“Arlington Heights unveils new police station, set to last 'generations',” Daily Herald

Arlington Heights officials formally dedicated the new $27.9 million police station at 200 E. Sigwalt St. Monday night, following 20 months of construction and a Nov. 11 car crash into the lobby that slightly delayed the opening. (Paul Valade | Staff Photographer)

Summary: The $27.9 million police department headquarters built in place of the old station at 200 E. Sigwalt St. in Arlington Heights was unveiled Monday. The two-level, 70,500-square-foot building is located between village hall, which opened in 2008, and fire station #1, built in 2006. The station includes a number of "green" features, including wooden benches, display cases, paneling and tables made of recycled village parkway ash trees that were cut down from emerald ash borer infestation. The MWRD contributed $358,000 to help pay for the green infrastructure components, which consists of permeable pavement in the back parking lot and in the main access driveway, a bioinfiltration basin in an adjacent park, and a nearby rain garden. The GI components provides 90,807 gallons of stormwater storage. The MWRD’s funding represents 23.63% of the total $1,515,000 construction cost; the headquarter project is a part of a larger Village project which will cost nearly $30 million. The Village applied for funding from the MWRD in 2017 during the first “Call for Green Infrastructure Projects.” Officials hope the building has staying power, unlike the former 38-year-old headquarters which became cramped and outdated and unable to meet current and future needs."This facility will be used by multiple generations of law enforcement professionals in service to this community," said Village Manager Randy Recklaus. "There are Arlington Heights police officers that haven't been born yet that are going to be spending their careers in this building."
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20181218/arlington-heights-unveils-new-police-station-set-to-last-generations

“Natalie Creek Project Groundbreaking,” Village View

“Civic Federation Supports Metropolitan Water Reclamation District's FY2019 Tentative Budget,” Civic Federation
In an analysis released today, the Civic Federation announced its support for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s tentative FY2019 budget of $1.09 billion. As detailed in the report, the District continues to follow a number of financial best practices. These include developing a strong capital improvement plan, publishing a five-year financial forecast, maintaining high general operating reserves, using working cash funds rather than short-term borrowing when awaiting property tax revenue and holding study sessions on the budget and capital improvement plan. The District is on a proactive plan to fund the MWRD Retirement Fund annually at a level that is projected to reach 100% funding by 2050. The District has contributed an amount above the actuarially determined contribution amount since FY2013. The increased funding from both employees and the MWRD has contributed to a reversal of the downward financial trajectory of the fund and will make retirees’ pension benefits more financially secure and sustainable for taxpayers. “The MWRD remains a leader in adhering to prudent financial practices,” said Civic Federation President Laurence Msall. “The Federation hopes the MWRD will continue to strive for maximum transparency moving forward.” While the District’s financial stewardship is commendable, the Civic Federation remains concerned about its reliance on the property tax as a funding source while sharing a tax base with several other Chicago area local governments, many of which will likely increase their levies to address significant pension liabilities in the near future. The MWRD plans to increase both its aggregate levy and its Stormwater Management Fund levy annually for at least the next five years. The Federation encourages the District to develop a plan that details how and when each of its property tax levies will reach a stable point when automatic increases are no longer necessary. Further, the pension reform litigation experiences of other local governments in Illinois leave open the question of whether the MWRD’s employee contribution increases might be challenged in court. The Federation fully supports the District’s pension funding plan, but urges the District to work with the pension fund to release a public evaluation of the possible impact of a reversal of its reform law as a precautionary measure. Finally, the Civic Federation recommends that the MWRD incorporate all budget amendments made subsequent to release of the Tentative Budget into a final proposed budget document and allow sufficient time for the final proposal’s review before adoption by the Board of Commissioners.
https://www.civicfed.org/MWRD_FY2019_RELEASE

“MWRD Selects Veteran Staffer Brian Perkovich as New Executive Director,” WTTW

MWRD Executive Director Brian A. Perkovich

Summary: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago stayed in-house in selecting 25-year agency veteran Brian A. Perkovich as its new executive director. Perkovich’s appointment, approved unanimously by MWRD’s Board of Commissioners on Monday, comes five months after the abrupt resignation of the organization’s former leader, David St. Pierre. In naming Perkovich as St. Pierre’s successor, MWRD promoted a longtime employee who has overseen several of the district’s facilities.  Perkovich began at the agency in 1993 as a civil engineer and later served in a number of managerial roles, including as operations manager for the district’s Egan treatment plan in Schaumburg and the Calumet treatment facility in Chicago, according to MWRD. Most recently, Perkovich had been serving as assistant director of maintenance and operations for the entire district. According to MWRD, Perkovich received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in business administration from DePaul University. “We are confident that with his robust experience at the district, Brian will lead the agency in a strategic direction that continues to promote the agency’s mission of treating wastewater, managing stormwater in a cost-effective manner and protecting the environment,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos in a statement. Perkovich said he was honored to be selected. “I look forward to working with current and new board members to move the district on a path that improves the quality of life for our residents while maximizing every dollar we spend,” he said in a statement. The nonprofit Friends of the Chicago River issued a statement congratulating Perkovich while also calling on the organization to take action in several areas, such as by installing disinfection technologies at the district’s Stickney plant, taking further steps to prevent combined sewer overflows into area waterways and reducing levels of phosphorus, which fuels the growth of harmful algae. “The MWRD has enormous power and influence to ensure that we meet these goals for the Chicago River,” said Margaret Frisbie, Friends’ executive director, in the statement. “We pledge to work with [Perkovich] to help accomplish these necessary tasks.” John Murray, who most recently served as MWRD’s director of maintenance and operations, had been serving as acting executive director prior to Perkovich’s appointment.
https://news.wttw.com/2018/12/05/mwrd-selects-veteran-staffer-brian-perkovich-new-executive-director

