for people,
plants, and animals.
http://www.marinacityonline.com/news/speaker0531.htm
"Free rain barrels provide defense against flooding,"
Beverly Review
Morgan Park resident Mary Duleba (second from left) shows her rain barrel to
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Commissioner Tim Bradford (from
left), 19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea, MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos, her
daughter, Brooke Duleba, and niece Delaney Fitzpatrick on May 28. Duleba hopes
using the rain barrel will stop flooding in her basement. (Review photo)
Beverly resident Caroll Vaughn has a backyard full of gardens and even a
small pond, so water is a good thing—except if it ends up in her basement.
In the past, Vaughn has experienced flooding problems in her basement, but
she took the advice of water experts and disconnected her downspout and took
other measures to reduce rain run-off. And, when she learned recently that 19th
Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea’s office was offering free rain barrels to residents in a
program through the Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), she
jumped at the opportunity to collect water that will be channeled away from the
sewer system and her basement and used to keep her yard beautiful.
Upcycle Products Inc. delivered three barrels to her home on the 9600 block
of South Vanderpoel Avenue on May 28, the first to be distributed in the
program. When she re-routed her downspout—the vertical system that descends from
the gutters—she said goodbye to flooding and hasn’t had a problem in 15 years.
O’Shea’s barrel program, Vaughn hopes, will improve her water conservation
efforts.
"Luckily, I’m on his e-mail alert," Vaughn said. "He sent out the information
about it, and I said, ‘Oh, boy, I can get the rain barrels this time’—because
the last time, I missed out on them."
In the past, the city of Chicago has offered rebates on barrels, O’Shea’s
office said, and they are also available when residents sign up for water
meters. In this effort, more than 1,700
barrels have been ordered by 19th Ward residents, according to O’Shea, as
part of a project organized by the MWRD; O’Shea joined the initiative about
three weeks ago, he said.
More than 15,000 barrels are set to be distributed throughout Cook County,
according to MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. Local residents can order
theirs while supplies last by visiting the Web site at 19thwardmobile.com. The
55-gallon barrels, along with components to connect them as well as installation
instructions, will be delivered within 30 days of online requests, O’Shea said.
Spyropoulos said the barrels have a two-fold impact.
"We’re using it not only to conserve water but also to make a dent in terms
of the water that’s going into the system, to reduce the incidence of flooding,"
Spyropoulos said.
To utilize the barrels, which Spyropoulos said cost the MWRD $58 each,
residents must disconnect their downspouts from the public sewer system and
connect them to the barrels.
The key to making the barrels effective in reducing storm water runoff for
the area, officials said, is to enlist multiple homes on a block or in community
associations, like garden clubs or block clubs. Vaughn is vice president of the
Vanderpoel Improvement Association and said she plans on promoting the program
at an August meeting of the civic association.
"We found that if you get 50 percent of the community onboard, that can make
a dent in terms of what’s going into the [sewer] system," Spyropoulos said.
O’Shea, who has served as 19th Ward alderman since 2011, said that during his
tenure, several large thunderstorms have caused flooding in the ward—1,200 of
20,000 homes in the ward experienced flooding, he said, and residents turned to
him for help.
O’Shea was the first alderman to take part in the project, said MWRD
Commissioner Tim Bradford, and he expects others to join after seeing the
positive effects. Suburban communities, including Blue Island, are also
participating.
"Matt has really caused us to put a big dent in our allocation," said
Bradford, who said the barrels are made of recycled plastic.
The barrels also contain a mesh component to prevent mosquitoes from using
the barrels to breed and possibly spreading West Nile disease, Spyropoulos said.
Impermeable pavement in metropolitan areas adds to the run-off problem, and
Spyropoulos said that 40 percent of Cook County is covered by such materials,
which can include backyard basketball courts that are made of concrete—and she
hopes the barrels offset the problems those surfaces create.
Morgan Park resident Mary Duleba, of the 11400 block of South Rockwell
Street, also received a barrel on May 28, and it was placed on the side of her
home that she said has experienced seepage problems.
She is remodeling her property on that side of the house, she said, to direct
drainage away from the house, and she hopes the barrel further assists with
drainage issues.
She also plans to use the barrel to collect water for her front lawn and
flowers, but her home is a top concern.
"We’re trying to save our basement," Duleba said.
O’Shea, Spyropoulos and the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association will host a
presentation called "Basement Flooding: Understanding Your Sewers and Reducing
Flooding Risks on Your Property" at 7 p.m. on June 3 at the Beverly Arts Center,
2407 W. 111th St.
Attendees can request free rain barrels at the event. To RSVP or for more
information, visit the Web site at chicagobungalow.org or call (312) 675-0300,
ext. 10.
http://www.beverlyreview.net/news/community_news/article_c29d0292-092a-11e5-94b0-3bd59b9bdbf8.html
"19th
Wards rolls our free rain barrels to reduce
basement flooding; Ald. Matt O'Shea, MWRD President Spyropoulos deliver first of free rain barrels to 19th Ward
residents to alleviate basement flooding,"
Beverly-Mt. Greenwood Patch
Full article text: They’re rolling out the barrels
-- literally -- in Beverly, Mt. Greenwood and Morgan Park. The first of 1,700
free rain barrels were distributed in flood-prone West Beverly last week. The
barrels are being offered through a partnership between the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District and Alderman Matt O’Shea’s 19th Water Environmental
Committee.
Last Week, O’Shea and MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos dropped off three
rain barrels at the home of Carroll Vaughn in the 9600 block of Vanderpool
Avenue. O’Shea said that the 19th Ward is leading the city in residents’
requests for the 55-gallon rain barrels. The rain barrels are said to help
alleviate basement flooding.
"In the four years that I’ve been alderman we’ve had four 100-year storms,
two within days of each other," O’Shea said. "That explanation didn’t go over
well to crowded rooms."
The MWRD is working with community groups county-wide in distributing 15,000
free rain barrels through block clubs, garden groups, community organizations
and local municipalities.
"It’s going to make a dent in water that’s going into the sewer system and
reduce the incidence of flooding," Spyropoulos said. "We found that the best way
to reduce the incidence of flooding is through community groups. The 19th Ward
is very smart about that and has a very organized approach to this. We found
that if you get 50-percent of the community on board it can make a dent in terms
of rainwater going into the system."
The city is situated in a combined sewer area which means rainwater and
sewage from homes flows through the same pipe before reaching the wastewater
treatment facility.
During rain events, storm water hitting residents’ rooftops flows through
downspouts into the sewer system. Residents who receive the rain barrels must
agree to disconnect their downspouts to divert water from the sewer system, thus
reducing the likelihood of basement flooding.
Vaughn was placing her rain barrels on her property next to her disconnected
downspouts. She planned to use the water collected in the barrels to water her
elaborate garden to cut down on hooking up a sprinkler or watering her yard with
a hose.
"A lot of people need to know the barrels can also conserve water," Vaughn
said, who plans to promote the rain barrels to the Vanderpool Improvement
Association. "Instead of sending water down into the sewer it goes into the rain
barrel."
Water collected in the barrels can also be used for washing cars, cleaning
work boots and tools, or watering the garden or lawn. Most homes can benefit
from several rain barrels in the yard.
The MWRD’s rain barrels are made from repurposed or upcycled, food barrels so
they are doubly green. In addition, a flexible connecting elbow is included to
attach the barrel to your downspout, a linking hose to connect it to a second
barrel, detailed instructions, and free delivery to residents’ homes. The rain
barrels are valued around $60., according to the MWRD’s website.
The rain barrels are typically made available to Cook County residents for
$58, but the MWRD hopes to have more community groups and municipalities sign up
for the free program.
If you live in the 19th Ward, visit the 19th Ward to request a free rain
barrel.
To find out how your community group, block club or garden club can
participate in the free rain barrel program, visit the MWRD’s website.
Municipalities interested in participating should contact Allison Fore at
312-751-6626.
 In the photo: Ald. O’Shea and MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos.
http://patch.com/illinois/beverly-mtgreenwood/19th-ward-rolls-out-free-rain-barrels-reduce-basement-flooding-0
"Quigley, Durbin Lead Bicameral Push to Address Urban Flooding,"
Press Release
Summary: U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) and U.S. Senator Dick
Durbin (D-IL) introduced the bicameral Urban Flooding Awareness Act to address
increased flooding in urban communities and to find solutions for the urban
communities impacted. Rep. Quigley and Sen. Durbin’s bill creates, for the first
time, a federal definition of urban flooding and requires the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with related Federal agencies, to
conduct a nationwide study of urban flooding and flood damage. The goal is to
analyze existing storm water management programs and craft policies and
strategies to encourage the design and use of the best possible flood prevention
practices, with a focus on rapid, low-cost approaches. This study would be the
first of its kind to comprehensively analyze both individual and societal costs
associated with urban flooding across the country. Most coastal and riverine
communities are clearly defined and included in flood maps. However, many urban
communities experience severe, repeated and increasing damage from flooding
unrelated to any surface body of water. Current federal flood management
programs do not directly address this type of flooding and its consequences.
Just a few inches of water can cause thousands of dollars in damage for both
home and small business owners. Around 20-25 percent of all economic losses
resulting from flooding occur in areas not designated as being in a
"floodplain," but as a consequence of urban drainage," according to FEMA. Wet
basements from flooding events are cited among the top reasons for not
purchasing a home and industry experts estimate flooding can lower property
values by 10-25 percent. Further, nearly 40 percent of small businesses do not
reopen following a disaster according to FEMA. The Urban Flooding Awareness Act
has been endorsed by the National Association of Realtors and the Association of
State Floodplain Managers. With
portions of Illinois’ 5th Congressional District devastated by flooding three
times in the past seven years, Rep. Quigley has been an outspoken advocate for
the completion of flood control measures such as the McCook and Thornton
Reservoirs. He has also actively called for revising
the process of awarding federal aid to disaster-afflicted communities. In 2013,
Rep. Quigley and Sen. Durbin secured $29 million in federal grants to help the Chicagoland area and the state of Illinois recover from spring flooding. Rep.
Quigley spoke about the effects of urban flooding earlier today on the House
floor. Sen. Durbin has authored legislation to reform FEMA’s disaster
declaration process and bring fairness to communities in larger states like
Illinois. Sen. Durbin first introduced the Fairness in Federal Disaster
Declarations Act in 2012 after FEMA denied federal assistance to Harrisburg and
Ridgway following a devastating outbreak of storms and tornadoes.
http://quigley.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/quigley-durbin-lead-bicameral-push-to-address-urban-flooding
"Part of new Cal-Sag Trail to open this weekend,"
CBS 2
Summary: Cyclists, walkers, and runners are in for a big treat in the south
suburbs this weekend. The completed 11-mile west leg of the Cal-Sag Trail will
officially open between Alsip and Lemont. When complete, the Cal-Sag Trail will
be 26 miles long, and connect Burnham to Lemont. It’s supposed to be finished in
2017. Cyclist Glenn Kraemer, of Orland Park, was taking a sneak peek of the
Cal-Sag Trail on Wednesday. It officially opens Saturday morning, with a
ribbon-cutting ceremony at Lake Katherine in Palos Heights. "I just got to this
part from the south, and I’ve not yet gone west on it all the way to Palos Park,
and I’m looking forward to being able to go all the way to Lemont, and
everything else," he said. Steve Buchtel, executive director of Trails for
Illinois, said Kraemer’s not alone in checking out the trail before it
officially opens. "We have a saying in the trail-building business that users
are 20 feet behind the bulldozers, and that’s been exactly the story for the Cal-Sag Trail," he
said. The MWRD will be participating in a relay and ribbon-cutting ceremony as
part of the opening festivities.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/06/03/part-of-new-cal-sag-trail-to-open-this-weekend/
15 0527_Beverly Review_Steele
15 0520_BeverlyReview_Open House
"Section of trail through Chicago's South Suburbs opens,"
Associated Press
Summary: A 13-mile section of a trail built along the Cal-Sag Channel and
Calumet River in Chicago's south suburbs is now open. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's
office said he helped open the western section of the Cal-Sag Trail with a
ribbon-cutting on Saturday. Durbin said much of the expense of the trail was
paid for with $22.7 million in federal funding. When complete the 26- mile trail
will passes through 14 communities between Lemont and the Indiana state line.
The MWRD contributed much of the property on which the trail was constructed.
http://qctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/section-of-trail-through-chicago-s-south-suburbs-opens/article_95113939-235e-5e80-91ef-2c4089a8f121.html
"Haines Elementary Grade School participates in MWRD boat christening
ceremony," Haines Elementary
Summary: Third grade room 215 was invited to go visit Ping Tom Park on May 20
for a boat launch. Six students were chosen to go to the park and watch the
"boat christening". This was put on by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and
many members were there to speak, take pictures, and toast to the new boats.
These boats will be on the river from April to October each year and will help
to eliminate waste along the riverbank. The committee is really putting its foot
forward to reduce waste, save water, and keep our natural resources beautiful in
our city.
http://www.haines.cps.k12.il.us/
"Steele to discuss MWRD with Beverly Ridge Lions,"
Beverly Review
15 0527_Beverly Review_Steele
"Chicago Moves Toward "Zero Waste" Model,"
Water Online
Full article text: Chicago is attempting to dispose of the word "waste."
David St. Pierre, executive director of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
of Greater Chicago, says the word must be trashed as the city moves toward a
"zero waste" model. "Chicago is adopting the view that all resources are
valuable and should be reused," St. Pierre said,
per Next City. "We
are trying to create a paradigm where the word ‘waste’ is retired from the
common vocabulary." The agency has released a new five-year plan for Chicago.
The strategy "expands on the work the agency has been doing on everything from
flood mitigation to infrastructure maintenance, a7;s largest phosphorus recovery facility at the Stickney Water
Reclamation Plant. "Some other plants use the same technology, but St. Pierre says that Chicago’s will
be the biggest. All of this, he says, is moving Chicago in the direction of a
zero waste model," the report said. In another key project, the agency has
"partnered with Illinois American Water, the largest investor owned water
utility in the state, to reclaim and distribute wastewater to large water users,
including manufacturing plants. Once fully operational, this water reuse project
will significantly reduce freshwater withdrawals from the Great Lakes while
continuing to meet the water supply needs of current customers," according to
a recent paper by the Value of Water Coalition, a coalition of water
agencies. Chicago is finding creative solutions to sustainability challenges.
"Greater Chicago is leading the way through bold strategies that utilize
public-private partnerships and deliver returns on investments for area
residents. In the process, the region has created a model for redefining the
wastewater industry as an enterprise in resource recovery and environmental
stewardship," the coalition report said. As cities across the country work to
adopt sustainable practices, the Midwest might have some advantages. "We have a
temperate environment. We have a highly diversified economy — it’s not dependent
on any one sector. We have a stable fresh water supply," University of Chicago
Law Professor
David Weisbach said, per WBEZ. "If you think about what the effects of
climate change will be in Chicago, it’s going to be the knock-on effects. We’re
connected to the rest of the world, and what matters to the rest of the world
matters to us. That will affect us potentially very, very deeply."
http://www.wateronline.com/doc/chicago-moves-toward-zero-waste-model-0001
"New Wheeling Park Three Years In Making,"
Journal & Topics
Summary: Rain and wind washed out the dedication ceremony and musical guests,
but other parts of Sunday's (June 7) grand opening of Heritage Park in Wheeling
went on. Even if rain threatens to intrude on the rest of the park’s summer
movie schedule, Wheeling should be safe from floods. Heritage Park’s $38 million
renovation features 10-acre Lake Heritage, a retention lake that's part of a
local system that can hold an increased load of 49 million gallons of stormwater
during heavy rain events. Funding for the just completed flood protection
project came mainly from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago. Work on the site started in summer 2012 with the development of basins
in the park, located behind village hall and the rec center south of Dundee
Road, that store floodwater mainly to protect Wheeling and downstream
communities like Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights and Des Plaines. In addition
to the lake itself, renovations included a 1.3-mile pathway around the water, a
new sports complex with four lighted artificial turf fields, concessions
building, performance pavilion with a natural amphitheatre, weather shelter
overlooking the lake and other amenities that join the nearby park district
aquatics park.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_8b0f495a-1052-11e5-99a2-97374c3c39d5.html
"Rain barrels to become available to residents,"
Chicago Tribune
Summary: The village of Harwood Heights has entered into an intergovernmental
agreement with the MWRD Chicago to receive rain barrels this year. A typical
rain barrel is composed of a 55 gallon drum, a vinyl hose, PVC couplings, and a
screen grate to keep debris and insects out. Trustee Michael Gadzinski said
during the June 11 Village Board meeting that the requirements that applied to
last year's rain barrel program have changed so that residents no longer have to
purchase and install a downspout near the barrel. "With all the flooding issues,
the Water Reclamation District is encouraging villages to get involved in
gathering rain barrels so they can alleviate some of the problems with
flooding," Gadzinski said. The agreement with the Water Reclamation District
will allow the village to receive free rain barrels. Each resident will be
allowed to receive up to four rain barrels, Gadzinski said. According to the
EPA, lawn and gardening watering make up nearly 40 percent of total household
water waste during the summer. Rain barrels catch and store water for future
use.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/norridge/news/ct-nhh-harwood-heights-briefs-tl-0618-20150612-story.html
"Joy in Palos as Cal Sag Trail ribbon is cut,"
The Regional News
Summary: Emblematic of the successful struggle to piece together a grassroots
coalition of ordinary citizens, business leaders, government officials,
conservationists, bicycling and fitness enthusiasts and others to bring the
Cal-Sag Trail from concept to completion over the last decade, four of the first
Friends of the Cal-Sag Trail connect halves of the new trail’s logo. Trails for
Illinois Executive Director Steve Buchtel (from left), Gayle Greenwald, Palos
Heights Parks and Recreation Director Mike Leonard and William Poore, of Palos
Heights, gather at Saturday’s ribbon-cutting on the trail at Lake Katherine in
Palos Heights (above).
http://www.theregionalnews.com/index.php/newsx/local-news/34494-joy-in-palos-as-cal-sag-trail-ribbon-is-cut
"MWRD Experts: Help on the way after Riverwalk floods,"
Fox Chicago
Summary: Torrential rainfall pushed the Chicago River up 6-1/2 feet, flooding
a fancy and still-unfinished walkway on the south bank. It also left behind a
thick and mucky goo. The new Chicago Riverwalk was designed to endure occasional
surges of water. Those who manage Chicago's water and sewer system say that,
since we have far too much water, we need to cut way back on how much we use and
send down the drain.
You might ask, "Huh?"
The outdoor cafes and restaurants that have blossomed on the north bank sit
so high above the Chicago River that they scarcely noticed when it suddenly rose
6.3 feet Monday night.
But for some still settling in on the newly-redeveloped south bank, it was
totally unexpected.
"Yeah, I am surprised. I saw it on the news last night and I was pretty
surprised when I came down today. We came down here to have a few beers. Yeah,
it's too bad. But they'll get it cleaned up," a Chicagoan said. It was unclear
how long the cleanup would take. But help is on the way, according to experts at
the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. From a Downtown control room, the
MWRD experts operate billions of dollars worth of locks, dams, reservoirs and
tunnels that store storm water. That system is the biggest reason the Chicago
River is now far cleaner than anyone ever imagined it would be just a few
decades ago. It can now store 2.3 billion gallons of dirty storm water runoff,
treating it before returning it to the river.
Coming online in August, a new reservoir in Thornton will hold 7.9 billion
gallons. In 2017, a McCook reservoir will add another 3.5 billion gallons for a
total 14.7 billion gallons in capacity.
That should mean far fewer floods along the Chicago River, though it remains
the ultimate outlet. That should mean far fewer floods along the Chicago River,
though it remains the ultimate outlet. Whatever we send down the drain anywhere
in the area, usually ends up in the river. As long as the region remains so
waterlogged, officials say reducing the volume of water that goes down the drain
will reduce the danger of flooding. "Part of living by the river is a lot of
water, a lot of dirt, a lot of mud," said Chicagoan Bill Dvorak.
FOX 32: Why do you like to come down here and drink?
"It's beautiful. Look at the buildings. Look at the water. Look at the boats.
Look at the people. It's Chicago. I love this place," Dvorak said.
If you really love it, officials say you should reduce the amount of water
going into it from showers, toilet flushes and excessively running the faucet.
While that's pretty much what they tell folks in drought zones, feel free to
water your plants and lawn. That water generally doesn't go into the storm
sewer.
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/29337788/new-chicago-riverwalk-floods
"Storm runoff Prompts Swim Ban At All Chicago Beaches,"
WBBM, CBS Local
Summary: The effects of Monday’s heavy rains were being felt Tuesday at the
city’s beaches, where officials have banned swimming, due to high bacteria
levels caused by runoff. When the Chicago area’s water treatment system is maxed
out from heavy rains, the overflow pours into the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District’s Deep Tunnel system. On Monday, hours of heavy rainfall filled 109
miles of rock tunnels. "All the tunnels combined, it’s 2.3 billion gallons of
capacity that we maxed out," MWRD supervising civil engineer Ed Staudacher said.
After that, because the system was at capacity, a combination of rain water and
sewage was released into Lake Michigan, creating unsafe water conditions at all
the city’s beaches. While all 26 beaches on the lakefront were open to the
public on Tuesday, swimming was not allowed, due to the water quality. In DuPage
County, the Stormwater Management agency’s 17 reservoirs kicked into action. "I
would say you’re talking millions of gallons right now that we’re storing at
this point," Chairman Jim Zay said. He said part of the problem is all the rain
over the past couple weeks has saturated the ground, so rain has nowhere to go
but the sewers.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/06/16/storm-runoff-prompts-swim-ban-at-all-chicago-beaches/
"Life goes on in wake of flooding along Chicago Riverwalk,"
Chicago Tribune
Summary: Days after Chicago finished a new stretch of the downtown Riverwalk,
a signature project of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, city officials scrambled to reopen it
by Wednesday morning after heavy rains pushed floodwaters over portions of the
popular pedestrian pathway.
Running along a three-block stretch of Wacker Drive, from State Street to
LaSalle Street, the new section represents the first part of a $110 million
westward extension of the public space. When the second part is completed late
next year, it will create a continuous, 11/4-mile pedestrian and bike path from
Lake Michigan to Lake Street. Emanuel has touted the project as his equivalent
of Millennium Park. But after nearly 3 inches of rain fell on Chicago on Monday
night, following heavy storms Sunday, the Riverwalk looked more like a disaster
zone.
With the Deep Tunnel, a $3 billion pollution- and flood-control project,
overflowing, the water reclamation district opened locks near Navy Pier to
prevent flooding in downtown parking garages and basements. That caused a
torrent of stormwater to pour into Lake Michigan.
Eventually, water rose to the top steps of the Riverwalk. By Tuesday
afternoon, a few dozen patrons were eating lunch or dining at the restaurant,
which is in a portion of the Riverwalk that was partially open. Floodwaters did
not seep inside and there was no property damage. Workers were power-washing and
sweeping closed sections of the walk Tuesday. Michael Claffey, a spokesman for
the city’s Department of Transportation, said the cleanup costs would be covered
by the city’s contract with MB Realty to maintain the Riverwalk.
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83795260/
"U.S. Water Alliance to host 2015 One-Water Leadership Summit in August,"
Water World
Summary: On August 26-28, the U.S. Water Alliance's Urban Water Sustainability
Council will host the 2015 One Water Leadership (OWL) Summit in San Francisco,
Calif., where it will present integrated and holistic “one-water”
strategies to drive better thinking for
water
sustainability
in a changing climate.
The notable event arrives
at a time when water has begun to assume unprecedented space in the nation's
consciousness. With
drought gripping much of the West and the effects of
climate change beginning to manifest their consequences, never has there
been more pressure on water leaders to work together in developing the most
innovative and effective solutions for resiliency.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/06/summit-points-to-water-as-a-catalyst-for-building-resiliency-in-face-of-climate-change.html
"Touring the Deep Tunnel and Thornton Quarry,"
Gapers Block
On Saturday, reporter David Schalliol joined the Southeast
Environmental Task Force (SETF) on one of its tours of
Chicago's goliath infrastructure. The tour featured the future site of the
Thornton Composite Reservoir, the largest such reservoir in the world, and a
Deep Tunnel pumping station 350' below ground at the Calumet Water Reclamation
Plant. Both are part of the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District (MWRD)'s
gargantuan Tunnel
and Reservoir Plan, the
multi-decade, multi-billion dollar project designed to protect the Chicago
region from the flooding and pollution caused by overflowing sewer and stormwater infrastructure. The bus tour, which was led by the SETF's Tom
Shepherd and various staffers from the MWRD, was kicked off at the Chicago
Cultural Center by President of the MWRD's Board of Commissioners, Mariyana T.
Spyropoulos.
http://gapersblock.com/mechanics/2015/06/21/touring-the-deep-tunnel-and-thornton-quarry/
"What's Behind the Fence? Get a Peek at Horner Park's Riverbank Restoration,"
DNAinfo
Summary: Work on the
Horner Park riverbank restoration project has been
underway since early 2014 and has taken place largely out of view. Access to the
area, normally restricted to protect plantings from being trampled, was opened
up Saturday during tours conducted as part of Horner Fest. DNAinfo tagged along
on one of the walks, led by Brook Herman, restoration ecologist with the Army
Corps of Engineers.
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150623/irving-park/whats-behind-fence-get-peek-at-horner-parks-riverbank-restoration
"Best new rails-to-trails conversion that isn’t the Bloomingdale Trail,"
Chicago Reader
Summary: There’s been a fair amount of gloating lately over the recently
opened
Bloomingdale Trail, a 2.7-mile elevated rails-to-trails conversion on the
near northwest side. It is nearly twice as long as New York’s much-touted High
Line. But down in the southwest suburbs, just outside Chicago’s city limits, the
longest urban trail project in the Midwest is underway. On June 6—the same day
the Bloomingdale Trail opened—there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first
half of the Cal-Sag Trail, which currently stretches from Lemont to Alsip. For
most of its length, the trail runs alongside the Calumet-Saganashkee Channel,
which used to be so polluted that residents were warned not to let the water
touch their skin. The Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago has been cleaning up the river by adding man-made waterfalls that aerate
the water, breaking down chemicals that have accumulated from industrial use—and
fish have finally returned to the canal.
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/new-rails-to-trails-conversion-that-isnt-the-bloomingdale-trail/BestOf?oid=18028513
"Oak Lawn Rolls Out Free Rain Barrel Program,"
Oak Lawn Patch
Summary: They’re rolling out the barrels -- literally -- in Oak Lawn. The
Village of Oak Lawn is offering free rain barrels through a partnership between
the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and the Oak Lawn Green Team. The
program has been wildly successful in Beverly and Morgan Park, where Chicago’s
19th Ward is leading the city in residents’ requests for the 55-gallon rain
barrels. When enough neighbors band together on one block, the rain barrels are
said to help reduce street and basement flooding. The MWRD is working with
community groups county-wide in distributing 15,000 free rain barrels through
block clubs, garden groups, community organizations and local municipalities.
http://patch.com/illinois/oaklawn/oak-lawn-rolls-out-free-rain-barrels"
"Protecting Chicago’s Second Shoreline,"
Openlands Blog
Summary: It’s a new morning for the Chicago River.
River otters are fastidiously building cones out of
the remains of their breakfast on a ledge behind the Civic Opera House. Once
completely gone from Illinois, the otters – along with over 70 kinds of fish,
black crowned night herons, bald eagles, and scores of other wildlife – have
returned to Chicago’s rivers. They share the waters at dawn with high school
crew teams who clip along the surface. Chicagoans have come a long way over the
last forty years in how we see and value our second shoreline. Once considered
open sewers, the Chicago and Calumet rivers have become vibrant natural
attractions that are economic drivers and community assets. Offices and homes
are now facing the river again, and the number of docks and boat launches is
rising. One solution to managing stormwater to help our rivers is the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s (MWRD) "Deep Tunnel" and reservoir
project, which captures billions of gallons of rain. When storms overwhelm
MWRD’s treatment plants, it has to flush the overflow of rainwater and sewage
into our rivers and Lake Michigan. The 30-foot tunnels and giant reservoirs hold
massive amounts of polluted stormwater until MWRD can treat it all. The quality
of our rivers has also improved as MWRD has upgraded the technology at its
treatment plants. MWRD is also partnering with Openlands and other organizations
to help communities capture rain where it falls. Through the
Space to Grow
program, Openlands and Healthy Schools Campaign are working with MWRD, Chicago
Public Schools, and the City of Chicago’s Department of Water Management to
transform underutilized schoolyards into lush gardens and safe playgrounds for
students, families, and community members.
http://www.openlands.org/blog/protecting-second-shoreline/
|
| |
May 2015 |
| |
"Gloria Majewski, former water district commissioner, dies at 82,"
Chicago Tribune
Full article text: Gloria Alitto Majewski won election as a commissioner for
the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago after her
husband, Chester Majewski, died in office.
"She ran to fill his unexpired term," her daughter Joy Adelizzi said of her
mother's entry into the 1984 election. Adelizzi said the late Rep. Dan
Rostenkowski and other friends of Chester Majewski's suggested she run, but the
deciding push came from closer to home. "The real driving force was my
grandmother, Rose Alitto," Adelizzi said. "She encouraged my mother to run."
Mrs. Majewski was repeatedly re-elected until her retirement in late 2010.
Mrs. Majewski, 82, died Monday, April 20, in Loyola University Medical Center in
Maywood, according to Adelizzi. She said her mother's health had been failing
for some time. She lived on the Northwest Side of Chicago before moving to
Orland Park nearly 20 years ago. She was born Gloria Alitto in Chicago and grew
up in Lincoln Park, where her father, who came to the United States from Italy,
established a portrait photography business. She attended Mundelein College, now
part of Loyola University Chicago, and then worked for a time before marrying
and raising her children. She was divorced when mutual friends introduced her to
Majewski. The couple had been married more than a dozen years when Chester
Majewski died in 1983. While she had encouragement and help from her late
husband's friends in her run for the seat, she was not endorsed by the
Democratic Party and faced a tough fight without much organized support.
"Our kitchen table was our campaign headquarters," Adelizzi said. "We had
kind of a ragtag team covering Cook County. It was definitely an uphill battle."
Her resulting win was a personal victory. In 1986, her fellow board members
chose her as the first female chairman of the district's finance committee,
according to former district President Terrence O'Brien. "Her leadership brought
AAA bond ratings from all three bond rating agencies," O'Brien said. "That meant
tremendous savings for taxpayers because we could borrow money at lower rates."
O'Brien also noted that long before the General Assembly imposed a tax cap
limitation on the ability of municipal taxing bodies to raise property tax
rates, Mrs. Majewski acted on the issue. "In 1989, she introduced a self-imposed
tax cap for the agency," O'Brien said. "She was always cost-conscious in her
decisions and ahead of her time." The district provides water management,
wastewater treatment and flood control for Cook County, with seven treatment
plants. Flood mitigation includes the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, better known as
the Deep Tunnel Project. Mrs. Majewski received a number of honors for her work
outside the district, including the Polish American Political League's
Distinguished Service Award, the Disabled American Veterans Commander's Award;
and the New Horizon Center for the Developmentally Disabled Special Friend to
Special Children Award. She was honored for her contributions to the agency when
the 350-million gallon Chicago Underflow Plan reservoir was renamed the Gloria
Alitto Majewski Reservoir. "She was a very driven and committed public servant," Adelizzi said.
"She felt the district was vital to the people of Cook County."
Mrs. Majewski is survived by another daughter, Kimberly Feeney; a brother,
Ronald Alitto; and two grandchildren. Services were held.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-gloria-majewski-obituary-met-20150501-story.html
"Value Of Water Coalition Releases New Poll Results: Over 80% Of Americans
Believe Securing Sustainable Water Supplies To Be A National Priority,"
Water Online
Summary: In conjunction with National Drinking Water Week, the Value of Water
Coalition, of which the MWRD is a member, released the results of a poll that
asked Americans about the importance of water in their lives. The results of the
survey paint a stark picture about the role water plays in our lives and the
urgent action needed to ensure a safe, reliable water supply for all
communities. More than four out of five Americans said it was important or
extremely important to invest in strategies and programs to develop sustainable
water supplies. The survey explained that water and wastewater service providers
are the primary source for funding water infrastructure, and customers are
typically charged relatively small fees for water compared to other household
utilities such as electricity, heat, cable or Internet. Surprisingly more than
half of respondents agreed that water bills need to increase so water systems
can be modernized.
http://www.wateronline.com/doc/value-of-water-coalition-releases-new-poll-results-over-of-americans-believe-0001
"Park District moves toward final Skokie Sports Park East plan,"
Chicago Tribune
Full article text: The Skokie Park District is closer to coming up with a
plan to develop 17 acres of property just east of the Skokie Sports Park at
Oakton Street and McCormick Boulevard.
The dream of creating recreational facilities and significantly expanding the
current Skokie Sports Park has been entertained by leaders for a long time.
"You have 17 acres for new facilities in landlocked Skokie, and you're not
near any neighborhood," said Park Board President Mike Reid. "That
doesn't
happen all the time, and it's pretty exciting."
The Park District held an open house Thursday, April 30, to introduce the
public to six concept plans for the property — all of which would include lit
baseball fields, a cricket pitch and other amenities. The site was once occupied
by a gas manufacturing plant, which produced gas from coal from 1910 to the
1940s. Its long and tangled history has resulted in a major $60 million to $70
million environmental clean-up by Nicor Gas and ComEd that began in late 2012.
The process is scheduled to be completed later this summer, both Park District
and Gewalt Hamilton confirmed. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District owns
the property, the west half of which is leased to the Park District for the
sports park. Once the cleanup is completed, the adjoining section will also be
leased to the Park District. During last week's open house, civil engineer
Donald Matthews of Gewalt Hamilton Associates took visitors through six
different plans that range in complexity and cost.
The simplest, and likely least expensive plan, would involve little
restructuring of the current Skokie Sports Park. More elaborate plans call for
greater rearrangement of the current site, Matthews said.
One plan even includes an indoor sports dome, a few of the other plans have
space for a skate park, which Park District officials have identified as a need
for years.
In fact, the Park District and Skokie School District 69 created a design for
a skate park at Lincoln Junior High School, but there was an outcry from the
community against the location, and the School Board voted it down.
It isn't a certainty that one of the six plans as exactly presented last week
will be approved. In essence, the Park District and Gewalt Hamilton are working
with a blank canvass, so depending on feedback, a hybrid plan that incorporates
features from multiple finalists could be adopted, park leaders say.
"We can create a plan that meets the most needs, and a lot of different
opinions are [being taken into account]," Matthews said.
Originally there were nearly a dozen plans until the Park Board and Skokie
Park District staff weighed in and cut the number down. The Park District and
its team have reached out to as many stakeholders as possible to provide input
before the Park Board decides on a final version.
Park District Executive Director John Ohrlund said that a final plan could be
voted on as early as at this month's or next month's regular Park Board meeting.
The Park District would then begin construction toward the end of next year
after going out for bids.
Whichever plan is decided on, officials estimate it will cost
"multi-millions" of dollars although the final figure for each plan is not yet
known. The cost greatly varies depending on the design.
There are significant differences among those designs, such as parking,
layout and amenities, but there also are key commonalities.
Each plan includes fields that can be used for baseball during the day and
night and space for a cricket pitch. Both of these uses have long been
identified as needs of the public and the Park District.
Although the Park District created limited space for a cricket pitch in one
of its parks, and other parks accommodate baseball, space here would be large
enough for tournament games and matches. The new space is expected to draw
people from different areas, park leaders say.
The design plans also include a synthetic turf field, which would be ideal
for maintenance, according to the Park District. However, with its impervious
surface, the field would need an area for water detention.
Multiple design plans call for walking paths and fitness stations inside the
park, other requests made by the public. The designs have differing access
points, and some accommodate close to or well over 400 parking spaces.
Scott Freres of the Lakota Group, part of the Gewalt Hamilton Team in
creating a master plan for the new space, said many organizations from school
districts to the local American Youth Soccer Organization have been consulted as
the final design takes shape.
"We're making sure to get as big a blanket as possible to feed into our
thinking as part of this process," he told a small group at the open house last
week.
Her referred to the six designs on display as "concept plans" rather than any
finalized options.
"They're not designs for construction and they're not going to be built
tomorrow," he assured. "They're merely ways of getting feedback about what that
site can be."
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#
"MWRD to add 4.6B gallons of storage capacity for combined sewage, stormwater," Water World
Full article text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago (MWRD) announced that it has reached an agreement that will allow space
for an additional 4.5 billion gallons of storage capacity for combined sewage
and stormwater, ultimately reducing flooding in the south suburbs. The MWRD was
granted an extension with Hanson Material Service Corporation, which is mining
the quarry. The $750,000 annual investment will allow the District to continue
to use the Thornton Transitional Reservoir (TTR) for storage of floodwater from
Thorn Creek through 2020. Terms of the deal were approved by the District's
Board of Commissioners on Thursday, April 23.
"This is a great opportunity for the District and the south suburbs," said
MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "It will allow us to prevent future
flooding by adding capacity and will also help us determine how much storage
will be needed when the composite reservoir is completed this year."
The TTR, completed in 2003, is used strictly for stormwater from the Thorn
Creek drainage basin. It is located in the lower west lobe of the Thornton
Quarry across the interstate highway from the Thornton Composite Reservoir
(TCR). When completed this summer, the TBR will hold up to 7.9 billion gallons
of combined sewage and stormwater from 14 communities throughout the south
suburbs and South Side of Chicago, making it one of the largest reservoirs of
its kind in the world. In addition, having the TTR available will allow MWRD
engineers more time to evaluate the storage capacity in the TCR, given the
increasing amount of heavy rainstorms in recent years. The Thornton Quarry is
part of the District's Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), also known as "Deep
Tunnel," providing a series of deep, large diameter tunnels and vast reservoirs
aimed to reduce flooding and improve water quality in area rivers and streams.
The Thornton Reservoir is set to come online at the same time as disinfection
facilities at the MWRD's Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago. Working in
tandem, the combination will maximize water quality while minimizing flooding.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/05/mwrd-s-thornton-quarry-transitional-reservoir-to-add-storage-capacity-for-stormwater.html
"MWRD deal supplements Thornton reservoir capacity to contain monster
storms," Chicago Tribune
A new and larger reservoir in this area of the Thornton Quarry is scheduled
to be completed this summer. It will be able to hold up to 8 billion gallons of
stormwater and sewage to prevent flooding in the Southland. (Zbigniew Bzdak,
Chicago Tribune)
By Mike Nolan, Daily Southtown
Wetter weather, specifically more major rainstorms, is prompting Chicago-area
flood control planners to consider supplementing the already sizable Thornton
Reservoir that's due to be finished this summer.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District has reached an agreement to
continue using through 2020 a section of the Thornton Quarry to which it has
diverted stormwater from the Thorn Creek drainage basin since 2003.
Initially, the MWRD's plan was to stop using that reservoir, which can hold
4.5 billion gallons, once a new reservoir that can take nearly 8 billion gallons
was completed.
The north lobe of the Thornton Quarry, on the north side of Interstate 80, is
being readied to contain up to 8 billion gallons of stormwater and sewage during
heavy rains to prevent flooding. (Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune)
Before it abandons the smaller reservoir, however, the district wants to
evaluate whether it might need the capacity of both reservoirs because of the
severity of storms in recent years, Kevin Fitzpatrick, managing civil engineer
with the MWRD, said Friday.
"A lot of these storms we're seeing are bigger than in the past," and
"high-intensity storms" are happening more frequently, he said.
As recorded officially at O'Hare International Airport, total rainfall in the
Chicago area last year was 39 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
But several summer storms brought more rain to the south and southwest suburbs
compared with the rest of the region, and an unofficial total at Midway Airport
for 2014 was 50 inches of rain.
The most rainfall recorded in a single year, as measured at O'Hare, was 50.8
inches in 2008, according to the weather service.
A massive reservoir on the north lobe of the Thornton Quarry is expected to
be ready by late summer to hold up to 8 billion gallons of stormwater and
sewage. The reservoir is part of the Chicago area's extensive flood control
system. (Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune)
Storms in August dumped 5 or more inches of rain in some areas of the
Southland, flooding streets and basements as well as forcing school closings.
Those rains added to an already soggy summer, with a late-June drenching that
averaged 1.8 inches throughout Cook County and a mid-July storm that dropped 3
to 4 inches in many area communities.
The "transitional" reservoir that has been in use is west of the main quarry
that drivers see on the south side of Interstate 80, and the new reservoir is on
the north side of the highway. Fitzpatrick said the larger reservoir is expected
to be finished in August.
"We can't wait to get it going," he said.
The permanent Thornton Reservoir is in a section of the quarry that is a
half-mile in length from east to west, a quarter-mile wide from north to south
and 300 feet deep. It will be one of the largest reservoirs of its kind in the
world, according to the MWRD.
In 1998, the MWRD reached an agreement with Hanson Material Service, the
quarry's operator, to use the north lobe of the quarry for the Thornton
Reservoir. Since then, Hanson has mined about 76 million tons of limestone from
that section.
Having the transitional reservoir available for five more years will give the
MWRD more weather data to study to determine whether more storage capacity is
needed at the quarry, agency officials said.
"This is a great opportunity for the district and the south suburbs," MWRD
president Mariyana Spyropoulos said in a news release. "It will allow us to
prevent future flooding by adding capacity and will also help us determine how
much storage will be needed when the (new) reservoir is completed this year."
While the transitional reservoir is used to hold just stormwater, the new
reservoir will collect during heavy rains stormwater and sewage from 14 south
suburbs and Chicago's South Side.
In some older suburbs and many city neighborhoods, storm and sanitary sewer
lines are not separated. After being collected at the new reservoir, the
contaminated water will be pumped to the MWRD's Calumet Water Reclamation Plant
near 130th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago.
To continue using the quarry for the smaller reservoir, the MWRD will pay
Hanson Material Service $750,000. The company continues to mine that section,
which is used to hold stormwater two or three times a year, Fitzpatrick said.
The larger reservoir is part of the MWRD's massive Tunnel and Reservoir Plan,
commonly known as the Deep Tunnel project, which was started in 1972 and is
expected to be completed in 2029. Another huge reservoir set for completion in
2017 in McCook will ultimately have a capacity of 10 billion gallons, with an
initial phase able to hold 3 billion gallons.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-quarry-reservoirs-st-0510-20150508-story.htmlml
"Thornton Quarry — the Grand Canyon of the south suburbs — will soon be
underwater," Sun Times
Posted: 05/10/2015, 05:44pm | Neil Steinberg
Thornton Quarry, the Grand Canyon of the south suburbs. | Neil
Steinberg/Sun-Times
When Brad Sutter was growing up nearby, of course he saw the Thornton Quarry.
You can hardly miss it.
"I’ve driven past here hundreds and hundred of times," said Sutter, of the
series of vast limestone pits flanking Interstate 80/94 just south of Chicago.
"As a child, you’re ‘Wow, it’s just so huge.’ In my mind it’s comparable to the
Grand Canyon, though I’ve never seen it."
So it was with great satisfaction that the 24-year-old’s first job for the
Walsh Group was Safety Engineer, making sure that everybody who descends into
the Grand Canyon of the Southern Suburbs comes back out again.
"Being able to go from seeing it my entire life, to work in it and make sure
people go home to their families, it’s extremely rewarding," he said.
So you need a hard hat — rocks tumble — and an M20 oxygen rescue pack, since
there are massive tunnels to venture into. And neon yellow vests, to help
prevent being driven over by heavy equipment. And the right boots, which nobody
had mentioned beforehand. It didn’t matter that his guests included Mariyana T.
Spyropoulos, president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago and Adel Awad, senior civil engineer for the MWRD, which for the past
two years has been turning the north lobe of the Thornton Quarry into the
Thornton Composite Reservoir. Sutter had us cool our heels until the proper
footgear was sent down from the front office.
Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District, and Adel Awad, senior civil engineer | Neil Steinberg/Sun-Times
"Just doing my job," he said.
Not that I minded waiting at the bottom of this unimaginably huge manmade
basin, 2,000 feet across, 1,000 feet wide and 300 feet deep, which Hanson
Material Services created over the past several decades by removing 76 million
tons of limestone. Soon this tableau will be at least
partially hidden under billions of gallons of water that would otherwise wind
up in the basements of homes or in the Little Calumet River.
"This reservoir is going to protect 14 communities, about 500,000 people.
Hopefully, it can save about $40 million in damages to the communities,
annually," Spyropoulos said.
Just having a big pit is not enough, however. It isn’t just a matter of
hooking it up to the 109-mile Deep Tunnel network and turning a spigot. You have
to prep: About $400 million worth of construction was needed to create the
reservoir infrastructure. Limestone is porous, for instance, and the polluted
storm and waste water would leach back into the water table if the reservoir
weren’t sealed like a shower stall.
"The challenge here, you have to grout the four boundaries, to create a kind
of wall, a curtain," said Awad.
That was done by digging holes, hundreds of feet deep, every 20 feet or so
around the perimeter and filling them with grout.
How much grout?
"A lot," said Awad. Think a tube 6 inches wide and 150 miles long. "That
spreads and forms a barrier."
Controlling the force of the incoming water is another challenge. Inside the
intake tunnel will be four enormous steel gates, two feet thick, costing $7
million each, moving on bearings the size of garbage-can lids. The 30-foot-wide
intake tunnel is divided into two channels, to reduce the water’s force, and
outside there is what amounts to a blast plate, designed to deflect the force of
the flow and keep it from chewing up the reservoir bottom.
"During a storm, when the flow come through the tunnel, it’s
huge force," said Awad. "You need the
structure to be stable. This concrete slab will be 6-feet thick; it will diffuse
the energy."
The water will only be held temporarily at the reservoir; it’ll flow by
gravity to the Calumet Treatment Plant. Last year, the MWRD extracted 200,000
tons of what it tastefully calls "biosolids" — fertilizer that ends up on park
district golf courses and athletic fields.
Back at the office, since one doesn’t often get the chance, I phoned Hanson
Materials to ask about gravel.