“MWRD Board of Commissioners selects Brian A. Perkovich to fill executive director,” Water Online

After a nationwide search, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Board of Commissioners has selected civil engineer Brian A. Perkovich to serve as its next Executive Director. Brian has 25 years of experience working in the MWRD's Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Department. He began his career at the MWRD in 1993 and later was selected to lead operations at the Egan Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Schaumburg and at the Hanover Park WRP before being promoted to lead operations at the Calumet WRP in Chicago in 2005. Most recently, he served as Assistant Director of M&O. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his Master's degree in Business Administration from DePaul University. The MWRD began its executive director search in early September. Qualified candidates were evaluated through a multi-stage process, resulting in a number of exceptional finalists being interviewed by the Board of Commissioners earlier last month. Final deliberations were held on November 29 resulting in the selection of Brian to fill the Executive Director position. "We are confident that with his robust experience at the District, Brian will lead the agency in a strategic direction that continues to promote the agency's mission of treating wastewater, managing stormwater in a cost effective manner, and protecting the environment," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "I am honored to have been selected to fill this role," said Perkovich. "I look forward to working with current and new Board members to move the District on a path that improves the quality of life for our residents while maximizing every dollar we spend."
https://www.wateronline.com/doc/mwrd-board-commissioners-selects-brian-perkovich-fill-executive-director-post-0001

Wadsworth Elementary School’s new Space to Grow schoolyard. Photo by the MWRD.

Space to Grow is a Chicago-based initiative that works with many of the city’s low-income communities to transform underutilized schoolyards into vibrant, inspirational multifunctional spaces that connect students with nature while helping address localized flooding issues. With Chicago Public Schools schoolyards comprising more than 760 acres of impermeable surface in highly urbanized areas, Space to Grow prioritizes the transformation of these spaces into outdoor learning spaces that encourage physical activity all the while incorporating blue-green infrastructure features that capture a significant amount of rainfall, helping keep the city’s water resources clean and resulting in less neighborhood flooding. These features include rain gardens, native plantings and gardens, permeable asphalt, permeable pavers, water storage under parking lots and turf fields, and permeable rubber play surfaces.
A unique partnership
Space to Grow is a unique partnership between two organizations that focus on different priorities: Openland focuses on connecting people with nature where they live and Healthy Schools Campaign works on making schools healthier places for children to learn and thrive. The model brings together capital funds, expertise, and leadership from Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Water Management and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Space to Grow maximizes its investment from these two water agencies by designing schoolyards with blue-green infrastructure features that absorb large amounts of water.
Community involvement in the planning
Space to Grow does not provide a one-size-fits-all model to every school. Instead, it engages the entire school community to create a schoolyard that meets specific needs and serves as a source of neighborhood pride. Each space involves school staff, students, parents, and other community members providing a vision of the schoolyard while a planning committee is established to facilitate open and engaged participation. This ensures the schoolyards are designed and constructed to meet the unique needs and visions of each community. To maximize the use of these unique spaces, each Space to Grow schoolyard remains open to the community after school and on the weekend.
Integrating the space into school culture and learning
After each Space to Grow Schoolyard is completed, Openlands and Healthy Schools Campaign support the school in fully integrating their schoolyards into the school culture and learning experience. This includes community events and workshops and professional development for teachers and school staff. The professional development aspect focuses on how and why to teach outdoors as well as blue-green infrastructure workshops where participants learn how to use the new features as teaching tools. To ensure these spaces serve the school and community for many years to come, even with changes in leadership and staffing, the partners also:

• Support the development of wellness teams to incorporate the new spaces into physical education and recess plans
• Facilitate the development of garden teams to take ownership of the various gardens
• Develop parent leadership at the schools