Thornton Quarry | Neil Steinberg/Sun-Times
"Our biggest customers are concrete and asphalt producers," said Bob Sapp,
the quarry’s plant superintendent, who has worked there 27 years. "We’re
continuing to mine it, and have many years of reserves left."
I wondered what is the most interesting part of mining gravel.
"What we’re mining is 420 million years old," he said. "This used to be an
old coral reef. We find fossils of sea life."
You can see the layers of rock formed over the millennia. For now.
"We’re hoping that this summer that we’re going to get water in here,"
Spyropoulos said.
Until the water starts flowing, however, the MWRD is taking groups to see the
dry reservoir. Various delegations from neighboring communities have visited,
and Spyropoulos said that if interested groups contact her office, it will
arrange a tour. I carefully explained, several times, that if you put a thing
like that in the paper, people will actually do it. But she insisted that’s OK.
So for next month or so, now’s your chance. Because it’ll be under water a long,
long time. Though if you do go, a word of advice: Bring sturdy boots. Because
Brad Sutter won’t let you in otherwise.
To schedule a tour, contact the MWRD Office of Public Affairs at
tours@mwrd.org or phone 312-751-6633.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/neil-steinberg/7/71/588906/thornton-quarry-grand-canyon-south-suburbs-will-soon-underwater
"Thornton Reservoir Update,"
WLS-AM Radio 780
Summary: Supervising Civil Engineer Kevin Fitzpatrick was the guest of Big
John Howell during a live WLS-AM 780 radio interview at 8:45am this morning.
"Village to kick off stormwater management plan,"
Chicago Tribune
Summary: The village of Harwood Heights is starting a pilot program that will
be used to create a master stormwater management plan with the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District in an effort to reduce flooding in the community. The
village will be sending out surveys to residents during May, and the survey will
also be posted on HarwoodHeights.org on May 15. "The [information-gathering
period] is going to be a year-long process that will include public meetings,"
Mayor Arlene Jezierny said. "This is one of the first steps [in the storm water
management plan] that is going to be required of all of us."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/norridge/news/ct-nhh-board-briefs-tl-0514-20150511-story.html
"American Water Participates in Infrastructure Week,"
MarketWatch
Summary: After working around the clock for more than 100 years, the nation’s
water and wastewater infrastructure is aging and failing. In the U.S. today, a
water main breaks every two minutes, and the American Society of Civil Engineers
estimates that $4.8 trillion needs to be invested in water infrastructure over
the next 20 years to maintain a state of good repair. This week is
"Infrastructure Week 2015" which provides the industry with an opportunity to
shine a spotlight on the nation’s critical need for investment in its water and
wastewater systems and the remarkable ways in which water providers and
water-reliant businesses are rising to the challenge and creating innovative
solutions to help solve America’s infrastructure crisis. This is a chance for
people to become more educated about the issues and the myriad ways water
utility providers are working to ensure the quality water services Americans
rely on for their homes and businesses and the continued health of our nation’s
economy. During Infrastructure Week 2015, more than 80 organizations, including
the MWRD, are set to host or participate in dozens of events. Participants in
Infrastructure Week events will range from Vice President Biden and cabinet
secretaries to local city council members, academics, utility groups and private
sector partners, all coming together to raise awareness about the state of
infrastructure in our country and highlight the need for investment. For more
information please visit http://infrastructureweek.org/ and follow the
conversation at #RebuildRenew on Twitter.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/american-water-participates-in-infrastructure-week-2015-05-11
"Infrastructure Week 2015: American Water actively participating in week's
events," WaterWorld
Full article text: American Water (AW), the nation's largest publicly traded
water and wastewater utility company, has officially announced that the company
will actively participate in Infrastructure Week 2015, taking place May 11-15.
To commemorate the week, AW will participate in events, interviews and social
media efforts. Further, Aldie Warnock, senior vice president of External
Affairs, Communications and Public Policy, will also participate with other
industry leaders in a panel discussion, "What's the Value of Water? The
Pennsylvania Story," on Thursday, May 14, at WHYY Studios in Philadelphia, Pa.
The session will focus on the state of water infrastructure, water resources and
innovative investments in Philadelphia's and other water systems across the
Keystone State and how water infrastructure in this region compares to projects
and strategies in other regions across the country. In addition, ASW's
public-private partnership with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago is also being featured in the Value of Water's (VOW) New
Briefing Paper, "The New Wave of Water Innovation." VOW released the briefing
paper on Monday, May 11, which spotlights innovative solutions to the nation's
growing water challenges. As a member of the Value of Water Coalition, AW will
also be sharing the organization's activities and initiatives through social
media channels and its weekly "Dr. Water" blog by Mark LeChevallier, director of
Innovation and Environmental Stewardship. Infrastructure Week provides the
industry with an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the nation's critical need for investment in its water
and wastewater systems and the remarkable ways in which water providers and
water-reliant businesses are rising to the challenge and creating innovative
solutions to help solve America's infrastructure crisis.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/05/american-water-participates-in-infrastructure-week.html
"Seen from SkyCam: Quarries that help make our roads,"
ABC7
Summary: MWRD’s McCook Reservoir is featured in a report about the mining
operations needed to extract stone to build expressways. Traffic reporter Sarah
Jindra visited the quarry and spoke with Vulcan Materials Company and MWRD’s
Carmen Scalise, principal civil engineer, to learn more about what’s happening
down below.
http://wgntv.com/2015/05/13/seen-from-skycam-quarries-that-help-make-our-roads/s/
"Value of water coalition highlights innovative programs,"
Environmental Protection Magazine
Summary: The Value of Water Coalition has issued a briefing paper titled "The
New Wave of Water Innovation" to highlight creative programs by agencies around
the country that are solving problems of scarcity and supply, pollution, and
stormwater capture. "Around the country, water agencies, business leaders, and
communities are meeting the [water infrastructure] challenge and implementing
ingenious and creative solutions," the paper states. "Water utilities do more
than provide an essential 24/7 service--they also serve as economic anchors,
environmental stewards, and good community partners." The Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, which has contracted with Black &
Veatch and Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies to design and build a nutrient
recovery system at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant and also has partnered
with Illinois American Water, the largest investor-owned water utility in
Illinois, to reclaim an distribute wastewater to large water users.
http://eponline.com/articles/2015/05/12/value-of-water-coalition-highlights-innovative-programs.aspxpx
"A new Plan of Chicago: Progress, prognosis and you; What progress is being
made on the new Plan of Chicago?,"
Chicago Tribune
"Editorial: Exploiting Chicago's greatest resource: In October 2013, the
Tribune set out to examine the intertwined crises Chicago faces on its streets,
in its schools, in its neighborhoods. They said: The quality of life in Chicago
— its future — depends on innovative, cost-effective solutions to tenacious
problems plaguing too many neighborhoods. Their "Our Plan of Chicago" series
sought to build on the groundbreaking work of famed civic architect Daniel
Burnham. His 1909 Chicago plan set the stage for a century of staggering growth.
But he failed to deliver a follow-up plan to solve Chicago's formidable social
problems. Readers from across the region flooded the Tribune with thousands of
ideas, big and small. They culled 12 and issued a Call to Action last September.
What happened? On many fronts, there has been progress. But some of these ideas
have yet to soar. One such proposal was from the MWRD: Create jobs and major
economic development by harnessing the region's abundance of water. Start by
establishing a water-intensive industrial park around a major wastewater
treatment facility that pumps out millions of gallons of treated water. There
has been progress since October 2013, the MWRD has teamed with Illinois American
Water to sell treated wastewater to industries in the area around the district's
Calumet treatment plant at 130th Street and Torrence Avenue.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/plan/ct-plan-chicago-update-emanuel-education-edit-0517-bd-20150515-story.html#page=1
"Thinking big about sewage,"
WTTW
Summary: Reporter Jay Shefsky toured the Thornton Reservoir which comes
online later this year.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/05/19/thinking-big-about-sewage
Work to begin on Evanston's first sustainable parking lot,"
Pioneer Press
Full article text: Work is to begin Tuesday, May 26, on the city's project to
transform the asphalt parking lot behind the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center
into the first city-owned sustainable lot, complete with rain gardens and native
plantings to reduce water runoffs. To make the parking lot sustainable, planned
improvements include porous concrete sidewalk, porous asphalt and paver block
paving stalls. The design uses the natural slope of the site to intercept flow
from the conventionally paved portions, officials said. Stormwater not absorbed
will then overflow along curb openings to the rain gardens on the north side of
the park, according to officials. The city's Public Works Department is
scheduled to begin work on the project to rehabilitate the lot, located at 2100
Ridge Ave., behind the Civic Center that serves as the site for most city
meetings. A grant from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District will cover
nearly half of the project's $1.5 million cost, officials said, and is intended
for projects that provide significant improvement to stormwater management and
use sustainable construction methods, officials said. In addition to the
rehabilitation of the existing parking lot, a new access drive will be
constructed on the south side of the Civic Center, connecting the main parking
lot with Simpson Street. This access drive will be lined with 20 parking spaces
and will include low-level pedestrian lighting, two electric vehicle charging
stations and secure bike lockers, officials said. The project will also include
replacement of the Civic Center's rear entrance sidewalk, officials said. The
project calls for work to be completed in four phases, with each phase lasting
three to four weeks. Phase 1 construction will take place on the southernmost
parking bay. All work is expected to be completed by late September 2015.
Meanwhile, the parking lot will continue to be accessible throughout the
project; however, about 50 parking spaces will be displaced at all times,
officials said. To better accommodate the parking needs of Civic Center
visitors, designated staff and city vehicles will be required to park at the
Service Center, at 2020 Asbury Ave. Community members are asked to use caution
when entering or exiting the parking lot.
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#/#
"Community Briefs," Beverly
Review
Full article text: The 19th Ward Environmental Committee, Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and 19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea have
partnered to offer all residents of Beverly, Mt. Greenwood and Morgan Park free
rain barrels. Rain barrels are a way to conserve water, reduce the likelihood of
basement flooding and enhance a lawn or garden. To have a free rain barrel
delivered to a home, visit the19thward.com. Delivery will take approximately 30
to 45 days from the initial date of request.
http://www.beverlyreview.net/news/community_news/article_b8de9980-fe46-11e4-bb84-eb96ccd341fa.html
"New program offers free rain barrels,"
Village of Oak Park
Summary: More than 350 rain barrels have been distributed to nearly 200 Oak
Park households so far this year as part of a new partnership between the
Village and the MWRD. Eligible households can apply online to receive up to four
barrels per residence. Some estimates put the amount of impervious surface in
Cook County at more than 40 percent. Rain barrels are a cornerstone of the
MWRD's regional stormwater mitigation strategy, as they can divert many hundreds
of gallons of rainwater that would otherwise end up in the sewer system. Barrels
allow backyard gardeners and eco-conscious homeowners to capture and store the
fresh, abundant rainwater that falls on Oak Park each year. The barrels are made
of recycled material and provided free of charge to qualifying households.
http://www.oak-park.us/news/new-program-offers-free-rain-barrelsls
"Work To Begin Soon on Morton Civic Center Parking Lot,"
Evanston Patch
Full article text: On Tuesday, May 26, the City of Evanston’s Public Works
Department will begin a project to rehabilitate the Morton Civic Center parking
lot, located at 2100 Ridge Ave. The project consists of constructing Evanston’s first City-owned sustainable
public parking lot, using various permeable pavements, rain gardens and native
plantings to substantially reduce storm water run-off. The project will feature
three different porous pavement materials—asphalt, pavers and concrete—which
will allow City staff to evaluate the performance of storm water infiltration
and material durability over time. In addition, staff will also assess the
impact of snow and ice removal operations. A Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District grant will cover nearly half of the project’s $1.5 million cost, and is
intended for projects that provide a significant storm water improvement and use
sustainable construction methods. In addition to the rehabilitation of the
existing parking lot, a new access drive will be constructed on the south side
of the Civic Center, connecting the main parking lot with Simpson St. This
access drive will be lined with 20 parking spaces and will include low-level
pedestrian lighting, two electric vehicle charging stations, and secure bike
lockers. The project will also include replacement of the Civic Center’s rear
entrance sidewalk. Work will be completed in four phases, with each phase
lasting three to four weeks. Phase 1 construction will take place on the
southernmost parking bay. All work is expected to be completed by late September
2015. The parking lot will continue to be accessible throughout the project;
however, approximately 50 parking spaces will be displaced at all times. In
order to better accommodate the parking needs of Civic Center visitors,
designated staff and City vehicles will be required to park at the Service
Center. Community members are asked to use caution when entering or exiting the
parking lot. Work will be performed in four phases beginning at the end of May.
https://patch.com/illinois/evanston/work-begin-soon-morton-civic-center-parking-lot-0
"Summer tours offer glimpse of environmental areas,"
Northwest Indiana Times
Summary: The Southeast Environmental Task Force is hosting a variety of tours
of interesting regional sites this summer, including the MWRD's Thornton
Reservoir.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/columnists/jennifer-pallay/summer-tours-offer-glimpse-of-environmental-areas/article_8340a9bb-edfe-5ca1-84e5-c89677db7c60.html#utm_source=nwitimes&utm_campaign=index-list-2&utm_medium=direct
"Wheeling park's "wow" factor after $33.5 million project,"
Daily Herald
Full article text: The construction fencing was still up, the asphalt was
still wet and the new sod was still taking root during a recent visit, but
Heritage Park in Wheeling finally will open June 7 after a $33.5 million project
decades in the making. Most of the 100-acre Wheeling Park District site shut
down for two years for the two-pronged project -- bringing both a major
renovation and flooding relief for Des Plaines River towns.
"For this to all come together is a huge benefit not only for the flood
control, but also the recreational benefits," parks Executive Director Jan Buchs
said during a tour for the Daily Herald ahead of the public unveiling.
Crews this week will continue to put the last touches on the park, which used
to have some paths, open space and athletic fields -- "nowhere near what it is
today," Buchs said.
Today, it boasts a sports complex and concession stand; a Ravinia-style,
outdoor performance pavilion; walking trails; picturesque, stone seating along a
bigger lake; more conveniently located parking; and a new entrance off Wolf
Road.
"It's a huge wow factor," Buchs said.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago paid for the
lion's share of the work, while the park district kicked in about $3.5 million.
"Independently, we could never have provided this type of park," Buchs said.
Athletes already have been using the sports complex's four athletic fields,
circling around the concession stand, since last year. All have artificial
surfaces and are playable in the rain. Three of the four are geared toward
baseball and soccer, with the fourth and largest geared toward multiple sports.
Nearby are grass fields for soccer, opening June 7. To the west of the complex
is a new band shell, where a summer concert series and movie screenings will
begin June 10 and 19, respectively. Spectators are encouraged to park their lawn
chairs and picnic baskets on a sloped, grassy lawn overlooking Heritage Lake.
"We wanted something unique that you u don't see in a lot of community parks,"
Superintendent of Planning Larry Raffel said.
The lake was expanded to a surface area of 100 acres to provide additional
stormwater retention. But the major sources of "dramatic" flooding relief for
communities downstream on the Des Plaines River -- Des Plaines, Mount Prospect
and Prospect Heights -- are large basins that retain and systematically release
water in the event of major storms, Raffel said.
After a plan to build a Lake County reservoir fell apart, engineers eyed
Heritage Park to store water that overflows the banks of Buffalo Creek, a
tributary to the river, and to offset water displaced by a completed Levy 37,
which blocks water from flowing into residential neighborhoods in Mount Prospect
and Prospect Heights. The six basins at Heritage Park are capable of holding 49
million gallons of stormwater.
While initial plans called for building tennis courts, Buchs said that part
of the proposal has been dropped and a second phase of construction will likely
add basketball courts and a playground. The park district, Buchs said, is in the
midst of planning and seeking feedback from users about other possible features.
With an aquatic and fitness center located nearby, the idea is to cater to
residents" recreational interests on one campus. "It's a great destination here
in Wheeling," she said.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150526/news/150529107/#/#
"Chicago is hoping to retire the word ‘waste,’"
New City
Full article text: When it comes to managing city sewage, Chicago is hoping
to redefine the word waste. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago’s new five-year strategic plan expands on the work the agency
has been doing on everything from flood mitigation to infrastructure
maintenance, and focuses on making wastewater management more productive.
"The vision statement is ‘Recovering Resources, Transforming Water.’ There
are four resources the District is targeting in the plan," David St. Pierre,
executive director, says. The four resources are phosphorus, class A biosolids,
energy and water. "These four valuable resources are our current recoverable
targets. We anticipate algae coming into view in the near future."
In essence, the District aims to "harvest" useful nutrients (or, "resources")
during wastewater processing — and put them to good use. The District is
building the largest phosphorus recovery facility in the world at the Stickney
Water Reclamation Plant, which will be ready to go by this September. Nutrients,
such as phosphorus, are otherwise discarded during treatment. Instead St. Pierre
says the new approach will recover tons of eco-friendly fertilizer. A
Vancouver-based company called Ostara has partnered with the District, and
according to its website, what comes out is "a high-grade, slow-release
end-product that Ostara harvests, dries, packages and markets as a commercial
fertilizer."
"This technology will transform these nutrients into an environmentally
responsible fertilizer," St. Pierre said in a press release when the plant was
first announced. "It will recover a nonrenewable resource, improve our water
environment and provide a return on investment for our ratepayers. It is
definitely a win-win-win."
Some other plants use this technology, but St. Pierre says that Chicago’s
will be the biggest. All of this, he says, is moving Chicago in the direction of
a zero waste model. "Chicago is adopting the view that all resources are
valuable and should be reused," St. Pierre says. "We are trying to create a
paradigm where the word ‘waste’ is retired from the common vocabulary."
Facing the effects of climate change, such as flooding and rising sea levels,
many cities are looking for ways to revamp with resilient infrastructure. While
Chicago might not come to mind as easily as the likes of New York, the Midwest
city is in preparation mode. As WBEZ reported last year, Chicago could even be a
future refuge:
As University of Chicago Law Professor David Weisbach said, however, the
Chicago area might be well-positioned to handle newcomers and other unforeseen
impacts.
"We have a temperate environment. We have a highly diversified economy — it’s
not dependent on any one sector. We have a stable fresh water supply," Weisbach
said. "If you think about what the effects of climate change will be in Chicago,
it’s going to be the knock-on effects. We’re connected to the rest of the world,
and what matters to the rest of the world matters to us. That will affect us
potentially very, very deeply."
http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/chicago-wastewater-management-water-treatment
<"MWRD to replace Egan WRP parking lot with green infrastructure,"
WaterWorld
Full article text: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago (MWRD) is planning to upgrade a parking lot at its Egan Water
Reclamation Plant in Schaumburg with green infrastructure that will not only
provide an expanded space for vehicles when completed but offer many benefits
for water as well. The 44-year-old parking lot, in poor condition due to
increased level of maintenance costs, will be replaced with new permeable
pavement that will provide several green benefits, including improved water
quality, groundwater recharge and delayed discharge of stormwater to the
receiving waterway. The new design will also contribute toward compliance with
the green infrastructure program requirements of the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System Permits Consent Decree.
"As an agency that cares about the environment, it's important that we are
not just talking about protecting our resources and managing stormwater, but
also walking the walk," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "This parking
lot replacement represents a new direction we are heading in for all of our
parking lots and facilities that are in need of repair. We aspire to continue to
set new standards in terms of green infrastructure and become a model agency."
The project will consist of a permeable pavement parking lot, concrete
driveways and walkways, installation of a bioretention basin, trees and
landscaping, installation of an underdrain system, sewers and drainage
structures, and installation of direct-bury conduits and parking lot lighting.
As a result of the project, an estimated 13 jobs will be created or sustained
with an estimated 5,065 man-hours of skilled trades utilized. Work is scheduled
to be advertised this summer and completed by the end of 2016.
See also:
"MWRD
installs new green roof at Racine Avenue Pumping Station"
"MWRD
to add 4.6B gallons of storage capacity for combined sewage, stormwater"
###
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/05/parking-lot-replacement-provides-green-benefits-at-mwrd-s-egan-wrp.html
"Rolling out the barrels,"
Daily Southtown
First of 1,700 free rain barrels are delivered to Chicago's 19th Ward in MWRD
program to deter flooding
Tom McCormack, of Upcycle Products, delivers one of three rain barrels to the
home of 19th Ward resident Caroll Vaughn on Thursday. Ald. Matt O'Shea, left,
hopes more residents take part in the free program that aims to deter flooding.
(Steve Metsch, Daily Southtown)
It has been 15 years since Caroll Vaughn's house had water in the basement,
and the resident of Chicago's Beverly community is not eager for an encore. So
when the office of Chicago Ald. Matt O'Shea offered free rain barrels, a $61
value for each, Vaughn jumped at the chance as a way to help prevent her house
from being flooded and to get free water for the plants and flowers in her
garden on Vanderpoel Avenue.
Vaughn, a retired Chicago police officer, on Thursday received three of the
55-gallon barrels, the first 19th Ward resident to do so through a program of
the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, which is giving away 15,000 rain
barrels until all are gone.
MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos and O'Shea, 19th Ward, were on hand when
Tom McCormack, of Minooka-based Upcycle Products, delivered the three plastic
barrels to Vaughn's house. Spyropoulos said the 19th Ward is at the forefront of
the program, with its residents ordering about 1,700 barrels, the most of any
community in Chicago. More than 900 were ordered during the first 72 hours of
availability, O'Shea said.
The barrels are a way to "conserve water and a way to make a dent (in the
amount of) water going into the (sewer) system," Spyropoulos said. "... Any
request we get through any community in (Cook County), we're happy to work with
them — garden clubs, community clubs, block clubs. If you get 50 percent of a
community on board, that can make a dent."
O'Shea hopes that widespread use of the barrels will mean fewer flooded
basements after big storms.
"In the four years I've been alderman, we've had four 100-year storms," he
said. "Two were within days of each other. (In) 2011, 2012, Mariyana and I were
on speed dial, looking for answers, looking for solutions. … (We had) 1,500
basements (in the ward) flooded. That's a problem. This will help mitigate it.
"If one house on a block installs three or four rain barrels (there is a)
minimal effect," he said. "But if you get a group of neighbors or a civic
association all buying in, participating, installing, you can severely reduce
the amount of water going into our sewer system that is 100-some years old like
a lot of our houses." ;
Counting streets, parking lots, playgrounds and sidewalks, "about 40 percent
of Cook County is now impermeable, so that means there's more water that's
competing to get into local sewer systems. So the rain barrels and other green
infrastructure can help capture that water," Spyropoulos said.
Vaughn, 65, a member of the Morgan Park/Beverly Hills Garden Club, was
thrilled to have the three barrels, saying she plans to use the rainwater they
collect for her garden.
"I've been gardening for many years, and I want to have healthy plants. But
most of all I can catch the fresh rainwater, and it doesn't have to drain into
the (storm) sewer or my basement," she said.
Each barrel has mesh over the top, designed to prevent it from becoming a
breeding ground for mosquitoes, McCormack said, and there are valves near the
bottom of each barrel to drain them. "Most people put them up on blocks so
it's
easier to drain the water," he said.
And you can connect the barrels to move water from one that may be nearly
overflowing into another, McCormack said, adding that the barrels fill quickly
in a heavy downpour.
"It doesn't take long, not at all. Maybe an hour. But you can connect one
barrel to another to control it. I have two at my house," McCormack, of
Channahon, said. "You do have to give it attention. It's not like you put it
there and forget about it."
Southland communities participating in the e MWRD rain barrel program include
Alsip, Blue Island, Calumet City, Chicago Ridge, Crestwood, and Midlothian. Call
(312) 751-6626 for more information. The barrels come in four colors — terra
cotta, black, blue and gray — but can be painted another color if desired,
according to the MWRD website.
Chicago Ald. Matt O'Shea, 19th Ward, right, and Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District President Mariyana Spyropoulos discuss a free program that
so far this year has distributed at least 1,700 rain barrels in the ward to help
prevent flooding.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-rain-barrels-st-0529-20150528-story.html
"Rain barrels a big hit on southeast side as residents seek flood relief,"
DNA Info
BEVERLY — Matt O'Shea saw no less than four 100-year floods in his first term
as 19th Ward alderman. In those four years, the worst rains came in 2011 and
2012. Basements that had never seen a drop of water before filled up with a
grayish mixture of sewage and stormwater, O'Shea said.
His office teamed with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District two weeks
ago to combat the problem. Their solution arrived in the form of free rain
barrels on Thursday afternoon.
"We are using [rain barrels] not only to conserve water but to make a dent in
the amount of water going into the system," said MWRD President Mariyana
Spyropoulos.
The water reclamation district provides the barrels free of charge, provided
homeowners agree to disconnect their downspouts from the sewers. O'Shea's office
set up a system for requesting the 55-gallon containers and invited constituents
to submit online requests.
Howard Ludwig says if enough people use barrels it'll make a difference:
To date, some 1,700 rain barrels have been requested for Beverly, Mount
Greenwood and Morgan Park. The online system will continue to take requests
until the 15,000 rain barrels purchased by the district are distributed.
"We haven't seen this type of interest by other community groups,"
Spyropoulos said. She added that 40 percent of Cook County consists of
impermeable surfaces — like roads, rooftops and sidewalks. This only adds to the
already overburdened sewer system. The rain barrels are a way to provide a bit
of relief and ultimately reduce the likelihood of basement flooding.
Carroll Vaughn of Beverly asked for three, terra cotta-colored rain barrels.
She's lived in her home at 9601 S. Vanderpoel Ave. for 35 years. Vaughn plans to
use the water collected in the barrels in her extensive backyard garden that's
home to many native plants. She disconnected her downspouts from the city sewers
15 years ago after experiencing flooding.
O'Shea wants more neighborhood residents to follow Vaughn's lead, thus
reducing the amount of water that bombards the system every time a storm comes
through.
"Having one home on the block with a rain barrel l doesn't make a dent. Ten
homes does," he said. "We want to lead the city in rain barrels."
Mary Duleba of Morgan Park began experiencing flooding on the northwest
corner of her home shortly after her neighbors replaced their driveway. Duleba
believes drainage improvements along with her new rain barrel will solve the
problem. She also plans to use the water to give the landscaping in the front
yard a drink.
"I'm going to plant flowers when I get my act together," she said.
Residents of Beverly, Mount Greenwood and Morgan Park can request a rain
barrel online at www.the19thward.com. Delivery is expected within 30 days of
making a request.
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150528/beverly/rain-barrels-big-hit-on-southeast-side-as-residents-seek-flood-relief
"New Thornton Quarry reservoir ‘like no place else’ in the world,"
Homewood Flossmoor Chronicle
Crews are making finishing touches to the Thornton Composite Reservoir, which
is expected to be ready to collect water this summer.
Tony Gaudery is a miner who works 300 feet underground – and a mile from
Homewood. Since 2011, he has shored up a 30-foot-high tunnel with steel, rebar
and concrete, preparing four slots for steel doors that will slide open one
morning in August, letting billions of gallons of stormwater and sewage flood
the north lobe of the Thornton Quarry.
What was under water 350 million years ago will be under water again this
summer when the Thornton Composite Reservoir opens. A 17-year project by the
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, it will be big
enough to prevent flooding in an area ranging from the south side of Chicago to
Homewood and Flossmoor.
Thornton Quarry, one of the oldest limestone mining sites in the country,
provides a glimpse into the area's geological history.
As a miner — that’s his title in the construction industry — Gaudry works
with concrete, steel and carpentry and prides himself on "being able to solve
problems and build things" in a below-ground world of ever-expanding tunnels.
Gaudry’s below-ground world, soon to be filled with water, presents a
dramatic sight to the casual visitor. However, viewing the Thornton Quarry is
equally dramatic.
All around the quarry’s north end, workers are putting the finishing touches
on the new reservoir, which will act as a storage basin for up to 7.9 billion
gallons of combined stormwater and sewage.
From above, the heavy machinery looks like a collection of toys so tiny, you
could sweep them all into one hand. But 350 feet below, on the quarry floor, the
cranes, trucks, bulldozers and other earthmoving equipment appear gigantic; they
are machines being used to build one of the world’s biggest reservoirs. Looking
up the limestone walls of the eons-old quarry, you have a good idea of your own
positively miniature size.
John Lemon, principal civil engineer for the MWRD, pointed to the quarry’s
north lobe and offered statistics. The reservoir area is one-half mile long by
one-quarter mile wide by 350 feet deep.
"There is no place like it in the world," he said.
John Lemon, principal civil engineer for the MWRD, helps area residents
understand the history and characteristics of Thornton Quarry.
In part, that’s because the reservoir will be so enormous. But the rest of
the story is hidden beneath the ground. The quarry reservoir will be linked to a
system of 30-foot tunnels — also carved into the rock and more than 300 feet
beneath the surface — that will be connected to an MWRD treatment plant at 130th
Street in Chicago.
The Thornton Quarry is literally in the H-F area’s backyard. It is located
just east of big box stores along Halsted Street in Homewood. A second water
storage facility on quarry property — the Thornton Transitional Reservoir,
completed in 2003 — is only a few blocks away from the Homewood border. Homewood
and Flossmoor are both served by MWRD.
Lemon said the Thornton Quarry is one of the oldest limestone mining
operations in the country, with quarrying starting in the 1830s. But the quarry
site is, of course, much older than that. Many millions of years ago, it was
probably a reef in an ancient tropical ocean. Fossils found in the quarry show
the long-ago existence of marine animals with shells, sponges and some
trilobites. Lemon said geologists have been studying the quarry area for
generations.
Area residents may feel closest to the quarry when they drive over the
Interstate 80/294 bridge that separates the north lobe from the main pit area.
At the bottom of the quarry, you can see cars on the interstate. But you also
notice that, just below the bridge construction crews built a concrete dam
separating the two sections of the quarry and designed to prevent reservoir
water from flooding into the main pit. The dam is
120 feet high and was built on rock 200 feet above the quarry floor. It is,
Lemon says, one of the biggest dams in Illinois.
The new Thornton reservoir is part of MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, or
TARP, which was first initiated in 1975. TARP, well known as the "Deep Tunnel"
system, provides a series of large diameter tunnels and large reservoirs
designed to reduce flooding and improve water quality in rivers and streams.
Lemon said the new reservoir is expected to be operational this August but
that MWRD engineers won’t know how well it works until the first major rainstorm
hits the area. He speculated that a rainfall of three or four inches in a short
period of time may nearly fill the quarry reservoir to the top.
On the quarry floor, workers are building a huge concrete splash pad at the
tunnel entrance. Lemon pointed to a 33-foot- high opening on the quarry’s east
wall. That’s where water will enter the reservoir from the tunnel system.
Underground, and less than a quarter-mile away, two huge gates will regulate the
flow of water from the tunnels to the reservoir. The iron gates are nearly 25
feet high and two feet thick.
During heavy rains, stormwater and sewage will be pumped to the new
reservoir. After the storm, water will be sent back through the tunnel to the
130th Street treatment plant, where it will be processed and returned to
waterways flowing toward the Mississippi River.
Lemon said local residents were concerned that the water flowing into the
reservoir would produce unpleasant odors, so MWRD has installed seven
solar-powered aerators to freshen water in the quarry.
Lemon said MWRD started working on engineering plans for the Thornton tunnel
system in the 1980s. Work on the Thornton Composite Reservoir began in earnest
in 1998, when MWRD reached an agreement with Hanson Material Service, the quarry
operator, to use the north lobe for a reservoir.
Construction began after Hanson Material Service completed mining in the
north lobe; he said about 58 million tons of stone were removed after the
company signed its agreement with MWRD. Lemon said Hanson Material Service still
reserves the right to mine for limestone underneath the reservoir.
Trucks can be seen traveling on Interstate 80/294 above the dam that will
keep reservoir waters from spilling into the rest of the quarry.
|
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April 2015 |
| |
“Abandoned lot in West Rogers Park may soon get renovations,” Chicago Tribune
Full article text: The slab of concrete sits at the end of miles of otherwise well-kept parks along the North Shore Channel. Untouched for at least a decade, the empty parking lot is filled with graffiti and broken glass and has become a magnet for crime. Long-patient West Rogers Park residents hope that may change soon.
David St. Pierre, executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, met with more than 100 members of the community last month to hear their ideas about turning the space at West Devon Avenue and McCormick Boulevard into a park or green space. The reclamation district owns the lot.
The Jewish Community Council of West Rogers Park has led efforts to upgrade the area, and its yearlong push for meetings with officials may have finally paid off.
"That parking lot is really in many ways a gateway to many neighborhoods," said Shalom Klein, executive director of the community council. "Especially Rogers Park, Lincolnwood, Peterson Park, as well as cultures and people that live in that area."
St. Pierre estimated it would cost $200,000 to $300,000 to tear down the parking lot, install turf and repurpose the area, but he said the district
doesn't have a final estimate for the project yet. St. Pierre said he plans to bring a proposal to the
district's board of commissioners at its next meeting April 9. If the board approves the plan, he said he hopes the project could begin "as soon as possible."
At one end of the property sits an abandoned movie theater and car wash. Howard Rieger, president of the community council, said the two buildings
aren't owned by the reclamation district and therefore cannot be included in the renovation plans for the empty lot. The two buildings are under the jurisdiction of the 50th Ward.
Ald. Debra Silverstein, 50th, said last week that any changes to the current structures are in the "early stages." She had no further comment.
Klein said members of the community council and neighborhood residents hope to remain involved in developing plans for the lot, something St. Pierre said he would also like to happen once the project is funded.
Although Klein mentioned one idea of turning the space into a public park, he and St. Pierre said future conversations would determine how the space could best serve the neighborhood.
Klein called the initiatives over the past year a "strong community effort."
"We really want to represent the community that hasn't had the opportunity to enjoy that property for close to 10 years," he said.
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#/#
“April Basement Flooding Series Part I & II - RSVP Today!,” Historic Chicago Bungalow Association
Summary: The public is invited to learn the basics of understanding your sewer with the
MWRD's President Mariyana Spyropoulos and Executive Director David St. Pierre on April 13 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Austin-Irving Library, 6100 W Irving Park Rd., and on April 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Avalon Library, 8148 S Stony Island Ave.
http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=6ruc9afab&m=1104907686461&ea=allison.fore%40mwrd.org&a=1120598281227
“Who's Buying Glenview's Flood Plain?,” Daily North Shore
Full article text: Torrential rainwater will no longer be a concern for 17 Glenview homeowners who have opted to participate in a voluntary buyout of their flood-prone residences. Eighteen total homes were eligible in the program that was first introduced in November and gave owners until March 31 to make a decision.
It is a joint cooperation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and administered through the village’s office. Its mission is to prevent further damage and financial impact to a vulnerable flood plain that sits on the north branch of the Chicago River. The area includes lower Pine Street and the south circles of the village such as Raleigh and Longvalley roads that have been ravished by flood damage, most recently in two back-to-back occasions in 2013.
Under the plan guidelines, federal funding will buy the homes, which will then be demolished and turned into green space where the river can continue to flood without repercussion. With only one holdout, the program was a considerable success and comes a relief to federal and local officials.
“There was no other cost effective solution for this area,” said Joe Kenney, director of community development for Glenview, pointing to a study MWRD started more than five years ago to analyze area waterways and their impact on regional flooding. “There are 20 square miles of Glenview that is all tributary to the river and it flows through Glenview during these big rains, which puts the roads and homes under water. So it was determined that returning this area to open space was the best way to solve this local flooding problem.
After MWRD completed its study, the village of Glenview applied for FEMA funding, which provided $3 million, and MWRD contributed the rest of the support that ended up totaling $11 million. The village did not provide funding. The amount each house received was different and relevant to appraisals, said Kenney. “Each house went through two different appraisals and received an average of the two figures,” he said.
The process works like any other home closing with walk throughs and a final vacation date upon which the village will start to demo the area 90 days thereafter with full completion of the project on track for November. Though the homeowners were not officially surveyed about their imminent plans, Kenney said some are planning to stay in Glenview while others have expressed interest in buying property elsewhere.
Kenney said this is considered a one-time program that will not be repeated nor is it aligned with any other village initiative such as the Storm Water Area Management Plan (SWAMP).
Local flooding will still be a priority for Glenview, and we will still come up with plans at the village level to deal with it,” he said.
http://dailynorthshore.com/2015/04/05/responses-pour-in-for-glenview-flood-buyout-program/
“Albany Park tunnel work set for summer, will flood hit before it's done?,” DNA Info
Full article text: ALBANY PARK — The good news for residents of Albany Park and North Park: Work on a stormwater diversion tunnel is set to begin this summer, aimed at keeping the Chicago River contained in its banks and out of
people's homes during floods. The bad news: The tunnel won't be complete until 2017. Details of the tunnel, until now presented to residents as largely conceptual, were shared at a pair of community meetings held last week.
"I think the project sounds like a really great engineering solution," said Shylo Bisnett of Albany Park Neighbors. At the same time, she expressed a number of concerns: "One is how emergency management can be improved while the tunnel is being constructed," particularly if Mother Nature strikes with yet another so-called "100-year" flood before the tunnel is operational, Bisnett said.
With Ald. Margaret Laurino (39th) and representatives from the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District on hand for the presentation, residents took the opportunity to air their frustration with the
city's response to previous floods in 2008 and 2013. In 2008, sand arrived on the scene, but no bags to put it in, neighbors said. In 2013, residents said the city had plenty of warning of the April 18 flood that saw some neighbors evacuated from their homes by boat. Weather forecasts the night before predicted a deluge of rain and a river crest over flood stage, but the city
didn't dispatch resources until the morning of the 18th, when water had already breached the
river's banks.
"Your point ... is well taken," " Laurino said. "There's always room for improvement." Her office, she said, meets with police, fire, the Park District, the transportation and water departments and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications to "make sure
we've checked off all those boxes." Though long-time residents of the area recalled major floods as far back as the 1950s, the issue has become more serious in recent years, with the Chicago River topping flood levels three times since 2008.
The problem stems from the fact that Albany Park and North Park are part of a 112-square-mile watershed and "we're at the low spot," according to Vasile Jurca, civil engineer and project manager for the department of transportation. Over the years, the city explored various flood solutions, including a much-rumored wall along the river that would have displaced a number of homeowners and also would have relied on residents to manually close access "gates" along the wall, Jurca said. The tunnel, announced in 2013, is a passive system that makes use of gravity to divert stormwater from the river, moving it downstream to an outlet shaft that spits the water into the North Shore Channel. The city is about to solicit bids on the project and is in the process of obtaining necessary permits, with construction likely starting near the end of summer, Jurca said.
"This is a done deal," Dan Burke, chief engineer for the transportation department, said in response to community skepticism. "There's been a very public commitment. This project is going to be taken through to completion."
What to Expect During Construction
Though the tunnel, 18 feet in diameter, will run for a mile nearly parallel to Foster Avenue, construction will have very little, if any, impact on traffic.
That's because most of the work will occur 150 feet underground, through use of a tunnel boring machine that will chew through 50-75 feet of rock a day. The most visible elements will be sat the
tunnel's inlet and outlet shafts.
The inlet, where water will enter the tunnel, will be built on unimproved Park District land on the north side of Foster Avenue at approximately Springfield Avenue. It will be enclosed within an eight-foot-tall fence, itself eventually surrounded by landscaping. A
grate, with openings no wider than four inches, will cover the tunnel's entry point. "Nobody will fall through," Jurca said.
The outlet shaft will be built in River Park, just east of the North Shore Channel and south of Foster Avenue. Creating the 150-foot drop shafts will require blasting through rock, Jurca said. Sounds of the explosions will be as loud as fireworks and the vibration will be noticeable to neighbors, who will be warned in advance, he said.
How the Tunnel Will Work
During floods, when the river reaches a height greater than the inlet, water will fall into the shaft thanks to gravity. "There's no button you push to activate," Jurca said.
Water will then be split between the Chicago River and the tunnel, the latter of which will carry excess water away from residential and commercial areas straight to the North Shore Channel, where it's more easily absorbed. "A 100-year storm would not overbank the river," said Jurca. According to the city, the tunnel has enough capacity to handle a "500-year" flood. Once the danger of flooding has passed, any water remaining in the tunnel will be pumped out before it can become stagnant.
Follow-up Note: In the last sentence, the city said the statement "the tunnel has enough capacity to handle a "500-year" flood" is erroneous. They have asked for a clarification to read: "100 year flood and beyond. http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150406/albany-park/albany-park-tunnel-work-set-for-summer-will-flood-hit-before-its-done
“"With storms coming, Water Reclamation District asks residents to
minimize water use,” WBBM
Summary: MWRD Executive Director David St. Pierre was interviewed by WBBM radio and ABC7 Chicago TV about the current rain event.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/04/09/severe-thunderstorms-hail-tornadoes-possible-on-thursday/
“MWRD to host open house at Stickney Water Reclamation Plant,"” Water World
Summary: The MWRD will be hosting an open house and tours at the Stickney WRP on April 18.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/04/mwrd-to-host-open-house-at-stickney-water-reclamation-plant-april-18.html
“Chicago Weather: Thunderstorms possible Thursday; enhanced risk for hail,
damage,” WBBM
Summary: Officials from the MWRD asked residents to use less water during storms on Thursday. The water reclamation district provides flood protection for Cook County and adjusts the water levels in the Chicago Area Waterway System to allow more room for stormwater when it rains. By minimizing water use in their homes, residents help prevent the combined sewer system from overflowing.
http://abc7chicago.com/weather/chicago-weather-storms-hail-damaging-winds-possible/643711/
“City: Chicago River discoloration caused by rust and dirt, not sewage,” Chicago Tribune, Chicagoist, Slate Magazine, DNA Info
Summary: City officials said the rusty plume of the Chicago River east of the Michigan Avenue Bridge on Thursday was likely a mix of rust and dirt flushed into the river by a surge of storm runoff. The discoloration
wasn't caused by waste or raw sewage, according to Pete Scales, spokesman from the city's Department of Water Management. City inspectors surveyed the site, including a 96-inch wide old brick sewer structure—complete with metal gates—that catches excess rain water that the sewers can’t handle, he said. The rust and dirt from inside got washed into the river thanks to the heavy rainfall, he said. "With this
morning's heavy rain, the first significant downpour of the season, the plume was likely caused by some runoff from that rain outlet into the river," Scales said in an email. The city is working with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District "to analyze some water samples taken from the river to further determine the source of the rust-colored plume," Scales said. The MWRD determined that the discoloration did not appear to have originated from a city of Chicago combined sewer overflow point and that a potential source is from a storm sewer that discharges directly into the river; a rain event early in the year could potentially wash dirt and other materials from the streets into a separate storm sewer. MWRD’s Industrial Waste Division sampled the water and is running an analysis. The MWRD encouraged the public to report anything unusual in Chicago Area Waterways by contacting the hotline at 800-332-DUMP.
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#
http://chicagoist.com/2015/04/09/chicago_river_rust_sure_looks_like.php
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/04/09/chicago_river_brown_discoloration_is_gross.html
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150409/streeterville/whats-that-brown-stuff-leaking-into-chicago-river
“Green Tuesday Lecture Series Underway," Oak Park Patch
Summary: The annual Green Tuesdays public lecture series has returned to the Oak Park Public Library to take on a range of important environmental challenges and issues relevant to the community. Lectures are scheduled for 7 to 8:30 p.m., each Tuesday in April at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. Now in its 10th year, the program is sponsored by the Village’s Environment & Energy Commission. Call 708.358.5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us for more information. On April 28, the focus will be on stormwater management. Oak Park Village Engineer Bill McKenna will provide information on programs and practices to manage storm water and residential programs to help alleviate flooding in our community. MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos will give an overview of MWRD programs and initiatives to address regional storm water management concerns, including the new municipal rain barrel program. Attendees will have a chance to win a free rain barrel.
http://patch.com/illinois/oakpark/green-tuesday-lecture-series-underway
“Tour Wheeling's new Heritage Park April 25,”Journal Topics
Full article text: A causal yet informative guided walking tour of the Wheeling Park District's new and improved Heritage Park starts at noon Saturday, Apr. 25. The tour begins from the park
district's Community Recreation Center, adjacent to the park at 333 W. Dundee Rd. (between Wolf Road and Northgate Parkway). The tour will last about an
hour. Wheeling Park District Executive Director Jan Buchs, Superintendent of Planning Larry Raffel, park board members and staff will tour, answer questions and provide highlights of the nearly 100-acre site. New amenities to the $38 million renovation include: new athletic complex with artificial turf baseball fields and a football/soccer/baseball field, centrally-located concession building with restrooms, bandshell with natural amphitheater seating, pavilion with lake overlook, walking paths looping the entire park and natural landscaping. The Heritage Park renovation was made possible by an intergovernmental agreement between the Wheeling Park District, village of Wheeling and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. A grand opening celebration is set for June 7.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_60c608da-df8f-11e4-84df-771415deb746.html
“MWRD to host open house at Stickney Water Reclamation Plant,” Water World
Summary: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago has announced that it will host tours at its Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, located at 6001 W. Pershing Rd., in the town of Cicero, Ill., on Saturday, April 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The open house is being held in conjunction with other utilities from across the country as part of a national effort designed to showcase utility infrastructure. During their time at the world's largest wastewater treatment plant, visitors will learn about ongoing environmental improvement projects and developing technologies for renewable energy generation.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/04/mwrd-to-host-open-house-at-stickney-water-reclamation-plant-april-18.html
“Value of Water Coalition Celebrates the Clean Water Investments That Ensure Public Health, Protect the Environment and Sustain Our Economy,” PR Newswire
Summary: Hundreds of water and wastewater professionals are gathering in Washington, D.C. for Water Week 2015 to celebrate the national advancements in clean and safe water and meet with federal regulators and members of congress to discuss the value of water. The creation of clean water systems was the single most important public health achievement of the 20th century. It eliminated deadly diseases such as cholera and typhoid and helped extend life expectancy in the U.S. by 30 years. "Clean water agencies at the local and federal level provide safe water access to communities across the country. The MWRD is a member of the Value of Water coalition.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/value-of-water-coalition-celebrates-the-clean-water-investments-that-ensure-public-health-protect-the-environment-and-sustain-our-economy-300064720.html
“Community Events Planned in Riverside and Neighboring Communities,”
La Grange Patch
Summary: Mention of our Open House this Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, 6001 W. Pershing Road, Cicero, IL.
http://patch.com/illinois/lagrange/community-events-planned-riverside-and-neighboring-communities
“"Fighting flooding; Program educates about options in age of severe weather,"” Skokie Review
Full article text: Not many projections in life rank as certain as death and taxes, but future flooding in and around Skokie is awfully close. There is only so much capacity in any stormwater management system, and with an increase in the number of heavy rainstorms, as well as their severity in recent years, flooding is not likely to disappear any time soon. That
doesn't mean the impact of increasingly heavy storms can't be better mitigated through education, careful planning and execution.