Rotterdam delegation touring new Space to Grow Schoolyard
Recently, a delegation from Rotterdam, including Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb and Dutch General Council Louis Piët, toured the new Space to Grow schoolyard at James Wadsworth Elementary School, which has a new athletic field with artificial turf, a running track, a basketball court, a playground with a rubberized surface, and vegetable gardens. Because Wadsworth is a STEM school, the students participated in the design process by creating models and drawings for their new schoolyard. More than 50% of the new surface of the schoolyard is pervious compared to the nearly 100% impervious grounds prior to construction.
Wadsworth Elementary School’s new Space to Grow schoolyard
The campus features a cistern capturing roof runoff, a rain garden capturing runoff from the track, and a subsurface aggregate-filled storage area holding stormwater for gradual release to the combined sewer. Below the athletic field, rain garden and playground, there is an underground storage area consisting of 276 cubic yards of aggregate, equivalent to 400 tons or 20 truckloads. More than 130,000 gallons of rainwater is stored temporarily in the pore space between the individual aggregate and is slowly released to the sewer or infiltrated into the subsoil. In addition, students, parents and community members greened the surface area by planting 33 trees, 42 shrubs and 1,788 perennials.
The take-out
Blue-Green Infrastructure is best served when it involves the community in planning, connects people with nature and provides lifelong educational opportunities.

Community Garden Stewardship Days at Leland Elementary. Photo by the MWRD.

https://medium.com/mark-and-focus/chicagos-inspirational-blue-green-school-spaces-b19593006199

“River Grove takes key step toward first roadwork on stretch of First Avenue in about 25 years,” Pioneer Press
River Grove trustees took a key step toward what the village engineer said would be the first major road construction in about 25 years for a stretch of First Avenue. At the Nov. 15 village board meeting, trustees approved a resolution approving an engineering agreement with Edwin Hancock Engineering Company for a Fullerton Avenue improvement project for next year. The project would run from Maple Street to First Avenue. The village earlier had approved an intergovernmental agreement with Cook County, which grew out of the Connecting Cook County and Invest in Cook programs. The programs give local governments the opportunity to apply for transportation funds to help cover the costs of the planning and feasibility studies, officials said, as well as the engineering and construction of improvements that advance the Connecting Cook County initiative. River Grove Mayor David Guerin said that Cook County Commissioner Peter Silvestri was instrumental in the village receiving approval for a $265,000 grant in March to offset the cost of the $1.06 million project. The resolution covers the design work needed to prepare the plans and specifications for the section of road, “the only piece of road we have that doesn’t have curbs and gutters,” said Village Engineer Mark Lucas, responding to questions at the meeting. He said plans are to go out for bids on the project in the spring, with construction slated for July. The village hopes to tap the same Cook County funds to support water main work in the area, sometime in the next year or two, Lucas said. Guerin asked the engineer how long it had been since any work had been done on that stretch of road. Lucas estimated it’s been 25 years. Also, at the meeting, trustees moved forward on a resolution approving an engineering services agreement with Hancock green alley improvements in combination with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The village has an application in with the water reclamation district and has had multiple conversations with the agency about the program, Lucas said. He added that “one of the things they’ve encouraged is, even if you don’t receive it, you have a shovel-ready project.” Then if the village doesn’t receive the grant, the water reclamation district is encouraging local officials to make an application next year, Lucas said. The village is looking at three alleys, located between south Roosevelt Lane down to Fullerton Avenue, he said. “We have a plethora of alleys to pick from,” Lucas said.
Note: The Village of River Grove’s green alleys project was approved by the MWRD Board of Commissioners on Nov. 15, 2018.  The project includes the construction of three green alleys in 2019, with an estimated design retention capacity estimated at 160,000 gallons and a cost of $770,000.  The MWRD’s contribution is to be determined through negotiations with the Village for an IGA.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elmwood-park/news/ct-elm-river-grove-village-briefs-tl-1129-story.html