The League of Women Voters Evanston/Skokie went a long way in providing some of that education April 12 in a program,
"Storm Water From the Ground Up," at the Skokie Public Library. "We have a problem. With climate change,
what's projected for the Midwest is more frequent, intense rainstorms," said Krista Grimm, vice president of the League of Women Voters in the Lake Michigan region.
Grimm has made her presentation more than 20 times — originally thanks to a grant by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources through its Coastal Management Program.
Climatologists have asserted that areas including the Midwest are under a new weather pattern. Rainfall records over more than 100 years presented by Grimm showed that more rain has fallen recently because of a weather pattern that started shifting as far back as 1965.
"This trend is expected to continue going forward and intensify," she said. "We will continue to have more severe flooding in this area."
Village and cities like Skokie and Evanston have combined sewer systems. When rain is heavy enough and pounds down in short time, the accumulated water can overwhelm the sewer system, causing backup — often in people's basements. Skokie installed a multi-million dollar storm drainage system in the 1980s, which has helped alleviate more regular flooding in the village. It allows accumulated rain to pond in the street, slowly running down the sewer so it
isn't overwhelmed all at once.
"People would rather see that rain in the street than in their basement," Grimm said.
But even with such measures, Skokie, like other communities, experiences flooding when rainstorms are severe enough. It was almost exactly two years ago when the village broke in its new emergency center inside the Skokie Police Department because of a relentless rainstorm that went on for nearly two days.
The village received dozens of calls about flooded basements and other areas of homes. No stormwater management system could accommodate that much rain all at once.
As Grimm noted, this area was once wetlands, which helped handle heavy rains. (Skokie means "marsh" in the language of the Pottawatomie). But the development of buildings and houses with impermeable surfaces has contributed to more difficult flooding problems. Illinois has lost more than 90 percent of its wetlands, mostly because of urban development, Grimm noted.
"We no longer have these wetland systems available so we have put in sewer systems instead," she said.
During most times, the sewer system works well. But when unusual amounts of rain fall, it can become strained. At the worst of times, the locks to Lake Michigan have to be opened up, which means sewage is dumped into the lake.
Grimm said that people can make smarter choices in addressing potential flooding. Some of those individual choices include not using as much water during a storm;
clearing storm grates; properly disposing of pet waste and other hazardous materials and more.
Another valuable tool to help alleviate the impact of heavy rain is to incorporate more green. More municipalities, including Skokie, have made sure building projects include more landscaping — whether for their infrastructure or by adopting more stringent regulations around development for businesses and residences.
In one instance recounted by Grimm, a member of the League of Women Voters practically solved her severe basement flooding by using more plants outside her home.
Disconnecting downspouts, using rain barrels and cisterns and planting more trees are among other effective flood-reducing measures people can take, she said.
Grimm also emphasized important community and regional measures to combat flooding such as installing bioswales, banning toxic substances such as coal tar sealants and pushing for a building code that mandates sufficient permeable surfaces for new building projects.
Also speaking during the program was Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Debra Shore, a Skokie resident.
"We live in a landscape that has increasingly impervious surfaces with parking lots, buildings, roads and sidewalks, back decks and brick patios and so forth," Shore said. "We've given water no place to go."
Shore also talked about the escalating trend of tearing down smaller houses and building larger houses with less permeable surfaces, contributing to the problem.
She wants to see municipalities, including Skokie, become more receptive to using permeable surfaces such as permeable concrete.
Permeable surfaces can be found now in various venues such as a parking lot at Cellular Field to a train station lot in Glenview. The culture is changing, Shore insisted.
But she believes many municipalities would benefit from changing their ordinances to encourage use of more permeable surfaces for building projects.
In her own case, she said, she was prevented from replacing her asphalt with anything but concrete or paving brick under Skokie's village code. All of these surfaces are impervious.
"We need to continue to work to change the ordinances at every municipality," she said. "And at a minimum not put impediments in people's way who want to convert to a permeable surface.
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83294928/
“State conservation police will patrol Chicago River,” Marina Online
Full article text: Their police boats may easy to miss but the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has added itself to the mix of law enforcement jurisdictions on the Chicago River. Concerned about wakes caused by boats traveling too fast, the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee asked the IDNR to start patrolling the river. Dave Olsen, a member of the committee and owner of Kayak Chicago, says the wakes are especially hazardous to kayakers. “The idea was to help reduce the number of speeding boats and bring awareness that the Chicago River is a no-wake zone to protect the growing number of kayakers on the water.” A boat belonging to Illinois Conservation Police, the law enforcement office of the IDNR, was on the river on Sunday. Officers did not limit their vigilance to boat wakes. They stopped guides for Kayak Chicago to see if their registrations were up to date. “The kayakers were questioned a bit much for something that we are up to date with,” says Olsen, “but in the end they were free to go and continue paddling the river.” Even if kayakers dodge the boat wakes, they can still be swamped by art on the Chicago River. In March, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago agreed to a Chicago Harbor Safety Committee request to reduce to five minutes the duration that an arc of water is shot across the river from Centennial Fountain. The date on which the new schedule takes effect has not yet been decided. There will also be an audible and visual alarm added to warn that the water cannon is about to activate. The public information office of the IDNR did not respond to a request for information about the department’s new presence on the Chicago River.
http://www.marinacityonline.com/news/police0416.htm
“City's Albany Park residents eagerly await stormwater tunnel,"
Chicago Tribune
Full article text: Albany Park resident Maria Quinlan, who averted damage from 2 major floods: "Are we going to get hit again?" Albany Park stormwater tunnel project closer to starting, though in meantime will emergency plan be adequate? As April showers fall, Albany Park residents are holding their breath. Two years ago, the neighborhood was recovering from heavy rains and rising river levels that left basements underwater and possessions destroyed. Maria Quinlan, who has lived on North Central Park Avenue for nearly 11 years, said the
water's path barely missed her house twice before and she can't help but watch the river through her window every time it rains. "Are we going to get hit again?" she said. "Are we going to last a third time?" Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Ald. Margaret Laurino, 39th, introduced an ordinance Wednesday authorizing the execution of an agreement between the city Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to share the cost of building a stormwater tunnel that will help protect the vulnerable neighborhood from future flooding. "Many hardworking residents of Albany Park have had their lives turned upside down by severe flooding," Laurino said in a statement. "The construction of the storm water diversion tunnel will give them a chance to achieve the comfort in their own homes that all Chicagoans should be afforded." The city and the water district met with residents recently to talk about plans to begin the long-awaited tunnel this summer. But the $45 million to $55 million project will take two years to complete. Until the tunnel is built, Shylo Bisnett, president of Albany Park Neighbors, said community members are concerned about emergency response in case of another flood. She said she wonders whether it will be different from what she called "a couple of poor showings" during the major floods of 2008 and 2013, when sandbags were not delivered on time or at all. On Sept. 13, 2008, Chicago set a record for most rainfall in a single day after 6.64 inches of rain was recorded at
O'Hare International Airport. Albany Park was among the hardest-hit neighborhoods in the city with tens of thousands of homes evacuated because of flooding over that weekend. Chicago set another record for rain in 2013, with 5.55 inches April 17 and 18, according to the National Weather Service. Then-Gov. Pat Quinn declared 38 counties, including Cook and all suburban counties, state disaster areas after extensive flood damage around Illinois. Quinlan said neither residents nor officials expected the destruction that occurred after the 2008 flood. She said her in-laws lived in Albany Park for decades before she moved here and never experienced floods. Communication and action improved between the 2008 and 2013 floods, Quinlan said. In 2013, she said, the response was faster and involved more sandbags and equipment, and she hopes it will only get better as the tunnel project moves forward. "The noise from the citizens here has been loud enough," she said. Manuel Galvan, spokesman for Laurino, said the city has had an emergency plan for years. A U.S. Geological Survey monitor is in place at the north branch of the river at Albany Avenue that measures water levels. Flooding occurs when the water level reaches 7 feet, he said. An action plan could be put in place at 5 feet depending on weather service forecasts. If that happened, several city departments, including the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, would work together to place sandbags and prevent damage. After storms April 9, the peak water level in the afternoon reached nearly 3 feet at Albany Avenue, according the USGS monitor, and the level continued to rise to more than 5 feet the next day, but the rain had stopped, ending the threat. Gary Johnson, a hydrologist and engineer with USGS, said
it's not unusual for water to collect from smaller drainage points, slightly delaying the
monitor's response. In February, city and state officials announced they had secured the funding needed for the tunnel project: $40 million will come from the city and water district and the remaining money will come from a federal Community Development Block Grant. The tunnel will begin at Foster Avenue, north of Eugene Field Park, and extend east, letting out at River Park into the North Shore Channel. The tunnel, which will be 18 feet in diameter and about a mile long, begins 132 feet underground and ends at 155 feet underground. "Overall I do think this is a good engineering approach to this problem," said Bisnett, of the neighbors group. But in the meantime, "every time it rains,
I'm going to be checking the
state's weather service … watching it tick, tick, tick up." The tunnel is in the design phase, which should be complete by the summer, Galvan said. The
city's next step is to seek bids before construction can begin. Bisnett said she is eager to hear sounds of ing the blasts, then I will know my community is being protected," she said. "If
there's day-to-day drilling, we know it's happening.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-albany-park-tunnel-met-20150417-story.html
“Sewer work to close Route 171 in Maywood,” Sun Times
Summary: Part of Route 171 in Maywood will be closed starting Monday as crews work on a storm sewer and resurfacing project. The full closure of Route 171 at Lake Street, near the Union Pacific Railroad Crossing, started Monday, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. A contractor for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago will be working on the storm sewer there and reconstructing manholes during that time, IDOT said. A posted detour will take southbound traffic around the area via Lake Street, 5th Avenue and Madison Street, IDOT said. During the closure, Union Pacific Railroad will also perform maintenance work on the at-grade crossing. The road will have a new crossing service by June 1. The water reclamation district’s overall project will wrap up in November. Motorists should expect delays and allow extra travel time.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/stng-wire/7/71/536262/sewer-work-close-route-171-maywood
“Prudential Retirement selected to administer $220M MWRD plan,”
Marketwatch
Full article text: NEWARK, N.J., Apr 22, 2015 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Prudential Retirement announced today that it has added new plan sponsor client Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). Prudential Retirement is a business unit of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU). “We are honored that the MWRD has selected us as their new record keeper, and we look forward to this new partnership,” says Harry Dalessio, senior vice president, Sales and Strategic Relationships, Prudential Retirement. “This latest win underscores our commitment to solving America’s retirement challenges and demonstrates how we collaborate with plan sponsors to help their participants reach their retirement goals.” MWRD has 1,818 participants in its defined contribution plan with $220 million in assets. The organization provides wastewater treatment and stormwater management services to more than five million Cook County residents. The plan transitioned to Prudential Retirement in January. Segal Rogerscasey is the advisor to the plan.
“We are committed to providing our employees with a retirement plan that works for them with built-in educational resources that can equip them with the knowledge they need to successfully manage retirement plans,” says MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. “Prudential’s unique approach to plan design and participant engagement model were key factors in our decision to select them as our new record keeper.” Prudential Retirement delivers retirement plan solutions for public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Services include defined contribution, defined benefit and non-qualified deferred compensation record keeping, administrative services, investment management, comprehensive employee education and communications, and trustee services, as well as a variety of products and strategies, including institutional investment and income products, pension risk transfer solutions and structured settlement services. With over 85 years of retirement experience, Prudential Retirement helps meet the needs of 4.0 million participants and annuitants. Prudential Retirement has $363.8 billion in retirement account values as of December 31, 2014. Retirement products and services are provided by Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company (PRIAC), Hartford, CT, or its affiliates. Prudential Financial, Inc. PRU, -0.11% a financial services leader with more than $1 trillion of assets under management as of December 31, 2014, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit
www.news.prudential.com.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/prudential-retirement-selected-to-administer-220m-mwrd-plan-2015-04-22?reflink=MW_news_stmp
http://www.njbiz.com/article/20150422/NJBIZ01/150429927/prudential-chosen-to-administer-illinois-water-companys-retirement-plan
“Des Plaines park board OKs giving land to Marianos,” Daily Herald
Summary: A proposed Mariano's in Des Plaines is a step closer to becoming a reality Tuesday with the park board's approval of a plan giving the store's developer permission to use a portion of a neighboring park that would provide better access to the store. The agreement, approved on a 4-0 vote of the board of commissioners, paves the way for developer Abbott Land & Investment Corp. to build a
Mariano's on the northeast corner of Golf and Mount Prospect roads. Approvals would still be needed from the city, state Department of Transportation and MWRD, and officials say it could be another two years before the store is ready to open.
http://dhbusinessledger.com/Content/Suburban-Trends-and-Issues/Suburban-Trends-and-Issues/Article/Des-Plaines-park-board-OKs-giving-land-to-Mariano-s-developer-/87/172/15156
“Alderman approve plan to convert rundown theater into park storage," ” DNA Info
Summary: The new park and development at the former Cineplex Odeon Cinemas got the OK Tuesday from Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th). The 50th Ward alderman held a community meeting Monday night. Most of the audience approved of the plan that would convert the theater and car wash into a storage facility and its adjacent parking lot into a 2-acre park, according to Silverstein. "This longstanding eyesore will be transformed into a thriving business and a beautiful park," Silverstein said in a written statement. "I look forward to continuing this discussion with the public and helping build the gateway our community deserves." Silverstein said the future park, owned by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, would be managed by the Chicago Park District and incorporated into the North Shore Channel Trail. The movie theater and car wash were closed in 2005 and sold to the Cheder Lubavitch Hebrew Day School in 2008. The school had thought of developing the site, at 6385 N. McCormick Road, for its new campus but found property elsewhere. Since then it's languished. Now Banner Storage Group, a subsidiary of Northbrook-based Banner Apartments, intends to tear down the old car wash and renovate the theater to open a three-story self-storage facility.
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150422/north-park/alderman-approves-plan-convert-rundown-theater-into-park-storage
“Dirty Jobs,” Univision
Summary: The piece featuring Univision reporter Aureliano Salgado working with Karla Lopez, ET IV, at Stickney and LASMA aired last night at 10p.m. on WGBO. The reporter skimmed Imhoff tanks, raked a coarse screens dumpster, and dumped a load of solids from the train into a drying cell at LASMA. MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos was interviewed.
http://chicago.univision.com/videos/video/2015-04-24/auri-lo-hace-trabajos-sucios
“Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) has new client,” Streetwise
Summary: Prudential Retirement reported that it has added new plan sponsor client Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. MWRD has 1,818 participants in its defined contribution plan with $220 million in assets Shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) has price volatility of 1.53% in last 5 days trading session, as shares of firm closed at $81.12 an ascending 1.77% in last session. Shares price moving up from its 20 days moving average with 1.33% and isolated positively from 50 days moving average with 0.83%.http://www.streetwisereport.com/investment-seeking-stocks-duke-energy-corporation-nyseduk-prudential-financial-inc-nysepru-oi-s-a-nyseoibr/115375/
“Dirty Jobs,” Univision
Summary: Univision reporter Aureliano Salgado skimmed Imhoff tanks, raked a coarse screens dumpster, and dumped a load of solids from the Stickney Express train into a drying cell at LASMA. A direct link to the clip is below.http://chicago.univision.com/videos/video/2015-04-24/auri-lo-hace-trabajos-sucios
“Progress: Fulton County recreational land project on hold,” Canton Daily Ledger
Summary: In October of last year, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago announced an agreement to utilize a portion of Fulton County land for public recreation use. However, the project is now at a stand still due to Illinois receiving new state officials. MWRD owns about 14,000 acres of land in the county, and the agreement would allow IDNR to manage a portion of MWRD land for recreation use, such as bird watching, fishing and hunting. MWRD purchased the 14,000 acres of strip-mined land in the 1970s for restoration. The project was a collaboration between MWRD, IDNR, Fulton County Board members, Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) and local officials.
http://www.cantondailyledger.com/article/20150424/NEWS/150429463/1994/NEWS#
“Majewski Broke New Ground With MWRD,” Journal and Topics
Full article text: Gloria Alitto Majewski, a long-time finance chairman for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, died Monday, Apr. 20. She served on the MWRD from 1984 to November 2010, when she retired from the board. She was the first woman to serve as finance chairman, from 1986 until her retirement. She joined the district after the death of her husband, Chester, who was a commissioner on the board. Majewski ran to fill his seat with the encouragement of her family. She saw many changes in her years on the board, as it changed its name from the Metropolitan Sanitary District, and as it planned and built various branches of the Tunnel and Reservoir system known as “Deep Tunnel.” One part of that system, the reservoir for the smaller, self-contained tunnel system northwest of O’Hare Airport, was renamed in her honor. A section of the Mount Prospect Park District in Des Plaines, along the Jane Addams Tollway east of Elmhurst Road, is also called the Majewski Metro Athletic Complex. She is survived by daughters Joy Adelizzi and Kimberly (Tony) Feeney, two grandchildren and a brother, Ronald Alitto. Visitation was held in Roselle on Friday. Her funeral Mass was held at St. Francis Borgia Church on Chicago’s Northwest Side on Saturday. www.journal-topics.com/news/article_898a0fb6-eeb5-11e4-8140-cb494b5bb804.html
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March 2015 |
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“Nutrient recovery transforms world’s largest wastewater treatment plant,” Water World
Summary: Biological technologies, advanced reuse and recycling techniques and progressive green-based practices have led to various economic, environmental and societal benefits that can help
reduce costs, conserve energy, sustain the environment, and improve customer service. Using nutrient recovery processes enables wastewater treatment plants to serve as more than just
treatment facilities—ultimately the plants can serve as resource recovery agents, transforming the perception of traditional wastewater treatment and using the recovery process to generate
revenue while also providing agricultural businesses with refined, usable phosphorus, an increasingly scarce natural resource. Such is the case with the MWRD’s Stickney Water
Reclamation Plant in Cicero, IL. The 85-year-old facility—the largest secondary wastewater treatment plant in the world—will soon begin reclaiming large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus
using an innovative nutrient recovery system from Vancouver-based Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies, Inc. The new system will help the facility safeguard vital water
resources and improve overall operations. When it comes to phosphorus, one of the main issues Chicago and other cities in the Midwest face is that utilities such as wastewater treatment
plants release nutrient-rich effluent into the Mississippi River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. There it can potentially contribute to the presence and growth of algal
blooms and the 7,000-square-mile hypoxic zone that has developed off the coast of Louisiana and Texas. MWRD recognized this issue and recently imposed a voluntary phosphorus limit of 1 mg/L at
the Stickney facility. Ostara’s technology will help them meet that goal. “We’re out there really trying to test and see what can transform this market in terms of lowering our energy usage,
recovering resources and providing a return on investment (ROI) for our constituents,” said David St. Pierre, MWRD executive director. “We started talking about how we can actively address
nutrients, in particular phosphorus, in our waterways,” he said. “We looked at the Stickney plant to see if it was a candidate for the Ostara process, and we decided that it was. So being a
water quality agency that supports improving the environment, we just felt that was the right thing to do.”
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/print/volume-31/issue-2/features/nutrient-recovery-technology-transforms-world-s-largest-wastewater-treatment-plant.html
“Flood relief coming to eastern Niles,” Chicago Tribune
Full article text: The Cleveland Relief Sewer project, which promises to bring flood relief to eastern Niles, is ready to go up to bid. The project is the final park of the first tier of the
Niles Stormwater Relief Program. While the other two parts of the project—the stormwater basins at Maryhill Cemetery and Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church—were completed in the end of
2014, this project was delayed as the village waited for regulatory approval.
During the Feb. 24 Village Board meeting, the trustees took several steps to formally clear the last regulatory hurdles. The village expects to go up to bid within six weeks. The Cleveland Relief
Sewer project calls for the building of a new sewage pipe to drain water from the residential section of Niles, near Cleveland Street. The sewer will begin near the intersection of
Main Street and Oketo Avenue and continue along Monroe Avenue until it reaches Cleveland Street. It will then continue along Cleveland Street until it reaches the Cook County Forest
Preserves, where it will go into the river. Sewer pipes along Odell, Octavia, Oconto and Harlem avenues, Waukegan Road and Kenney Streets will feed into the new sewer pipes, relieving
flooding in those areas as well. Like all Tier I projects, this project will be funded through a 0.25 percent sales tax increase the village approved in 2012. The project couldn’t proceed until
the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) review it. The two agencies responded in February.
With that step out of the way, the Village Board had to take two more steps before the project could go up to bid. First, it had to
hold a public hearing where the project would be presented to the public and Niles residents and businesses would have a chance to comment on it. It also had to sign an
intergovernmental agreement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. To expedite the project, the village decided to take care of both during the
Feb. 24 meeting. Only one person spoke during the hearing. Resident Steven Yasell, who lives on Odell Avenue, said his home was among those affected by the 2008 flood that
spurred the creation of the Stormwater Relief Program. He questioned the village's priorities, saying that it shouldn't have spent money on road repair when flooding issues were still unresolved.
“Why couldn't we have used that money to fund the sewer project on streets that haven’t been repaved,” asked Yasell. He argued
that repaving of Monroe Avenue was particularly pointless, since it would be dug open as part of the Stormwater Relief Project.
“All the money spent seems to be wasted, and don’t like to see my tax money wasted,” said Yasell.
Mary Anderson, the Director of Niles Department of Public Works, told the Village Board that the project would go up to bid “in 60 days.”
The delay, she explained, had to do with the changes IEPA asked for.
During the Jan. 20 Stormwater Commission meeting, Jeff Wickenkamp, vice president of Heys and Associates Inc, which consults the village on project planning, advised the village
not to put the project up for bid until the changes are made. Otherwise, the village would have to change the bid, which, he argued, would make it look unprofessional. Anderson told the
board that expected the project to take two years.
“We are hoping to complete 60 percent of it in the first year, and the rest during the second year,” she said.
Trustee Joe LoVerde, who chairs the Stormwater Commission, thanked the village staff for helping to get the project this far.
“It’s a thankless job to try to get things through the bureaucratic system,” he said. “There are [residents] that waited and waited for this project.”
Mayor Andrew Przybylo said that, while construction may complicate things for residents living along the streets affected by the project, the end results would be worth it.
“I can tell those folks—it’s not going to be pretty, but we’ll make it as easy as possible,” he said. “I can say, with some
certainty, that you’re going to have a better neighborhood. Be patient with us—flood relief is coming.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-nhs-storm-water-update-tl-0305-20150227-story.html
“Regional flood relief efforts outlined in La Grange,” Pioneer Press
Summary: Potential regional flood relief measures along the Plainfield Road corridor could include more storm sewer capacity, ditches
and detention ponds south of La Grange. During an open house session to gather input at the La Grange Village Hall on Feb.
27, a dozen area residents dropped by to offer feedback on flooding issues at their homes and hear how the MWRD intends to
solve problems. The Cook County Highway Department has proposed repaving Plainfield Road between Willow Springs Road and East
Avenue. MWRD is determining whether ditches along the roadway or storm sewers below could be added or improved. Preliminary
estimates for various alternatives are expected to be completed by the end of 2015.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/la-grange/news/ct-dlg-plainfield-road-flooding-tl-0305-20150302-story.html
“Congratulations to this year’s award winners,” IWEA News
Summary: MWRD Deputy Director of Maintenance & Operations Brett Garelli was among those receiving honors at the annual Illinois Water
Environment Association conference on February 23. Garelli won the William Hatfield Award which acknowledges an operator of a
wastewater treatment plant for outstanding performance and professionalism.
http://www.iweasite.org/Awards/mbr_assoc_awd.htm
“Nor any drop to drink?,” Chicago Now (IL)
Summary: Commissioner Debra Shore spoke at the Chicago Council on Science & Technology’s program, “Water: Chicago in the 21st
Century and Beyond” as part of a series on Climate & Energy. The full discussion may be viewed here.
http://www.chicagonow.com/green-tech-chicago/2015/03/nor-any-drop-to-drink/
“President’s Message,” Chicago Society Forum (Polish National Alliance)
Summary: Mariyana Spyropoulos, MWRD President, brought a rain barrel as part of her talk to the Polish National Alliance in February.
15 0301_The Forum_President Spyropoulos.pdf
“Vacant Movie Theater ‘Eyesore’ Could Become Park, Storage Facility,” DNA Info (IL)
Summary: Discussions are underway for potential redevelopment of MWRD property on McCormick and Devon in Chicago.
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150312/west-rogers-park/vacant-movie-theater-eyesore-could-become-park-storage-facility
Value of Water Coalition Announces 12 New Partners,” Water Online
Summary: The Value of Water Coalition draws attention to our nation’s aging and underfunded water infrastructure and educates
on the fundamental importance of water to the economic, environmental and community well-being of America. The coalition
is growing and redoubling its efforts in 2015 as water-related issues are a rising concern for the nation. New public utility
partners include: Alexandria Renew Enterprises, Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, DC Water, Hampton Roads
Sanitation District, Kansas City Water Services, Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Philadelphia Water Department and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
http://www.wateronline.com/doc/value-of-water-coalition-announces-new-partners-0001
“What happens to ‘Number 2’ in the Second City,” WBEZ 91.5 FM Chicago
In conjunction with the WBEZ program about wastewater treatment that was recorded in the summer of 2014 and aired on March 19, MWRD
Microbiologist Toni Glymph will be a panelist during a special presentation about the science of wastewater treatment at 7 p.m.
on Monday, March 23 at the Lincoln Center, 2424 W. Lincoln. The Curious City program answers questions about Chicago, the region
and the people who live here, and a five-year-old asked “where poop goes?” MWRD staff worked with WBEZ to develop interactive tools to answer the question.
https://soundcloud.com/curiouscity/what-happens-to-number-2-in-the-second-city
http://interactive.wbez.org/curiouscity/poop/
http://www.wbez.org/curious-city-live-111446
“Green Bonds: Are Your Projects a Good Fit?,” WaterWorld
Summary: "Green Bonds" for water and wastewater infrastructure projects are a way for municipalities to let the investor community know that these bonds are going to
fund environmentally friendly projects that will directly contribute to sustainability and climate change reduction in the community. On Dec. 15, the MWRD sold $295,805,000 of
general obligation and refunding bonds, 2014 Series ABCD, becoming one of the first wastewater treatment agencies in the country to offer a tax-exempt "green bond" offering to fund
environmentally-friendly infrastructure projects. The transaction was comprised of fixed-rate, tax-exempt bonds rated AAA by Fitch and Standard & Poor’s. The MWRD defined four
categories of its Green Projects: the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan; Stormwater Management Program Projects; Resource Recovery Projects; Water Reclamation Plant Expansions and System Improvements.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/print/volume-31/issue-3/features/green-bonds-are-your-projects-a-good-fit.html
“City-appointed commission will think about Chicago River’s big picture,” Marina City Online
Summary: A long-term plan for Chicago-area rivers will be the goal of a commission appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Over the next 15 months, Great Rivers Chicago will meet with residents and
business owners to develop a long-term plan for economic and community development along the Chicago, Calumet, and Des Plaines Rivers. Its goals will be to improve the appearance of
the riverfronts, improve water quality, and make recreation and commercial use of the rivers more balanced. MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos is an appointed member.
http://www.marinacityonline.com/news/think0319.htm
“Unique partnership awarded for stormwater management, water conservation efforts across IL,” WaterWorld
Summary: A partnership among the City of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Openlands and Healthy Schools Campaign -- known as "Space to Grow" -- has
received three high-level awards for its ongoing efforts in the field of environmental sustainability across the state of Illinois. Four schools are completed and
six more schools are slated for renovations this year: Cather Elementary, Corkery Elementary, Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy, Orozco Academy, Wadsworth Elementary and Westcott Elementary.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/03/award-winning-partnership-builds-healthy-playgrounds-captures-stormwater.html
“Centennial Fountain water cannon getting more hours but less work,” Marina City Online (IL)
Summary: During the summer for the past 25 years, the MWRD’s Centennial Fountain cannon has activated for ten minutes every hour, on the hour, from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. and then again in the evening from 5 p.m. to midnight. The MWRD is adding an hour, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., but to reduce congestion and increase safety on the river, the duration of the
water arc will be reduced to five minutes. The change will address the concern for safety of human-powered watercraft such as kayaks that can get swamped if caught in the middle of the water arc.
http://www.marinacityonline.com/news/cannon0325.htm
“Busse Woods dam modification set to begin in August,” Daily Herald
Summary: A project aimed at alleviating flooding along Salt Creek in Cook and DuPage counties is targeted for groundbreaking in August, Elk Grove Village officials said Tuesday. Plans to modify a dam
in Busse Woods near Cosman Road have been under consideration since 2008, when heavy storms left homes, businesses and roadways under water. Elk Grove and the MWRD will share in the
$2 million construction cost of changes to the dam. Elk Grove, with some funds from DuPage County, has already spent $1 million on engineering and design work.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150325/news/150329349/
“Abandoned lot in West Rogers Park may soon get renovations,” Chicago Tribune
Full article text: The slab of concrete sits at the end of miles of otherwise well-kept parks along the North Shore Channel. Untouched for at least a decade, the empty parking lot is filled with graffiti and broken
glass and has become a magnet for crime. Long-patient West Rogers Park residents hope that may change soon. David St. Pierre, executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District, met with more than 100 members of the community last month to hear their ideas about turning the space at West Devon Avenue and McCormick Boulevard into a park or green space. The
reclamation district owns the lot. The Jewish Community Council of West Rogers Park has led efforts to upgrade the area, and its yearlong push for meetings with officials may have finally paid
off. "That parking lot is really in many ways a gateway to many neighborhoods," said Shalom Klein, executive director of the community council. "Especially Rogers Park, Lincolnwood,
Peterson Park, as well as cultures and people that live in that area." St. Pierre estimated it would cost $200,000 to $300,000 to tear down the parking lot, install turf and repurpose the
area, but he said the district doesn't have a final estimate for the project yet. St. Pierre said he plans to bring a proposal to the district's board of commissioners at its next meeting April
9. If the board approves the plan, he said he hopes the project could begin "as soon as possible." At one end of the property sits an abandoned movie theater and car wash. Howard Rieger,
president of the community council, said the two buildings aren't owned by the reclamation district and therefore cannot be included in the renovation plans for the empty lot. The two
buildings are under the jurisdiction of the 50th Ward. Ald. Debra Silverstein, 50th, said last week that any changes to the current structures are in the "early stages." She had no further
comment.
Klein said members of the community council and neighborhood residents hope to remain involved in developing plans for the lot, something St. Pierre said he would also like to happen once the project is funded.
Although Klein mentioned one idea of turning the space into a public park, he and St. Pierre said future conversations would determine how the space could best serve the neighborhood. Klein
called the initiatives over the past year a "strong community effort." "We really want to represent the community that hasn't had the opportunity to enjoy that property for close to 10 years," he said.
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#
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February 2015 |
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“New Green Rooftops at Chicago Pumping Facility,” eStormwater
Summary: The MWRD recently completed the construction of a green roof at the Racine Avenue Pumping Station (RAPS). RAPS is a building that houses main sewage pumps
that pump wastewater to the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant. Instead of replacing 4,500 sq ft of the roof with heavy, impermeable tar, the new roof is a combination of asphalt and
plantings. Because of their ability to withstand harsh weather conditions, a variety of Sedum plants were installed. These native plants are low maintenance; irrigation is needed
initially to establish the plantings and during drought periods, and routine weed removal will help the roof maintain its appearance. The MWRD will continue to monitor the success of the
plantings and maintenance costs and use this information as the MWRD seeks other opportunities for green/vegetative roofs.
http://www.estormwater.com/new-green-rooftops-chicago-pumping-facility
“MWRD land use plan,” The River Reporter
Summary: This month Friends of the Chicago River and Openlands completed a formal study that analyzed land owned by the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Great Chicago in the Chicago River watershed in regards to public open space, wildlife habitat, and stormwater management.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/chicagoriver/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1057/original/newsletter-20winter-202015-20web.pdf
“Niles adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan,” Chicago Tribune
Full article text: The Village of Niles Board of Trustees unanimously adopted the Cook County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan was put together by Chicago-based
Tetra Tech consulting company on behalf of the Cook County Department of Security and Emergency Management. The plan was based on input from the department, as well as the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and over 100 municipalities to address natural disasters. But perhaps most importantly, it will allow the village to obtain grants for
disaster-mitigating projects, such as the flood mitigation projects that haven’t been funded yet.
The final version of the Hazard Mitigation Plan, which was completed in Sept. 10, 2014, sets out to address flooding, severe winter and summer weather, as well as what it describes
as less pressing, but still potentially devastating hazards. These include, in order of likelihood of occurrence, tornadoes, earthquakes, dam failures and droughts.
The plan sets out steps to address potential disasters for Cook County in general and for each municipality specifically. For Cook County, the plan calls for CCDSEM to develop “disaster
intelligence capacities” to help the county and its municipalities better respond to natural disasters. It calls to create a single template for emergency response plans,
developing an infrastructure security program, improving and expanding Cook County Emergency Response Team program, improving outreach to county residents, reviewing county disaster
shelters, improving the county evacuation plan and completing county-wide mass notification system. It calls for incorporating Web EOC event reporting software into county operations.
Finally, it calls for more coordination and cooperation between governing bodies throughout the county.
For Niles in particular, the plan incorporates the village’s existing disaster prevention initiatives. That includes the flood mitigation projects and the flood control assistance
program. It calls for supporting purchase, relocation or retrofitting of structures that are located in hazard-prone areas. It also calls for updating the village’s emergency
operations center, organizing and training the Community Emergency Response Team, doing more to educate village residents about disasters, as well as ensuring that other village planning
effort takes the Hazard Mitigation Plan into account.
Adoption of the Hazard Mitigation Plan is expected to make it easier for Niles to obtain state and federal grants. The plan makes obtaining funding for flood mitigation project the biggest
priority, noting that while the costs are high, the benefits will outweigh the expenses on the long run.
The plan also laid out how much property damage significant natural disasters could cause throughout Niles. A 10-year flood could cause a total of $2,064,350 worth of damage, while a
100-year flood could cause a total of $3,355,831 worth of damage, and a 500-year flood could cause total of $18,839,219. While tornadoes are less likely to occur, the property damage
they could cause would be far more severe, costing between $174,407,181-$185,729,009.
The Village Board adopted the agreement quickly and without many comments. In the run-up to the vote, former trustee Louella Preston spoke in support of the agreement.
“I hope you approve it,” she said. “It’s a good example of inter-governmental cooperation.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/niles/news/ct-nhs-hazard-mitigation-tl-0205-20150203-story.html
“Making dam progress,” The River Reporter (IL)
Summary: At their first meeting of 2015, the MWRD Board of Commissioners voted to negotiate an intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources to modify or remove the North Branch dam at River Park in Chicago. This dam had been identified as one of dozens in the state that should be removed or modified.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/chicagoriver/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1057/original/newsletter-20winter-202015-20web.pdf
“Photo release—Orth tapped to guide Black & Veatch Americas water business,” Globe Newswire
Summary: Black & Veatch today announced that Mike Orth has been named Executive Managing Director for the Americas in the company’s water business. He will be based in Kansas City. Orth
played a principal role on the T-Bar Ranch Water Supply design-build project in Midland, Texas. He recently worked with the MWRD on a design-build contract for the world’s largest
phosphorus recovery project at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant.
http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/02/03/702589/10118388/en/Photo-Release-Orth-Tapped-to-Guide-Black-Veatch-Americas-Water-Business.html
“Orth tapped to guide Black & Veatch Americas water business,” Water Online
Summary: Black & Veatch recently announced that Mike Orth has been named Executive Managing Director for the Americas in the company’s
water business. Under Orth’s direction, Black & Veatch worked with the MWRD to win a design-build contract for the world’s
largest phosphorus recovery project at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant in Cicero, IL.
http://www.wateronline.com/doc/orth-tapped-to-guide-black-veatch-americas-water-business-0001
“June 7 Grand Opening To Celebrate Heritage Park Completion,” Journal and Topics (IL)
Summary: A tentative date is set to celebrate the end of construction at Heritage Park in Wheeling. Grand opening festivities for the community are scheduled for Sunday, June 7, Wheeling Park
District Director of Park & Recreation Services Matt Wehby told village trustees Monday night. Construction fences in and around the park are expected to start coming down in March. The massive
Heritage Park complex, behind village hall between Wolf Road and the Canadian National railroad tracks, went under the knife in 2012. It was seen as a key point in the region to store more of
the area’s stormwater runoff and ease Des Plaines River flooding in nearby towns. The park’s detention pond was widened and underground basins were installed to increase stormwater holding
capacity. Most of Heritage was regraded and rebuilt. A sports complex complete with lighting, several fields, scoreboards and concession stand became a draw for athletes and the village last
year. This year, a performance pavilion on the west side of the park is expected to bring even more visitors. Total cost of the project has risen to around $33 million with the park district’s
share at $3 million. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, which took over 14 acres of the park to add the stormwater storage, will cover remaining costs as part of an intergovernmental agreement.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_390b162a-ad56-11e4-8af5-ef41a4d7d43f.html
“February Meeting Speaker (H2O), The Forum (Polish National Alliance)
Summary: President Mariyana Spyropoulos will be the featured speaker at the February general meeting of the Polish National Alliance.
15 0209_The Forum_President Spyropoulos.pdf
“Water: Chicago in the 21st century and beyond,” C2ST
Summary: MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore will be a featured speaker at a free program, “Chicago in the 21st Century and Beyond,” hosted by the Chicago
Council on Science and Technology on Thursday, February 12, 6-8 p.m. at Hughes Auditorium, Northwestern University, 303 E. Superior Street. Advance registration is required.
http://www.c2st.org/event/2015/02/water-chicago-21st-century-and-beyond
“Soils support urban life—rain gardens help cities,” News Wise (WI)
Summary: In a recent posting on the Soil Science Society of America’s website, MWRD Supervising Environmental Soil Scientist Dr. Lakhwinder Hundal
contributed expert advice about the importance and benefits to soil nutrition of rain gardens and other practices of sustainability. The quality of soil is a significant factor in
the health and well-being of urban life. As we shift from a collect, convey and treat approach toward stormwater and waste to a resource recovery strategy, soil becomes ever more
important as part of a green-based technology—green roofs, rain gardens and rain barrels, for example—to help stormwater avoid the collection approach.
15 0209_Newswise_Rain Gardens.pdf
“MWRD announces $17.8 million tax reduction through passed ordinances,” Water World
Summary: The MWRD Board of Commissioners announced it has passed ordinances which direct the Cook County Clerk to reduce taxes by $17.8 million. The reduction will be reflected in the second installment of
2014 real estate tax bills that will be mailed to homeowners this July. “As government agencies continue to work to maximize tax dollars, it is important to maintain accountability and
manage these resources prudently,” said MWRD President Mariyana T. Spyropoulos. “The board and staff continually seek to identify efficiencies that will result in tax savings for
taxpayers.” The MWRD is funded primarily through property taxes, which are restricted under a tax cap imposed by the Illinois General Assembly. The MWRD also recovers costs of treating
wastewater through a user charge imposed on certain non-residential users of the MWRD’s system. Since 1985, it has returned nearly $412.6 million to taxpayers and has maintained
its AAA bond rating from Fitch and Standard & Poor’s since 2006.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/02/mwrd-to-issue-tax-abatement.html
“Water: Chicago in the 21st century and beyond,” Chicago Tonight/WTTW
Summary: An episode of “Chicago Tonight” featured panelists who also spoke at “Water: Chicago in the 21st Century and Beyond” on Feb. 12 at Northwestern University. Featured speakers included Aaron
Packman, professor of engineering at Northwestern, Seth Snyder leader of a new water initiative at Argonne National Laboratory, and MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore. The episode aired on WTTW on Feb. 11.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/02/11/water-chicago-21st-century-and-beyond
“Historic Chicago Bungalow Association to offer free seminars,” Chicago Tribune
Full Article Text: A series of spring seminars sponsored by the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association aims to breathe new life into older homes with expert advice on home improvement. The
free sessions will cover a variety of topics designed to help owners of any Chicago home style improve the appearance, sustainability and safety of their houses with simple and
affordable repair projects. Here are the seminar topics and locations:
Bungalow maintenance 101: Carla Bruni, a sustainability and preservation consultant, will discuss building materials used in Chicago-area bungalows, ways to reduce energy use and how to tackle basic home repairs.
6:30 p.m. Feb. 26, Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St., Chicago
Big ideas for small kitchen spaces. Historic Chicago Bungalow Association members will share experiences renovating their kitchens within the existing footprint of the bungalows.
6 p.m. March 11, Beverly Library, 1962 W. 95th St., Chicago
6:30 p.m. March 31, Welles Park field house, 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave., Chicago
Estate planning. Attorney Kimberly Jean Brown of Legacy Complete will discuss the basics of planning an estate, such as determining assets and heirs.
6 p.m. March 16, Budlong Woods Library, 5630 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
6 p.m. March 25, Avalon Library, 8148 S. Stony Island Ave., Chicago
Basement flooding: Understanding sewers. David St. Pierre, executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, will
give an overview of how the city’s sewer systems operate during rainstorms. He will also discuss steps homeowners can take to prevent sewer backups.
6 p.m. March 3, Northtown Library, 6435 N. California Ave., Chicago
6 p.m. March 23, Vodak-East Side Library, 3710 E. 106th St., Chicago
6 p.m. April 13, Austin-Irving Library, 6100 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago
6 p.m. April 22, Avalon Library, 8148 S. Stony Island Ave., Chicago
Reducing flooding risks. Ryan Wilson, of Elevate Energy/CNT’s Rain Ready, will explore the causes of flooding on residential property and ways to
reduce basement flooding. Topics will include disconnecting a downspout, installing a rain barrel and planting a rain garden.
6 p.m. March 9, Austin-Irving Library, 6100 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago
6 p.m. March 30, Vodak-East Side Library, 3710 E. 106th St., Chicago
6 p.m. April 14, Jefferson Park Library, 5363 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago
6:30 p.m. April 29, Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St., Chicago
Window repair. Julie Liska, of Liska Architects, will discuss the benefits of restoring old sash windows, materials used in them and the
history of sash windows. Liska will also discuss misconceptions about new windows.
Curb appeal. Prairie Godmothers representatives will explain how to improve garden spaces by reframing the space, adding appealing plants and shrubs and improving soil.
6 p.m. May 20, Beverly Library, 1962 W. 95th St., Chicago
6:30 p.m. May 26, Portage Park Senior Center, 4100 N. Long Ave., Chicago
Working with an architect. Hear from residential architectural specialists of the American Institute of Architects Chicago about choosing an architect,
navigating zoning and permit regulations, budgets and realistic payback periods for energy-efficient improvements. Learn how to define environmental goals for your vintage home, what resources
are available, and understand steps involved in design and construction. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a 15-minute, one-on-one consultation with an architect.
6 p.m. May 18, Avalon Library, 8148 S. Stony Island Ave., Chicago
6 p.m. June 3, Mayfair Library, 4400 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago
Expanding basement space. Julie Liska, of Liska Architects, will review how to best use unfinished basement space to maximize living and storage space.
The presentation will include building codes, structural and heating/cooling issues for new basement space, water infiltration management as well as considerations for bungalow
aesthetics when altering the footprint of a home.
6 p.m. June 4, Jefferson Park Library, 5363 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago
6:30 p.m. June 9, Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St., Chicago
Vintage masonry repair. Mario Machnicki, of Marion Restoration, will discuss how to maintain vintage masonry homes. Topics will include common
masonry deterioration problems, identifying priority repairs, cleaning and repointing, and establishing a scope of work for rehab projects.
6 p.m. June 15, Budlong Woods Library, 5630 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
6 p.m. June 23, Brainerd Library, 1350 W. 89th St., Chicago
Registration is required to reserve a space. Go tochicagobungalow.org or call 312-675-0300, Ext. 10.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/ct-mre-0215-bungalow-seminars-20150212-story.html
“Glenview plans flood control efforts for homeowners,” Chicago Tribune
Full Article Text: Glenview has introduced two new flood control projects as part of its 2015-19 capital improvements program. Village officials met with residents at the Glenview Police
Department’s community room last month to talk about roadway and water utility upgrades on Heatherfield Lane and Debra and Sandy Lanes.
Awarding construction contracts for both neighborhood projects begins this month, with spring groundbreaking and fall completions expected.
On Heatherfield Lane, east of Harms Road and north of Wilmette Avenue, storm sewer pipes will be installed, as well as additional drain inlets at low roadway spots.
Both installations will reduce local flooding, said Shane Schneider, an engineering services manager for Glenview, who also said the entire sanitary sewer system will be lined.d.
The street is scheduled for new asphalt, concrete and gutters.
Schneider said the project is the second construction phase of reducing frequent flooding in the neighborhood east of Harms Road.
“Heatherfield is the flood plain of the North Branch of the Chicago River, and water moves north to south in that part of Glenview,” he said.
The river is located in the Cook County Forest Preserve District to the west.
The new flood controls set for spring will tie into phase one of the improvement program, which is now underway.
In August 2014, Glenview trustees approved two contracts to reduce severe rain-driven flooding in the residential area east of Harms Road from East Lake Avenue to Central Road.
The large flood control measure is expected to help 1,150 homeowners with new pumping stations and backup generators at 815 Harms Road and Cunliff Park.
Glenview budgeted $4.5 million for both projects, and the Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District has contributed $6 million.
When they reach flood stage, storm sewers can be 10 feet underwater, resulting in river water flowing back into local systems and making storm sewers unable to drain until the river recedes.