“Flood control work gets underway in Midlothian, Oak Forest,” Daily Southtown
For many south and southwest suburban residents, particularly those with basements, the date of April 18, 2013, brings back a flood of bad memories. With some communities seeing 4 or 5 inches of rain that day and extensive flooding, it was to be a watershed moment in the life of Helen Lekavich and a group of Midlothian residents, who formed the “Floodlothian Five” in the storm’s wake. Their efforts battling for flood relief in their community have paid off, with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District getting underway with a $7.6 million project on flood-prone Natalie Creek in Midlothian and neighboring Oak Forest. It’s expected to ease flooding concerns from overbank flooding along the creek, with work including enlarging culverts that restrict the water’s flow and widening the channel in some spots. The MWRD also will enlarge an existing stormwater detention pond at 149th Street and Kilpatrick Avenue in Midlothian, and construct a new detention basin near 147th and Kostner Avenue in that community, to increase the amount of overflow that can be contained during storms. Work is expected to be finished sometime in 2020. MWRD and local officials took part in a groundbreaking ceremony Monday in Midlothian, standing just feet from the creek that has been the source of frustration for dozens of homeowners and businesses. The district said that the creek work will benefit nearly 240 structures affected by flooding. Midlothian Mayor Gary L’Heureux said at the ceremony that it is a “much-needed project,” and praised the “tenacity” of Lekavich and the “Floodlothian Five.” “It’s been an inspiration to watch these residents do what they do,” he said. The flood-control project will be “a game changer for Midlothian,” longtime Trustee Karen Kreis said. While referred to as the “Floodlothian Five,” the number is misleading as it includes couples who were part of the founding group, which expanded and gained additional support to become “Team Floodlothian.” Apart from Lekavich, her mother, Jackie Hill, since deceased; Theda Reed, Laura and Andy Marlin, Marihelen and Ed Brinker-Neu, and Ruben and Sharon Pessina were the original five, and most of them attended the groundbreaking event. They posed for pictures, holding a sign attached to a long boat oar that read “Team Floodlothian” and “Rowing an upstream battle.” At the bottom, the sign was updated with the words “We Did It!” During what Lekavich called the “oar tour,” it’s been toted in community parades and carried to Village Board meetings in Midlothian. The April 2013 flood had been “the 15th flood at my house and the last straw for me,” she said before Monday’s ceremony. It had destroyed her car and Lekavich ended up having to replace the foundation of her garage, which essentially washed away. During 2014, Lekavich said her home was inundated by nine floods over a span of 13 weeks. She does not live in a designated floodplain so she does not qualify for flood insurance. She began going door to door to see if neighbors wanted to join the flood fight, and sent off photos and video of flood damage to the MWRD. Lekavich said the group got a huge boost when state Rep. Will Davis, D-Hazel Crest, arranged for a meeting that involved regional, state and federal flood-control agencies that was held in Midlothian in September 2014. Thanks to the group’s efforts and working with the Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology, Midlothian, in 2016, became the country’s first RainReady community. CNT has since worked with other south suburbs to develop plans to become “more resilient to too much rain” by employing cost-effective solutions, such as permeable surfaces for parking lots and designing soccer fields to do double duty as stormwater detention basins. Lower-cost ways of handling heavy rainfall events are needed as the frequency of such storms increases due to climate change, according to CNT. Mariyana Spyropoulos, MWRD’s president, said that with projects such as Natalie Creek “we are tackling a changing climate head-on and preparing future generations for the challenges that come with excess stormwater.” Work will be performed on three miles of the creek, from the area of 157th Street and Long Avenue in Oak Forest to 146th Street and Pulaski Road in Midlothian, according to the district.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-midlothian-flood-control-st-1122-story.html

“Construction begins on flood control project in Midlothian, Ill,” Storm Water Solutions.
Summary: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) began construction on a $7.6 million flood control project on Natalie Creek in Midlothian, Ill. The project is expected to ease flooding concerns along the flood-prone creek. Flood control work will include enlarging culverts that restrict water flow and widening the channel. Additionally, an existing storm water detention pond at 149th St. and Kilpatrick Ave. will be enlarged, and a new detention basin near 147th St. and Kostner Ave. will be built. The groundbreaking ceremony took place Nov. 19 in Midlothian, just feet away from Natalie Creek. Efforts to receive funding were spearheaded by a community group dubbed the “Floodlothian Five,” who advocated for flood control measures following a series of property damaging floods in the suburbs. One resident, Helen Lekavich, faced nine floods over a period of 13 weeks without even living in a designated floodplain.
https://www.estormwater.com/flood-control/construction-begins-flood-control-project-midlothian-ill

“Natalie Creek Project Updates,” Village of Midlothian
The $8.3 million Natalie Creek project will include improvements designed to reduce flood risks along the creek starting at 146th and Pulaski and following a route of about 15,800 lineal feet through to the City of Oak Forest’s Central Park Detention Basin.

• Misc. Channel Improvements along the Creek
• Concrete Channel Renovations and existing Detention Basin expansion at 149th Street and Kilpatrick
• Upsizing of Culverts at 149th Street and Kilpatrick, Kenton, Kolmar, Kilbourn and Kostner Avenues
• New Detention Basin Facility in the vicinity of Kostner Avenue and 147th Street
• 146th Street and Pulaski Road Conduit Outfall Grate Improvements

https://www.villageofmidlothian.net/381/Natalie-Creek-Project-Updates

“SWS Conference & Exhibition 2018 provides educational opportunities,” Storm Water Solutions.

MWRD Senior Civil Engineer Patrick Jensen leads a tour for visitors to McCook Reservoir, as part of the Storm Water Solutions (SWS) Conference & Exhibition.

Summary: The second annual Storm Water Solutions (SWS) Conference & Exhibition brought together industry leaders from across the storm water and erosion control industries. Held Nov. 13 to 15, 2018, at the Tinley Park Convention Center in Tinley Park, Ill., the event was well attended. Maryland’s Secretary of the Environment Ben Grumbles kicked off the event as the keynote speaker, drawing a crowd as he addressed national trends in storm water permitting, as well as specifically his efforts in Maryland. With 13.5 Professional Development Hours (PDH) available at the conference, attendees learned from strong educational tracks highlighting topics including MS4 program management, green infrastructure and more. Additionally, the conference featured a tour of the McCook Reservoir Stage 1, hosted by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
https://www.estormwater.com/events/sws-conference-exhibition-2018-provides-educational-opportunities

“MWRD President Spyropoulos and WWII Veteran Angelo Gianopulos,” Hellenic News of America
In honor of the upcoming Veteran’s Day Holiday, President Mariyana Spyropoulos invited Mr. Angelo Gianopulos, a Cook County resident and WWII Veteran, to MWRD’s November 1, 2018, Board Meeting. Mr. Gianopoulos was given a resolution honoring his service to our country. “I don’t know of another individual more deserving of our gratitude and respect. His sacrifice and the sacrifices of all our soldiers and veterans should be honored every day. Mr. Gianopulos is a piece of living history that stood before us today sharing his chilling stories of war, like the Invasion of Normandy and his time serving in General George Patton’s 3rd army. The emotion in his eyes is something I will always remember. It was an honor to meet him,” said MWRD President Spyropoulos. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is an award-winning special purpose government agency responsible for wastewater treatment and stormwater management. MWRD’s mission is to protect the health and safety of the public, the quality of the water supply source (Lake Michigan) and protect businesses and homes from flood damages.

https://hellenicnews.com/mwrd-president-spyropoulos-and-wwii-veteran-angelo-gianopulos/

https://www.isasce.org/news/

“MWRD Completes Cherry Creek East Branch Flood Control Project,” Storm Water Solutions
The $3.3 million project will remove 16 homes from the floodplain.

MWRD completes flood control project in Flossmoor, Ill., flood control project

On Oct. 11, officials gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony marking the completion of the Cherry Creek East Branch flood control project in Flossmoor, Ill. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) flood control project will remove 16 homes from the floodplain and provide substantial flooding relief. The $3.3 million project involved restricting the flow to a pond on the property of the Homewood-Flossmoor High School and installing a new 48-in. diameter culvert. Additionally, the project created a 940-ft flood relief channel. Flooding on the school’s property previously had been a hazard and disrupted classes, Supt. Von Mansfield told the Chicago Tribune. Flooding made it difficult for students to get to and from classes and even warranted the cancelation of classes on one occasion. For the next three years, the MWRD will maintain the flood control project. After that, maintenance responsibilities will turn over to the district.
https://www.estormwater.com/flood-control/mwrd-completes-cherry-creek-east-branch-flood-control-project

“Microbiological Zoo At Treatment Plant Turns Wastewater Into Fertilizer,” CBS Chicago
Summary: Senior Environmental Microbiologist Auralene ‘Toni’ Glymph was interviewed by CBS as a preview for Saturday’s Museum of Science and Industry Science Works day.
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/video/category/spoken-word-wbbmtv/3951394-microbiological-zoo-at-treatment-plant-turns-wastewater-into-fertilizer/

“Officials mark completion of $3.3 million flood-control project in Flossmoor,” Daily Southtown Star

Officials cut a ribbon Oct. 11, 2018, to mark the completion of a $3.3 million flood control project in Flossmoor. (Mike Nolan/Daily Southtown)

When early spring rains came, especially after the last of winter’s snow had melted, officials at Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233 would keep a wary eye on a pond on the school’s property. As the water appeared ready to spill over the pond’s banks, the school would warn residents living nearby to get their belongings up and out of harm’s way of the flooding that would soon follow, Supt. Von Mansfield said. On Thursday, officials snipped a ribbon marking the completion of a $3.3 million flood-control project that is expected to make that problem a thing of a past, and also save affected homeowners thousands of dollars in flood insurance costs. Mansfield said flooding at times made it difficult for students to get to and from classes in the two-building high school, and one time forced the cancellation of classes. He said the problem was particularly worse in early spring, when rains followed a heavy snowmelt when the ground was still partially frozen. “We would have to let (residents just south of the school) know the pond was rising,” Mansfield said. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s Cherry Creek East Branch flood control project “is a big deal” in that it will remove 16 homes from the flood plain, Flossmoor Mayor Paul Braun said after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He said that flood insurance for those homes cost between $1,000 and $2,000 a year, plus the homeowners shouldn’t be having to repair flood-related damage to their homes. Braun said the project has been in the works for at least seven years. “It’s been a long time coming,” he said. Along with homes south of H-F, the project will alleviate flooding issues for homeowners to the east, along Braemar Road, Braun said. The flow from the school’s pond was restricted, and part of the project included installing a new 48-inch diameter culvert as well as a 940-foot flood relief channel west of Governors Highway on H-F property, according to the MWRD. The district also had to acquire land from nearby Calvary Assembly of God Church for additional flood-control work. At the ceremony, Mansfield said there was “a lot of construction” with heavy machinery on the property but that the work didn’t disrupt school operations. For the next three years, the MWRD will be responsible for maintenance of the flood-control project, Braun said. After that, Flossmoor and H-F will take over maintenance, he said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will make changes to the flood plain map Oct. 26, according to the district.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-flossmoor-flood-control-st-1012-story.html