Two heavy rainstorms in 2013 prompted the village's action.
After an April 18 storm burst dropped 4.5 inches, floodwaters stood on village roads up to 36 hours.s.
The village received 92 calls for sewer backups and flooded basements, 180 for flooded streets and 23 for flooded yards. On June 26, Glenview residents again woke up to heavy flooding
after the village received 4 inches of rain.
By morning, the Glenview Fire Department responded to 55 calls for flooding and vehicle rescues.
The flood-relief projects have a spring-summer 2015 deadline.
“When completed, this project will re-establish the local level of service that the storm sewer system originally provided when it was built,” said Village Manager Todd Hileman in a release.
The old storm sewers were built in the 1960s.
The second project unveiled Tuesday was for Debra and Sandy Lanes, south of Willow Road and west of Shermer Road.
Residents will benefit from a replaced water main and storm sewer improvements to enhance roadway drainage, Schneider said.
Other repairs included lining of the sanitary main pipe and new pavement, curb and gutters.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/glenview/news/ct-gla-roads-tl-0205-20150216-story.html
“Free Rain Barrels from MWRD,” Riverside Review
Full article text: At their January 15 Regular Meeting, the Village Board of Trustees approved an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago (MWRD) for the distribution of free rain barrels to Riverside residents. In order to qualify for a free rain barrel, residents must meet the following four criteria:
1) They must have downspouts that are currently connected to the sewer system.
2) They must agree to disconnect their downspouts from the sewer system.
3) They must agree to connect rain barrels to their downspouts.
4) They must agree to properly maintain the rain barrels.
Once the agreement has been executed by MWRD representatives, the village will begin implementing the MWRD Free Rain Barrel program. Please watch for e-flash updates and updates on the
village website. Residents who do not qualify for a free rain barrel can purchase rain barrels online from the MWRD website. Color options are: black, gray, terra cotta and blue and the
cost is $58.00 per unit.
15 0213_Riverside Newsletter_Rain Barrels.pdf
“Society of Architectural Historians features architectural tours and events at Chicago conference,” PR Web
Summary: Leading scholars and experts from around the world will convene in Chicago from April 15-19 to discuss the history of the built environment and
related topics at the 68th annual Conference of the Society of Architectural Historians. Public programs will be among the features, including a panel discussion April 18 at which MWRD
Commissioner Debra Shore and others will talk about transformations of the Chicago River and lakefront and development and change in Chicago’s neighborhoods. Guided tours
of Pilsen, Pullman, Uptown, and Chinatown are also on the agenda. There is a fee for attendance; advance registration is required.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/02/prweb12520734.htm
“Life is Good Water: Renew for the Future, Illinois WEA Annual Conference,” IWEA
Summary: The Illinois Water Environment Association’s 2015 conference is February 23-25 at Champaign, IL. A number of MWRD experts will present sessions or speeches, including: Dr. Lakhwinder Hundal,
Supervising Environmental Soil Scientist; Thomas Kunetz, Assistant Director of Engineering; Toni Glymph-Martin, Senior Environmental Microbiologist; Matthew McGregor, Senior Civil
Engineer; Olwale Oladeji, Associate Environmental Soil Scientist; Louis Storino, Principal Civil Engineer; and Fred Wu, Senior Civil Engineer. Attendee registration is now open.
http://www.iweasite.org/Conferences/AnnualConf2015.html
“MELA: The Conference 2015,”MELA
Summary: MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore will be keynote speaker at the 2015 Midwest Ecological Landscape Alliance Conference, College of Du Page, Glen Ellyn, IL, on March 12. Commissioner Shore will open
the conference with a profile of stormwater management in the Chicago area. The conference theme is “Stepping Stones to Sustainable Landscapes.”
http://melaweb.org/
“Mayor Emanuel, Rep. Quigley, MWRD and Ald. Laurino announce funding for Albany Park Storm Water Tunnel,” City of Chicago, Chicago Sun-Times, DNA Info, eNews Park Forest
Summary: Mayor Emanuel, U.S. Rep. Quigley, Ald. Laurino, and officials from the MWRD announced today the City has secured the remaining funds
needed to build a stormwater tunnel in the Albany Park neighborhood. The funds came from a federal Community Development Block Grant. The mile-long tunnel will start in
Eugene Park and extend under Foster Avenue to divert stormwater from the North Branch of the Chicago River. Construction is to break ground this summer. “Flooding is the number one concern
for citizens in Cook County,” said MWRD President Mariyana T. Spyropoulos. “Through public partnerships like this one, we can work together to solve these problems for our communities. The
District will continue working to build a resilient Chicago that can withstand the new weather patterns we are experiencing today.”
http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2015/february/mayor-emanuel--rep--quigley--mwrd-and-ald--laurino-announce-fund.html
http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/7/71/375639/albany-park-construction-begin-spring-55-million-underground-pipeline-relieve-flooding
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150217/albany-park/albany-park-storm-water-tunnel-construction-begin-this-summer
http://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/latest-local/59255-mayor-emanuel-rep-quigley-mwrd-and-ald-laurino-announce-funding-secured-for-albany-park-storm-water-tunnel.html
“MWRD, officials announce secured funding for Albany Park Stormwater Tunnel,” Water World
Summary: Mayor Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, Alderman Margaret Laurino, and officials from the MWRD announced that the City of Chicago
has secured the remaining funds needed to build the Albany Park Stormwater Diversion Tunnel. The funding was obtained through a federal Community Development Block Grant. The mile-long tunnel,
which will start in Eugene Field Park and extend under Foster Avenue to the North Shore Channel, will divert stormwater from the North Branch of the Chicago River, reducing the danger of
floods that have plagued the Northwest Side neighborhood in recent years. Since 2008, Albany Park has experienced two major floods affecting hundreds of homes in the community. After the
most recent flooding event in 2013, Mayor Emanuel pledged to work with the MWRD to address the problem. Emanuel also announced that an additional $10 million is available to help
residents who suffered damage from the flood in 2013. “Flooding is the No. 1 concern for citizens in Cook County. Through public partnerships like this one, we can work together to solve these
problems for our communities,” said MWRD President Mariyana T. Spyropoulos. “Mayor Emanuel shares these concerns regarding flooding and provides a great example of the kind of leadership
we need to address this critical issue. The District will continue working to build a resilient Chicago that can withstand the new weather patterns we are experiencing today.”
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/02/funding-secured-for-chicago-albany-park-stormwater-tunnel.html
“Fast-track express for Lincoln playground,” Evanston Now (IL)
Summary: Those attending an update Tuesday evening on the status of proposed work on the playground at the Lincoln School received helpful news. Contacted about the situation, MWRD Commissioner Debra
Shore and Executive Director David St. Pierre responded quickly. The executive director said the MWRD’s goal is to report back on the request for a permit within 30 days. Work on the playground
requires a permit from both the MWRD and the City of Evanston. The playground is to become a stormwater storage site, with underground tanks topped off with dirt and sod. Should the
process for obtaining permits go through as stated, the changes in the playground could be completed by October.
http://evanstonnow.com/story/education/charles-bartling/2015-02-17/68821/fast-track-express-for-lincoln-playground
“Rain barrel program,” Village of Midlothian (IL)
Summary: The Village of Midlothian has launched a new webpage to help homeowners and organizations enroll in the new rain barrel distribution program offered by the MWRD. Complimentary rain
barrels are available to Midlothian residents and organizations that meet certain qualifications. Rain barrels collect and store rainwater and they include a system for diverting downspout
water into the barrel. They also have an overflow spout for diverting excess water safely away from the house. There are three main benefits of rain barrels: water conservation—you can
use the water stored in a rain barrel to water the lawn, garden and plants; reduction in stormwater runoff—a rain barrel will cut down on the amount of stormwater runoff flowing into drains
and pooling on sidewalks and driveways; and a healthier result for plants—rainwater contains no additives and its higher acidity better allows plants to pull nutrients from the soil.
Midlothian residents and others who don’t qualify for a free rain barrel can contact the MWRD to find out how to purchase one for $58; the price includes delivery.
http://www.villageofmidlothian.net/index.aspx?nid=333
“Reminder: National Physical Activity Plan Congress – February 23-24,” Newswise
Summary: The National Physical Activity Plan Alliance will hold its 2015 Congress in Washington, DC on February 23-24. Chicago’s Space to
Grow – Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands is among those receiving a Champions Award. The MWRD and other public agencies are providing capital funding to Space to Grow to transform
underused and outdated schoolyards into outdoor spaces that benefit students, communities and the environment.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/reminder-2015-national-physical-activity-plan-congress-february-23-24?ret=/articles/list&category=life&page=1&search%5Bstatus%5D=3&search%5Bsort%5D=date+desc&search%5Bsection%5D=30&search%5Bhas_multimedia%5D=
“Water main project approved for northwest Winnetka,” Chicago Tribune
Full article text: Seeing an opportunity to save on costs while addressing an infrastructure need, the Winnetka Village Council approved an additional water pipe project for northwest Winnetka.
Previously, trustees approved a larger stormwater improvement contract to A. Lamp Concrete for the northwest portion of the village, which includes a new storm sewer pipe underneath Tower
Road and improvements to the Cook County Forest Preserve detention pond near Tower Road and Forestway Drive.
With portions of Forest Glen Drive under construction for those stormwater improvements, Winnetka’s Water Department proposed replacing an older water main underneath the roadway as well.
“We have been looking for projects to partner the Water and Electric Department within public works,” said Water and Electric Director Brian Keys.
The project calls for the replacement of 1,225 feet of existing 6-inch water main on Forest Glen Drive south, north and west. The existing main was installed in 1939 and will be replaced with a new 8-inch water main.
According to a village memo, this stretch of water main has experienced 12 main breaks between 1989 and 2014.
Village staff proposed waiving the bidding process, and awarding A. Lamp Concrete an additional $312,385 to also complete the water main replacement project along Forest Glen Drive.
“This is an opportunity to have one contractor with a single point of contact for the village,” Keys said. “It will be less invasive for the residents to have less contractors in the area.”
Trustees unanimously waived the bidding process, and awarded the additional contract to A. Lamp at the Feb. 17 Village council meeting.
With the water main project addition, the total contract with A. Lamp Concrete for the northwest Winnetka improvements sits at
$6,438,615. A portion of that cost will be covered by a $2 million grant the village received through the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
A. Lamp Concrete has previously completed other water main projects in Winnetka, including the Oak Street project in 2013 and the Auburn Avenue project in 2014.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/winnetka/news/ct-wtk-water-main-tl-0226-20150219-story.html
“Executive Board nominees,” Clarifier
Summary: The slate of officers for the 2015-16 Executive Board of the Illinois Water Environment Association includes two MWRD staff members: Lou Storino, Principal Civil Engineer is nominated for
President; Dan Collins, Managing Civil Engineer is nominated for First Vice President. The slate will be approved by the membership at IWEA’s annual conference on Feb. 23.
Winter 2015_Clarifier_Board Nominees.pdf
“Inaugural LabOratory highlight: Stickney Analytical Laboratory (SAL),” Clarifier
Summary: The Stickney Analytical Laboratory (SAL) at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant is one of five labs in the Analytical Laboratory Division of the MWRD. The nutrient lab is the busiest
in the SAL. One of the biggest requests for analyses has been for the Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal project. In 2014 the nutrient lab had to reallocate technicians and purchase new
instrumentation to meet the demands for phosphorus results. All the labs in the division are accredited by the Illinois EPA.
Winter 2015_Clarifier_LabOratory_Stickney.pdf
“SAH presents architectural tours and public events at Chicago conference,” Design and Trend
Summary: Leading scholars and special guests from around the world will convene in Chicago, April 15-19 to focus on new research on the history of the built environment at the 68th annual International
Conference of the Society of Architectural Historians. Programs open to the public include more than 30 architectural tours and the SAH Chicago Seminar. The half-day seminar will feature two
panel discussions; MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore is among the panelists who will discuss “Magnitudes of Change: Local Sites and Global Concerns in Chicago’s Built Environment.” The
Chinatown, Pilsen, Uptown, and Pullman neighborhoods are some of the locations offered on the tours. There is a fee for attending the tours or the seminar; advance registration is required.
http://www.designntrend.com/articles/40835/20150220/sah-presents-architectural-tours-public-events-chicago-conference.htm
“Groups look to sustain clean water goals for DuPage County and downriver,”Illinois News Network
Summary: About 300 attendees heard presentations focusing on “Stormwater and the Health of Our Local Streams” at last Thursday’s DuPage
County Environmental Summit at the Naperville campus of Northern Illinois University. Hosted by the Conservation Foundation of Naperville, the event included county and municipal entities and
intergovernmental agencies whose common goal is stormwater management and healthy watershed habitats throughout the region. While presenters reported on progress in the health of DuPage
County watersheds, presentations expressed the urgency of goals to be achieved. The county’s transition from agriculture to a suburban landscape has led to stress on the hydrology of the
environment resulting in stream erosion and pollution. The DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup (DRSCW) explained how chloride has become a stressor with a significant impact on the
biological integrity of streams—influencing their ability to support aquatic life. The DRSCW began collecting data in 2006 and has conducted three cycles of data on Salt Creek and the
East and West Branches of the DuPage River, the county’s three watersheds. The presence of chloride has become an urgent chemical threat to the biological integrity of DuPage County
watersheds. The collection of data has shown the watersheds are in declining health but monitoring efforts and projects implemented since 2006 have stopped the decline according to the
DRSCW. The MWRD is a member of the group and has provided expert advice.
http://www.illinoisnewsnetwork.com/2015/02/21/groups-look-to-sustain-clean-water-goals-for-dupage-county-and-downriver/
“Tinley Park signs on to hazard mitigation plan,” Chicago Tribune
Full article text: Tinley Park officials have joined a hazard mitigation plan led by Cook County that could allow the village to receive certain grant funds from the federal government.
The village has been working with Cook County Homeland Security and Emergency Management since 2011 to develop the Cook County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Program, Pat Carr,
Emergency Management Agency director, said in a memo.
Officials hope to “pool resources and create a uniform hazard mitigation strategy that can be consistently applied to the defined
planning area and used to ensure eligibility for specified grant funding sources,” Carr said.
By adopting the plan, Trustee Brian Maher said the village would become eligible to receive grant funds administered by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. Village trustees voted to adopt the plan last week.
More than 100 municipalities across the region—from Winnetka to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago—are planning partners with the county, according to a copy of the
plan posted on Cook County’s website. The plan is designed “to identify policies and actions that can be implemented over the long term to reduce risk and future losses,” according to the
website, and to “reduce disaster losses and break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction and repeated damage.”
The plan listed dam or levee failure, drought, earthquakes, tornadoes, severe weather and flooding as presenting “the greatest concern” in Cook County.
A hazard mitigation program manager at Tetra Tech, an outside firm hired by the county to help create the plan, was quoted in the Tribune
last year saying that towns had missed out on “pretty significant funding opportunities” in the past because they haven’t had a mitigation plan.
Carr praised Cook County officials for leading the charge and coordinating with all the involved municipalities. He said the county hosted seminars and spread the word.
“It was a huge effort on their part,” he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/tinley-park/news/ct-tin-tinley-park-emergency-tl-0226-20150223-story.html
“If you build it, they will play,” WTOP (Washington, DC)
Summary: While Chicago’s schoolchildren have experienced numerous challenges to their well-being, including availability of public activity spaces and diet, studies done by the Chicago Dept. of Public
Health and the Chicago Public Schools indicate the Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) has begun to boost children’s progress. Taking a multifaceted approach, the HSC focuses on how schools
use their open spaces. On Tuesday the partnership received a Champions Award from the National Physical Activity Plan Alliance for the Space to Grow program. During its pilot year
the program transformed outdoor spaces at four public schools whose playgrounds were underutilized or in disrepair. In addition to installing play equipment at the four schools,
installation of rain barrels and rain gardens will prevent flooding in the community and enhance the spaces’ sustainability for the schools and their surrounding communities. The MWRD, the
Chicago Dept. of Water Management and the Chicago Public Schools provided funding support to the Space to Grow program. Six more schools are due to receive changes in their outdoor spaces in
2016; funding for a total of 34 schools has been secured for transformation by 2019.
http://wtop.com/sports/2015/02/if-you-build-it-they-will-play/y/
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“MWRD sanitary sewer and televising project,” Winnetka Patch (IL)
Summary: Sheridan Plumbing & Sewer has been contracted by the MWRD to perform sanitary sewer cleaning and will use special televising
equipment for a project along Cherry Street from Glendale Avenue to Sheridan Road in Winnetka, IL. Work is expected to begin near
Cherry and Glendale and proceed eastward toward Sheridan Road over the next two to three months.
http://patch.com/illinois/winnetka/mwrd-sanitary-sewer-cleaning-and-televising-projectct
“Market Close: A Lean, Green Muni Machine,” Bond Buyer Magazine
by Chip Barnett
Full article text: The municipal bond market remained strong on Wednesday in pre-holiday trading with bond prices rising during the half-session ahead of New Year's
Day. Traders said tax-exempt yields were lower by about two basis points. Elsewhere, much debate is swirling around Green
Bonds for 2015 and whether they are truly the wave of the future or just a new way to market an old asset class.
THE COLOR OF MONEY
Green bonds are bonds whose proceeds are specifically earmarked for environmental, climate, or other eco-friendly sustainable purposes. Several noteworthy Green Bond issues hit the market in
2014. These included the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's $300 million deal, the University of Cincinnati’s $30 million sale, the Indiana University’s $56
million offering, Connecticut’s $21 million sale and the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems’ $21 million deal. And The Bond
Buyer's Deal of the Year Award for the Northeast region
went to the District of Columbia Water & Sewer Authority’s $350 million century-bond offering, the first independently certified green bonds sold in the United States.
In October, the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research announced the launch of its global Green Bond Index, designed to track the performance of the debt that is issued worldwide.
“The first Green Bond was issued in 2007, but through 2012, additional issuance was slow,” Phil Galdi, head of BofA Merrill Lynch Global Bond Index Research, said at the time. “However, in
2013 more Green Bonds were issued than in the previous six years combined, and that volume has already more than doubled in 2014. Currently, there are $31 billion in qualifying Green Bonds
included in the index, but that may just be the tip of the iceberg.”
It is estimated that the world needs up to $53 trillion in energy investments by 2035, including $39 trillion to shift away from fossil fuels and $14 trillion for energy efficiency,
according to BofA Merrill Lynch strategist Beijia Ma. “We believe Green Bonds are a game-changer in unlocking private capital to meet that funding requirement.”
U.S. issuers have also been giving the perceived demand for Green Bonds a second look.
“We were really taking our cues that this is something that investors were looking for; investors that are trying to target their dollars towards more socially responsible projects,”
according to Don Lukes, Associate Vice President and Associate Treasurer at Indiana University. “It's a way to potentially reap new investors and get our story out there.”
And other issuers feel the same way.
“The Green Bonds will support projects that reduce our carbon footprint and improve energy efficiency,” said Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Commissioner
Mariyana Spyropoulos. “The Green Bonds are a wonderful offering for financial institutions and individuals who want to invest in environmentally beneficial opportunities.”
Some issuers see definite benefits to issuing bonds bearing the Green label.
“We developed the new Green Bond product to meet the needs of the growing group of investors who have mandates and goals to
invest in responsible green infrastructure projects. This initiative clearly was a success,” said Connecticut’s Treasurer Denise Nappier.
And some concur in seeing the Green stam’s value.
Alan Westenskow, vice president for UAMPS" financial advisor Zions Bank Public Finance, said the Green Bond designation is
good from a marketing perspective because it may catch the attention of investors who might not otherwise participate in the municipal market.
But some have questioned the nature and worth of the Green Bond designation.
“Municipal bonds provide state and local governmental entities with the intent of offering a public benefit through access to U.S. capital markets,” according to Jim Colby, chief municipal
strategist at Van Eck Global. “These benefits accrue to delivering potable and clean water, sanitation, power (electricity), transportation, pollution control, education,
housing, and health care, to name a few. So what could be more socially responsible and ‘Green’ than the municipal asset class?”
Colby questions whether there are any tangible financial benefits to the transactions.
“I believe that investors, already familiar with the benefits of muni investing, applaud such a noble assertion,” Colby says. “As
far as I can tell, however, there are virtually no incremental benefits for the investor or issuer, save for the psychological
effect that those baby boomers or even the millennials may derive as they collect their coupons.”
Meanwhile, some firms have set up specific funds that appeal to those socially conscious investors.
“We buy Green Bonds for some of our portfolios, due to some of the funds" requirements,” said Dawn Mangerson, managing director
at McDonnell Investment Management. “But we have seen Green Bonds pricing at the same levels as other bonds. There was not a lot of difference.”
Indiana University’s Lukes tended to agree, saying the finance team didn"t expect to see any significant savings coming from the Green Bond marketing.
“Since Green Bonds officially debuted in the U.S. municipal bond market in June 2013, roughly $1.6 billion of green bonds are scheduled to,
or have been issued,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a November report.
Colby said that while still a new market, the use of Green Bonds for municipal issuers could be endless.
“All of this leads me to wonder whether the industry hasn’t wasted some time and money to touch up an asset class with a new
coat of paint though fundamentals remain otherwise unchanged. It seems to me the chosen paint color is green,” he said.
Justin Land, Director of Tax-Exempt Management at Wasmer, Schroeder says his firm launched a positive impact fund about two years ago and that it has been doing well.
“Green is just putting a specific label on it,” Land said. “Municipalities have done projects with a positive impact for years, whether Green or otherwise.”
He added that Green bonds are becoming popular with the bigger issuers, but that this may be changing.
“Many bonds are already Green—but they’re just not labeled that way,” he said, adding, “We are looking to see small issuers go
the Green route and this will have a positive social impact.”
THE WEEK AHEAD
No bond or note deals are scheduled for sale until after the start of the New Year, with both the negotiated and competitive calendars devoid of any issues until January.
SECONDARY MARKET
High-grade municipal bond prices closed out the year on a strong note. The yield on the benchmark 10-year general obligation dropped two basis points to 2.04% on Wednesday from 2.06% on
Tuesday, while the yield on 30-year GOs declined two basis points to 2.86% from to 2.88%, according to the final read of
MMD's triple-A scale. On Dec. 31, 2013, the 10-year GO stood at
2.77% while the 30-year GO stood at 4.19%, according to the historical MMD read.
Treasury prices moved higher, with the two-year note yield falling to 0.67% on Wednesday from 0.69% on Tuesday. The 10-year
yield decreased to 2.18% from 2.19% while the 30-year dropped to 2.74% from 2.76% on Tuesday.y.
On Wednesday, the 10-year muni to Treasury ratio was at 93.6% versus 94.1% on Tuesday, while the 30-year muni to Treasury ratio was at 103.6% compared to 104.3% on Tuesday.