“Tom Kunetz speaks on WEF podcast Words on Water,” Water Environment Federation
Summary: Tom Kunetz is the new President of the Board of Trustees for the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and Assistant Director of Monitoring and Research for the MWRD. In this 30-minute episode, Tom discusses his priorities for the next year as WEF President, which include increasing the diversity of the water workforce and expanding resource recovery by utilities. He also talks about his work at the MWRD, the rebound of the Chicago River, and his involvement in comedy.
https://wordsonwaterwef.com/2018/10/09/words-on-water-58-tom-kunetz-on-priorities-as-wef-president/

“Lipinski floats $1.25 billion plan to keep untreated sewage out of the lake,” Crain’s Chicago Business
Summary: Under a new bill introduced by Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Chicago, sewage disposal agencies generally would be banned from discharging untreated waste into the lakes, the source of drinking water for tens of millions of people.  There would be an exception if such an action "is unavoidable to prevent loss of life, personal injury or severe property damage" after a storm. But the exemption would apply only if agencies like Chicago's Metropolitan Water Reclamation District had taken reasonable efforts to prepare for predictable events. To help move reluctant areas along—Milwaukee, in particular, has made progress in recent years but still is a problem, in the view of some—Lipinski's bill dangles a big financial carrot: federal funds of $250 million a year for five years, starting in fiscal 2020, to help local governments pay the costs of new treatment plants and related anti-pollution steps. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is expected to introduce a similar bill in her chamber soon. The new measure is similar to a bill once advanced by former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. "We really made an effort to figure out what we can do that will work," said Lipinski. MWRD "is making good progress. The opening of the McCook reservoir last year was a big help." But it and other government units could use federal help, too. Lipinski said he believes the bill has a decent chance of passing the House if Democrats take control of that body in next month's elections.  But he conceded Republicans so far have been unable to make a financial commitment. The new bill did get a vote of support from Environmental Law & Policy Center chief Howard Learner, who called it "a step in the right direction to reduce raw sewage being dumped into the Great Lakes, creating both health threats and ecological harms. Some wastewater treatment systems have blended untreated sewage with treated water, but that only partially reduces the contamination. This legislation would mostly ban blending and provide support for wastewater treatment facilities to install better technologies and equipment."
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/lipinski-floats-125-billion-plan-keep-untreated-sewage-out-lake

“Once polluted and abandoned, back alleys have sprouted into flourishing rain gardens,” JSTOR Daily
To Battle Floods, Cities Revive Their Long-Forgotten Alleyways
Once polluted and abandoned, back alleys have sprouted into flourishing rain gardens.

Detroit's Green Alley with blooming bee balm. Courtesy Green Garage Detroit

When unprecedented “1000-year” floods hit Nashville’s combined sewer system in 2010, the water left was filthy. Rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater flowed together into a toxic stew that was far more than the local sewage treatment system could handle. City leaders and residents of neighborhoods like the Nations and East Nashville were disgusted by the dirty water both standing around and being discharged into rivers like the Cumberland. A local nonprofit, the Cumberland River Compact, stepped up to help install a way to lessen future flooding: designing and planting rain gardens in previously neglected residential alleys. On a recent steamy morning in June, carpenter bees zoomed around the bright coneflower, echinacea, and bee balm on a small plot of earth in East Nashville’s Eastwood neighborhood. It was part of the compact’s resulting Green Alley Program, which has helped water-seal more than 150 alleys to date by creating space where water can soak into the earth rather than flowing into the combined sewer system. Program manager Will Caplenor surveyed the mini-garden proudly. No new drains had been installed, just 50 square feet of spongy, absorbent earth and heat-tolerant plantings. With help from a landscape architect, the compact had designed five rain garden templates to accommodate different amounts of sunlight and shade received in each space. Today was dry, but should rains come, well-tended berms in this garden and others would help direct the water away from storm sewers and down into the earth. Taunia Rice, an Eastwood resident since 1989, alternated between detailing her car and weeding this rain garden, which sat in the alley out back of her house. The 2010 floods had been “crazy,” she said, but the plantings had helped keep water in check since. Previously, Nashville alleys like this one had often built up trash, brush, and other debris that often washed away and contributed to sewer blockage. “When we heard about it, we were like, ‘What is a rain garden?’” Rice remembered. “We thought it seemed like a fantastic opportunity.” Around the corner, Caplenor pointed out how another 80-square-foot garden that had a drainage pipe running right to it was purposefully sunken. Site-specific accommodations were part of the plan, and while some gardens were carefully weeded and others more overgrown with plants, they all created stormwater-absorption benefits. Multimillion-dollar grants funded the plants, and volunteers did the planting. “Almost all of this was spurred by 2010,” Caplenor said. “That kind of opened Nashvillians’ eyes on exactly what’s going on. Urban sprawl and flooding are what people are really worried about here.”
Roots of a Rethinking
A handful of farsighted researchers saw this coming. In the late 1970s, a Louisville academic named Grady Clay argued that American cities would densify in the future, and should better use their alley space as they did. “As energy costs go up, as moving and commuting costs increase, the value of older city blocks is likely to stabilize or even to soar in select locations,” Clay wrote in his book Alleys: A Hidden Resource. “Thousands of alley blocks can be transformed by simple reforms.” But as suburbs continued to sprawl out, American planners seemed to pay little attention. Entire new subdivisions were laid out without alleys. Meanwhile, the pre-World War I alleys in urban areas—often soft surfaces of gravel and grass—were often paved over, then nearly abandoned. By the end of last year, more than 300 of Chicago’s back routes had been repaved into green alleys. In the past couple decades, landscape architecture professor Michael David Martin of Iowa State University took up Grady’s call, studying the towns and neighborhoods where alleys were successful at doing everything from growing gardens and draining stormwater to creating neighborhood cohesion. Architecture students and the New Urbanism movement slowly took notice of what these humble little back routes could do—especially when they hosted more plants and less pavement. Now, as American cities grow denser and climate-change effects—including Nashville’s major rainstorms—intensify, key cities are indeed starting to rethink their alleyways, especially to mitigate flooding and create heat-reducing green space. “In certain places people are starting to appreciate alleys as green infrastructure,” Martin says. “You’re starting to see gravel, plantings, wildlife habitat in places of high densities. They’re a valuable thing to preserve.”
Permeable Pavement
In the past few years, U.S. cities have quickly followed each other’s lead improving their alleys into more widely usable and eco-friendly spaces. Chicago—never shy about building massive infrastructure—was an early leader. It piloted a citywide project in 2006 to repave hundreds of its flood-prone alleys (which amount to 1,900 miles of pavement in total) with more porous material. The “Green Alley Project” repaving isn’t uniform. Some Chicago alleys now use permeable asphalt, others permeable concrete, and others pavers with space between for water to seep. Such asphalts and concretes start with larger stones rather than fine-ground sand, and add cellulose fibers to hold the pavement together. This increases the air void by up to 20 percent, allowing more rainwater to seep through. In addition to their increased perviousness, Chicago’s permeable pavement is even greener because it uses recycled materials like concrete aggregate, slag (a steelmaking byproduct), and old tire rubber incorporated as sub-base or into the concrete or asphalt mix. Water seeps slowly through the sub-base and into the earth. Pitching and grading of the pavement is key. In some spots, catch basins connected with perforated pipe are installed in retention trenches to capture and funnel water. Unlike in Nashville, where high points are in the alley’s middle so that water flows to the absorbent rain gardens planted along the edges, Chicago’s alleys are generally graded to bring runoff to the center of the alley. From there the water flows into the street and the existing sewer system. (Although it also has a combined sewer system, Chicago has upgraded its stormwater-handling system significantly over the past few decades. The city’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District expanded to handle nearly 14 billion gallons across its Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, which holds stormwater in reservoirs until the district can treat it. The reservoir system is estimated to have eliminated more than half of all possible sewer overflows since 1980, and it will expand to an 18-billion-gallon capacity within the next decade.) In another wise climate-change-prep move that goes beyond flood control, the lighter-colored surface of high-albedo pavement is used to reflect rather than absorb sunlight in Chicago’s green alleys. This helps reduce the urban heat-island effect. By the end of last year, more than 300 of Chicago’s back routes had been repaved into green alleys. The city had also published the “Chicago Green Alley Handbook” action guide outlining precisely how residents could take 11 additional measures to make their alleys more sustainable, from composting and tree-planting to adding green roofs and bioswales—landscape elements used to slow, collect, and filter stormwater. These features turn cities into “sponges,” another term for flood-resistant metropolises.

Detroit’s Green Alley in spring. Photo courtesy Green Garage Detroit.