Caitlin Devitt, Yvette Shields, Paul Burton and Richard Williamson contributed to this story.
http://www.bondbuyer.com/news/markets-news/market-close-a-lean-green-muni-machine-1069179-1.html
“IWEA Government Affairs Conference,” IWEA News (IL)
Summary: The annual Government Affairs Conference by the Illinois Water Environment Association is January 23 at the Chicago Marriott
Southwest in Burr Ridge, IL. Keynote speaker is Marcia Willhite, IEPA Bureau of Water Chief. MWRD staff will make a presentation
on “Stickney WRP Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal: Start-Up, Transition and Progress.” Participants in the day-long conference can receive three professional development hours.
http://iweasite.org/Conferences/GovAffairsCon.html
“Metro water district taps Spyropoulos president,” Journal & Topics Newspaper (IL)
Summary: The Board of Commissioners elected Commissioner Mariyana T. Spyropoulos the new board president of the MWRD. Commissioner
Barbara McGowan was re-elected vice president and Commissioner Frank Avila is the new chairman of finance. President Spyropoulos was appointed to the board in 2009 and was elected
to a full term in 2010. She was elected chairman of finance in January 2013. “I am humbled and honored to have been chosen to
lead this prestigious body as we continue our work toward energy neutrality and becoming the leading resource recovery organization,” said President Spyropoulos.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_65a19172-99b6-11e4-b2e2-73dd6d218d0e.html
“New president at agency that watches over city’s water,” Loop North News (IL)
Summary: The county agency that manages stormwater and wastewater treatment for Cook County has new leadership. The MWRD announced Friday that Chairman of Finance Mariyana T. Spyropoulos was elected
president, Barbara McGowan was re-elected vice president, and Commissioner Frank Avila was elected chairman of finance. Spyropoulos is a lawyer and was appointed to the MWRD Board of
Commissioners in 2009, elected to a full term in 2010 and in 2013 was elected chairman of finance. Vice President Barbara McGowan has been on the MWRD board since 1998, is chairman of
two committees and was first elected vice president of the board in 2013. Commissioner Frank Avila was elected to the MWRD Board of Commissioners in 2002 and was re-elected in 2008 and 2014; he
is chairman of three committees.
http://www.marinacityonline.com/news/water0110.htm
“Spyropoulos elected as new president of MWRD,” Beverly Review
Summary: Mariyana T. Spyropoulos is the new president of the MWRD.
15 0114_Beverly Review_BOC Officers.pdf
“SRPED talks 2014 projects, upcoming plans,” Canton Daily Ledger (IL)
Summary: The Spoon River Partnership for Economic Development had a busy year in 2014 and has several projects in view for 2015. One of SRPED’s achievements was to help expand a public recreation site
in Fulton County. The MWRD and the IL Dept. of Natural Resources announced last October that the MWRD would enter into agreements for IDNR to manage some of the 14,000 acres in Fulton County
which the MWRD owns. With coordination from the SRPED the agreement allows the identified acreage to be used for public recreation. Work on the project will continue in 2015.
http://www.cantondailyledger.com/article/20150114/NEWS/150119771/-1/news
“Troubled waters: The funders cleaning up Chicago waterways,” Inside Philanthropy
Full article text: Documented in early 1790, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable is considered to be the first permanent resident of Chicago. But it wasn’t called Chicago back then; it was known
Eschecagou by local Native American tribes, which roughly translates to “the land of smelly waters.” Situated along Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, Chicago has a long-standing
reputation for unclean waterways. However, one local funder collaboration keeps kicking in funds to improve that reputation and the water sources around the city.
The following funding partners have joined forces with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to clean up waterways in the Chicago and
Calumet region: ArcelorMittal, the Chicago Community Trust, Crown Family Philanthropies, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley
Foundation, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Joyce Foundation, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago (MWRD), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Wrigley Company Foundation. Together, these
partners are known as the Chi-Cal Rivers Fund, and they recently announced five projects that will receive $1.1 million in grant
funding. This partnership was established in 2013, and this is the second round of annual grants made.
This latest batch of money is focused on reducing storm water runoff, improving fish and wildlife habitats, improving public use opportunities,
and supporting wildlife projects within the community. As part of the deal, the new grant recipients will match this funding with an additional $2.5 million, for a total of $3.6 million to
work with. Here’s a bit about these environmentally focused grant recipients are and what they’re doing for waterways around Chicago.
- City of Gary - $259,263 to install 43,200 square feet of green storm water infrastructure at 27 public sites throughout the city
- Chicago Park District - $259,000 to develop a new 4-acre riverfront park along the south branch of the Chicago River
- South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association - $235,295 to construct 6 acres of wetlands that will add 1.5 million gallons of storm water retention in Blue Island
- Friends of the Chicago River - $175,000 to install 33 in-stream habitat structures and substrates to enhance fish and aquatic life populations along a half-mile reach of the Chicago River main stem
- Lake County Forest Preserve District - $171,442 to restore 178 acres along the north branch of the Chicago River at the biodiversity-rich Middlefork Savanna
Several of the funders in this collaboration have remained on the forefront of IP’s radar, on both the local giving and national environmental scenes. The Joyce Foundation,
for example, has a grant program area for Great Lakes Protection and Restoration with goals of preventing the introduction and spread of invasive aquatic species and reducing
nonpoint source pollution. And the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation has a Chicago Region Land Conservation grant program area that prioritizes Calumet, Forest
Preserves of Cook County, Grand Kankakee, Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.
But as a unit, the Chi-Cal Rivers Fund is a public-private partnership that has some serious connections and noteworthy resources. The Fund
partners are scheduled to announce the next Requests for Proposals in June 2015.
Learn more about how your local environmental nonprofit can tap into these resources for the next grant cycle by visiting the Chi-Cal
Rivers Fund website or emailing Program Director Todd Hogrefe at Todd.Hogrefe@nfwf.org with general questions.
http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/marine-rivers/2015/1/8/troubled-waters-the-funders-cleaning-up-chicago-waterways.html
“Brookfield to buy vacant land for stormwater project,” RB Landmark
Summary: The Village of Brookfield, IL on Monday moved closer to building a pump station to reduce flooding in the vicinity of Forest and Washington
Avenues by agreeing to purchase a vacant lot that will provide for above-ground stormwater detention during heavy rain events.
Now that vacant land will serve as a stormwater detention area capable of storing 150,000 gallons, it will be part of a larger
project which will include another 120,000 gallons of underground stormwater detention along Washington Avenue and a
pump station with capacity to eject 5,000 gallons of stormwater per minute from storm sewers into Salt Creek. The project’s cost
is expected to total about $2 million; the MWRD will provide funding of $1.5 million and the balance will come from the
village’s water and sewer fund. In late January or early February village trustees will be asked to approve an intergovernmental agreement with the MWRD to obtain the funding.
http://www.rblandmark.com/News/Articles/1-14-2015/Brookfield-to-buy-vacant-land-for-storm-water-project/
"Deep Tunnel, marvelous sight," Chicago Tribune
Summary: Video taken by the Chicago Tribune features the MWRD’s Thornton Composite Reservoir which will be in operation later this year.
With the capacity to hold 7.9 billion gallons, the reservoir will provide $40 million per year in benefits to 556,000 people
in 15 southern Cook County communities and the south side of Chicago.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-deep-tunnel-so-chicago-20150114-premiumvideo.html
“Lockport
to tackle emergency bridge repair,” The Herald-News
Summary: A Lockport bridge needs emergency repairs to assist the Army Corps of Engineers in a $30 million project. The City of Lockport will have to pay an
estimated $120,000 to make repairs to the Route 7 Frontage Road Bridge. A bridge inspection this year showed it was in worse condition than previously reported. Although the bridge is
rarely used, the Army Corps of Engineers has a $30 million project scheduled this spring to repair a nearby shipping canal wall and needs the bridge to transport supplies and materials.
The bridge sits over the Des Plaines River, below a high-level bridge and between a concrete yard and a road leading to the Lockport Powerhouse; the Powerhouse is a dam used by the MWRD to
control the outflow of the Sanitary and Ship Canal and limit the diversion of water from Lake Michigan into the Des Plaines River.
http://www.theherald-news.com/2015/01/09/lockport-to-tackle-emergency-bridge-repair/awjccou/#
“Ask Geoffrey 114,” WTTW
Article Text: A few of us in our office were wondering why the Chicago River is not completely frozen over. Parts of it seem to
be, but the area around Wolf Point is completely ice-free...is it really water in the Chicago River? -- Edward Embach, Edgewater
We actually received this question during last year’s deep freeze, but we never got to it so we filed it away secure in the
knowledge that arctic temperatures would return. There are a few reasons why the river doesn’t freeze over completely, but
perhaps the most surprising one came to us from a University of Chicago geophysical sciences professor named Douglas MacAyeal, and it has to do with how water freezes.
We all know that water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. But water reaches its maximum density at about 39 degrees. This means as the water at the top reaches 39 degrees, it sinks and
is displaced by the warmer water underneath it. The whole river has to get to 39 degrees before the water on the surface can even begin freezing and that takes a sustained period of cold
weather. Now combine this with the fact that we reversed the flow of the river in 1900, so water from Lake Michigan is constantly flowing into the river. So the water in the river is
constantly being replenished by lake water, and since the lake is bigger, its water takes much longer to cool off.
Maybe the yuckiest reason the river doesn’t freeze right away is that a lot of the w ater in the river is actually cleaned sewage discharged from wastewater treatment plants along the river. The
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District says this cleaned effluent is between 40 and 55 degrees, which of course warms up the river. And another factor: many riverfront buildings also
discharge warm water into the river from their heating and cooling systems.
One last thing: while we hope we never see the main branch of the Chicago River freeze over, there are parts of the North and South Branches that come pretty close when there’s a cold snap.
The video below shows an icy section of the North Branch near our studios. Looks like a thaw can’t come soon enough!
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/01/14/ask-geoffrey-114
“Old 9th Street Bridge needs repair,” Lockport Legend (IL)
Summary: The City of Lockport, IL is preparing to spend $120,000 to repair a bridge that spans the Des Plaines River. The bridge is on the
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and serves the Lockport Powerhouse, owned and operated by the MWRD. An inspection in 2014 revealed major damage on the bridge.
http://www.lockportlegend.com/city/old-9th-street-bridge-needs-repairs
“Federal funds facilitate soil conservation, water quality,” Herald-Review (IL)
Summary: The Macon County Soil and Water Conservation District has received $600,000 in federal funding to reduce soil erosion and improve
water quality in the area. The conservation district serves as one of three organizations in the state to receive project
approval through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, a new initiative of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Macon County project will
focus on improving water quality and reducing nutrient and sediment loss by management practices in the field that will reduce runoff through drainage water management, bioreactors and
saturated buffer strips. Among the organizations partnering on the project are the City of Decatur, the Agricultural Watershed
Initiative, the University of Illinois Macon County Extension, and the MWRD.
http://herald-review.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/federal-funds-facilitate-soil-conservation-water-quality/article_19c31996-f2e7-502a-88ac-307773d45aad.html
“2015 National Physical Activity Plan Congress – February 23-24,” Newswise
Summary: The National Physical Activity Plan Alliance will host its 2015 Congress on February 23-24 in Washington, DC to recognize the efforts of hundreds of organizations working to promote
opportunities for physical activity among people in various settings, physical abilities and ages. The Space to Grow program in which the MWRD participates as a partner with the City of
Chicago and Chicago Public Schools will receive a New Champions award at the gathering. The program aims to transform underused and outdated schoolyards in ways that benefit communities, families and the environment.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/2015-national-physical-activity-plan-congress-february-23-24
“MWRD elects new officers,” Lawndale News (IL)
Summary: At a recent meeting of the MWRD’s Board of Commissioners, MWRD Commissioner Mariyana T. Spyropoulos was elected the new President. Commissioner Barbara T. McGowan was re-elected Vice
President. Commissioner Frank Avila is the new Chairman of Finance. President Spyropoulos received her law degree from John Marshall Law School and holds an MBA from Loyola University.
Commissioner Barbara McGowan has served on the MWRD Board since 1998 and is Chairman of the Board’s Affirmative Action Committee and Procurement Committee. Commissioner Frank Avila was elected
to the Board in 2002 and was re-elected in 2008 and 2014. He is Chairman of the Engineering Committee, the Maintenance and Operations Committee, and the Public Health and Welfare Committee.
http://www.lawndalenews.com/2015/01/mwrd-elects-new-officers/
“Putting downed trees to good use,” Cutting Edge
Summary: Composting waste wood with biosolids can be a win-win solution to communities facing a growing number of downed or diseased trees. The MWRD treats ‘over 1 billion tons of wastewater and
rain water each day; treatment leaves behind about 165,000 dried tons of biosolids to process into fertilizer for agricultural and landscape use. In 2013 the MWRD began an experiment mixing
biosolids with trees already downed by storms or infested with the emerald ash borer beetle. Following strict EPA guidelines the chipped wood is processed carefully, resulting in stable
compost which the MWRD plans to begin selling. Commercial compost sells for about $35 per cubic yard but Dr. Lakhwinder Hundal, Supervising Environmental Scientist at the MWRD notes,
“It isn’t close to ours in richness or quality. Ours has many more nutrients.”
14 1201_Cutting Edge_biosolids.pdf
“How do rain gardens help with storm water?” Soils Matter, Get the Scoop!
Summary: In Soil Science of America’s newsletter, MWRD Senior Environmental Soil Scientist Kuldip Kumar and Supervising Environmental Soil Scientist Lakhwinder
Hundal respond to the question: “How do rain gardens help with storm water?” Since the 19th century, urbanized areas have collected and
moved wastewater to water reclamation plants (WRPs) using a connected collection system. In many areas the facilities collect both stormwater and wastewater in combined sewer
systems. In some cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, about 90 percent of the surface is impervious, which means rainfall and melting snow flow over these surfaces and
into stormwater systems. During large storms the intensity and amount of water can cause flooding. This can burden the water reclamation plant system and it’s very expensive to support the
large amount of rainfall and snow. The traditional approach of “capture, convey and treat” is shifting to a focus on more sustainable systems to manage stormwater runoff. The shift is
often referred to as “green infrastructure.” Rain gardens are one example of green infrastructure. They help reduce the total volume of water entering the drainage system. They also delay
the arrival of water reaching the sewer system, which reduces the burden on the WRPs while also reducing instances of combined sewer overflows and localized flooding. Another benefit of rain
gardens and other types of green infrastructure such as green roofs and bioswales is they potentially reduce pollutants entering the stormwater system, such as nutrients from
fertilizers, road salt and bacteria which can negatively affect aquatic life and public health. Rain gardens collect, treat and filter surface runoff to recharge groundwater, helping the
stormwater to avoid the collection systems. Photo of “Greenest Street in America” taken by Asst. Public Affairs Specialist Dan Wendt.
https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/2015/01/21/how-do-rain-gardens-help-with-storm-water/
“Editor’s Letter: The resource recovery utility of the not-too-distant future,” Water World
Summary: Change is in progress in the perception of wastewater treatment to that of resource recovery. The development of the industry is
evolving to embrace recovery of phosphorus, nitrogen and energy from wastewater. Formerly theoretical possibilities have become actual methods, such as advancement of water reuse in Singapore,
energy recovery at California’s East Bay Municipal Utility District, and installation of a struvite recovery facility at the MWRD Stickney Water Reclamation Plant. The biggest challenge
may be in changing the mindset of utility customers who might be unaware of the resource recovery developments and the ability of these changes to help reduce operating costs so money can be
directed toward other important matters. Facilities should boost their communication with the public in this regard.
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/print/volume-31/issue-1/inside-every-issue/viewpoint/editor-s-letter-the-resource-recovery-utility-of-the-not-so-distant-future.html
“MWRD, Denmark sign MOU to share knowledge, expertise about water industry,” Water World
Summary: The MWRD and a regional water and wastewater treatment company in Arhus, Denmark recently announced a memorandum of understanding at a
gathering in Chicago. The MOU aims to provide an exchange of knowledge and expertise on wastewater treatment processes in place at the MWRD and at Arhus Water, which services a
population of about 800,000 in the metropolitan area of Arhus. “It is an honor that the District joins in this mutually beneficial partnership,” said MWRD President Mariyana
Spyropoulos, who participated in the signing ceremony and attended the gathering at the Danish Consulate with other MWRD commissioners. “The District and the Danish entities share many
common goals, such as effective water management, sustainable operations, efficient customer service, and environmental stewardship.”
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/01/mwrd-denmark-sign-mou-for-knowledge-exchange.html
“$10 million Harms Road project stormwater plan begins,” Journal & Topics (IL)
Summary: Construction has begun on the stormwater project East of Harms Road in Glenview, IL. Lift stations are being constructed on lots at both Cunliff Park and Harms Road just north of Glenview
Road as part of the project. When completed the lift stations will pump water into the North Branch of the Chicago River when the local storm sewers flood. The area is low-lying compared to
the river and can fill up with river water; the lift stations will pump water from that area into the river. A business district and about 1,100 homes in the area will benefit from the
project’s completion. The Village of Glenview and MWRD are paying for the stormwater management work. The MWRD will pay for $6 million of the project’s total cost of $10 million; the
village plans to cover the rest of the cost.
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_10382732-a19f-11e4-aeb6-f3a69d4fbfe7.html
“Record Green Bond Issuance Bolsters Chicago Sewers: Muni Credit,” Bloomberg Business
Full Article Text: U.S. municipalities are selling a record amount of debt earmarked for environmental projects as a growing appetite for
the bonds pulls in issuers from the nation’s capital to Chicago’s water district.
States and localities issued $2.5 billion of obligations in 2014 that they tagged with the green label, up from $100 million the year
before, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Globally, issuers such as governments, banks and companies offered about $39 billion of
the securities last year, an all-time high, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance data.
A $350 million tax-free sale by Massachusetts in September to restore waterways and save energy in public buildings shows how borrowings for
environmental needs are attracting money to the $3.6 trillion municipal market. The issue drew five first-time institutional
buyers of the state’s debt, and about a third of the orders from individuals came from people who don’t typically buy munis, according to Morgan Stanley, the underwriter.
“We’re hearing more and more that folks want to invest in environmentally friendly projects,” said Colin MacNaught, the Massachusetts assistant treasurer.
2014 Batch
There’s no universal standard for a green bond. Issuers use the label in offering documents to help market a deal. Having an independent
second opinion evaluating a bond’s environmental credentials gives investors more confidence, Tess Olsen-Rong, a market analyst in London at Climate Bonds Initiative.
Seventeen muni issuers assigned the green tag to sales last year, after Massachusetts was the sole entry in 2013, Bloomberg data show.
The label designates a project as having an environmental benefit, from clean water to energy efficiency.
The European Investment bank issued debt for climate improvement in 2007, and the World Bank followed with a labeled green bond in 2008,
according to Climate Bonds Initiative, a nonprofit promoting low-carbon investment.
Massachusetts sold $100 million of bonds with the green label in June 2013 in what it called a first for a U.S. state. Proceeds went toward
projects such as flood control and land acquisition, according to offering documents.
Last year’s sale will help pay for the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, which will support offshore wind projects. The District of
Columbia sold $350 million of green obligations last year to build tunnels about 10 stories deep as part of a project to reduce overflow into rivers and neighborhoods.
Raul Pomares, founder of San-Francisco-based Sonen Capital, said he advises clients, including tax-exempt foundations that typically don’t
buy munis, that this segment of local-government debt has a role to play.
Local Hero
“They are an attractive contributor from a total financial return perspective, and deliver this clear, meaningful, measurable
social, environmental impact,” he said.
Ellen Friedman, executive director of the Compton Foundation, a Sonen client, said that the muni tax exemption isn’t a priority for the San
Francisco-based based organization, started after World War II to promote peace. The securities are, however, because they help communities, she said.
Green-bond sales by municipalities will keep climbing, said Olsen-Rong. Environmentally conscious investors often want to know where
proceeds are going, and municipal offering documents provide transparency, she said.
The first-time buyers of Massachusetts bonds show that investment advisers have clients asking for the debt, said Brian Wynne, managing director
and co-head of Morgan Stanley’s public-finance group in New York.
“If you had an increase in green-bond issuance that would bring in more investors to the market,” Wynne said. “And that would provide
the potential for green bonds to price at a premium versus non-green bonds.”
Demand Check
Demand hasn’t reached that level, said Scott McGough, director of fixed income in Philadelphia at Glenmede Trust Co., which manages about $2.7 billion of munis.
John Flahive, Boston-based director of fixed income at BNY Mellon Wealth Management, which oversees about $20 billion in munis, said that
while he has more clients who want holdings with a socially responsible slant, he probably would’ve bought the Massachusetts
debt anyway because of its credit quality. The state has an Aa1 grade from Moody’s Investors Service and AA+ from Standard & Poor’s, one step below the top.
Issuers say the green tag brings attention. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago sold about $225 million of the
securities in December, its first such issue, said Mary Ann Boyle, the district’s treasurer.
The label helped distinguish the agency’s first muni issue in three years, Boyle said.
The district, which oversees wastewater plants, is using proceeds for work including more sewer tunnels and reservoirs to curb overflow.
Some money will go toward a system to convert waste into environmentally friendly fertilizer.
“We had much more excitement and much more investor interest related to the green bonds than we’ve seen in the past,” Boyle said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-26/record-green-bond-issuance-bolsters-chicago-sewers-muni-credit.html
“IWEA annual conference,” IWEA
Summary: The Illinois Water Environment Association’s annual conference is February 23-25 in Champaign, IL. Early registration discount
ends January 31. The technical program for “Life is Good Water: Renew for the Future” includes: green infrastructure, CSO
reduction, nutrient removal and recovery, laboratory trends, and liquid treatment process design. Staff from the MWRD will present a session on biosolids planning.
http://www.iweasite.org/index.html
“MWRD installs new green roof at Racine Avenue Pumping Station,” Water World
Summary: The MWRD announced it has completed construction of a green roof atop its Racine Avenue Pumping Station (RAPS). The pumping station houses
main sewage pumps which transport wastewater to the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant. The structure’s total building roof
area of 33,000 square feet has about 4,500 square feet which is being structurally rated to handle the additional weight of
vegetation on the roof. Age-related issues of leaks and wear on the tar roof required attention; rather than make replacements
of heavy, impermeable tar, a portion of the roof became the site of plantings. Because of their ability to withstand harsh weather conditions, a variety of native, low- maintenance Sedium
plants were installed. Irrigation and occasional weeding will be part of the roof’s maintenance. “We all know that Chicago weather can be harsh, and we face extreme temperature swings and
moisture levels,” said MWRD President Mariyana T. Spyropoulos. “This new vegetative roof is definitely an improvement and will greatly benefit the agency and the environment. We expect it to
slow stormwater runoff and absorb heat. It also has an insulating effect for the building, which will result in lower electrical costs for operating the building.”
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2015/01/new-green-roof-tops-racine-ave-pumping-station.html
“More than 1,000 to gather on Sunday for ‘Birthday of the Trees,’” Chicago Tribune
Summary: A free, community-wide celebration sponsored by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) will give children a chance to plant their own sapling and
participate in other activities on Sunday at Chicagoland Jewish High School in Deerfield. In its seventh year, the “birthday of
the trees” festival is expected to draw more than 1,000 people of all ages to Deerfield. The holiday traces its start to ancient tradition and has evolved into a combination of Arbor
Day and Earth Day, according to officials at JNF. Groups in attendance will include the Boy Scouts, Chicago Botanic Garden and the MWRD (for the fourth year).
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-dfr-tu-bshevat-celebration-tl-0205-20150205-story.html
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