Building on Success
A Detroit team used Chicago’s project handbook as a guide in 2008, when its members piloted the Detroit Green Alley. Business owners along the Midtown alley repaved the stretch with a filtering substrate of rocks and soil, topped by concrete lattice pavers and reclaimed bricks. They added LED lighting, and along the alley’s edges planted a native garden of wild-looking plants like milkweed, goldenrod, and coneflower. The Midtown alleys, like Nashville’s green alleys, are convex-shaped, so water flows out to the absorbent planting systems at the edges. The Detroit Green Alley reopened in 2010. Four years later, the second-heaviest single-day rainfall Detroit ever recorded caused such massive flooding that people abandoned their cars on the highway. Proving its worth, the green alley didn’t retain a single puddle. Now Midtown has more than more than half a dozen eco-friendlier alleys, with so many more planned that it’s considering seeking an “alley district” designation. What’s more, as Detroit’s water and sewer department introduced drainage fees and mitigation tax credits in the past few years, the Detroit Green Alley was held up as a model of what kind of efforts would earn mitigation credits. San Francisco’s planning department published a how-to Living Alleys Toolkit, which depicted the Midtown Detroit project as a guide. L.A., Seattle, and of course Nashville are among the other cities that have since piloted their own projects. As cities grow denser and climate change intensifies, bringing more heat waves, flooding, and other problems, don’t be surprised to spot more. “We saw it as an opportunity in space that was underutilized,” says Caplenor, of the Cumberland River Compact. “Since I’ve been working on the project I’ve definitely taken more notice of alleys. I see a ton of potential there.”
https://daily.jstor.org/to-battle-floods-cities-revive-their-long-forgotten-alleyways/

“Detroit team wins first LIFT Intelligent Water Systems Challenge at WEFTEC,” Water & Wastes Digest
Open-Storm Detroit Dynamics won $25,000 prize from Xylem, Inc.
In Alexandria, Va., a team from the Great Lake Water Authority and the University of Michigan won the first-ever Intelligent Water Systems Challenge for using data analytics to develop a tool to maximize the use of collecting systems and minimize combined sewer overflows in Detroit. The winning project, Open-Storm Detroit Dynamics, was announced at this year’s Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC). The conference was in New Orleans and earned the team a $25,000 prize from Xylem Inc. “As we continue to support and promote innovation in the water sector, we are also looking for ways to integrate practical applications,” said Eileen O’Neill, WEF executive director. “Our hope is that the Intelligent Water Challenge will demonstrate the value of intelligent water systems to utilities and help foster the adoption of smart water technologies.” The competition challenged students, professionals, and technology experts to use innovation and data to help solve some issues facing water and wastewater utilities. The challenge began in April and required the participating teams to address real world problems. The Great Lakes Water Authority team predicted its solution can enable Detroit’s system to handle an additional 100 million gal with no new construction. This translates to savings of about $500 million. The research grant underlying the tool was less than $200,000. Second prize of $15,000 went to the team from Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) for its project, Developing Intelligent Advanced Warning Systems for Odors at Thornton-Composite-Reservoir. Third prize of $5,000 went to the Clean Water Services (CWS) team in Hillsboro, Ore., for its project Influential Pump Station Optimization. Team members came from CWS and reaches across both wastewater treatment within the facility as well as field operators. The $2,500 prize for Most Elegant Solution went to the Pima County, Ariz. team, for the creation of integrated data reporting tools for capturing data across multiple formats and databases to produce fewer and more refined reports within the facility and field operators. According to a press release from the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Intelligent Water Systems Challenge is hosted by the Leaders Innovation Forum for Technology (LIFT), a joint effort of WEF and Water Resource Foundation. The Intelligent Water Systems Challenge is supported by the American Water Works Association, the Smart Water Networks Forum, the International Society of Automation’s Water and Wastewater Division, Cleveland Water Alliance, The International Society of Automation, The Water Council, Water Technology Acceleration Project and BlueTech Research.
https://www.wwdmag.com/smart-water/detroit-team-wins-first-lift-intelligent-water-systems-challenge-weftec-2018

“Aldermen Agree To Use Sewer Funds To Start Work,” Journal and Topics

Truck barrels through high-standing water on Sibley Avenue in Park Ridge after a quick-moving storm on Labor Day Sept. 3, 2018. Solving local flooding issues has long been on the city’s radar. (Tom Wessell/Journal photo)

After nearly five years of discussion on the city’s most severe flooding areas, Park Ridge City Council took a solid step forward on remedying several of them Monday, Oct. 1 at a special Public Works committee meeting. The key decision this time was where funds would come from existing surplus in the sewer funds, stormwater utility fees, or both. Finance Director Andrea Lamberg said there are sufficient sewer funds to cover this year’s tasks on two projects. Aldermen voted unanimously to use the sewer funds. As this was a special committee meeting, it will come back at a future City Council regular meeting for final action. Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds Terry Wolf came to listen, as at least one project will be close to park properties. A sequence for a Sibley Avenue storm sewer requires a feasibility study with a cost of $1,200. If it proceeds, there would be another $600,000 cost in fiscal year 2019. This would install a new main sewer from Home to the Des Plaines River, past Maine Park. Two subsequent phases which were suggested are for installing new sewers along Milton/Babetta/Irwin, and Cherry Street, to connect into the Sibley project if it proves feasible. Another related project is to install a vault for storage on Marvin Parkway. Its feasibility study was finished but design work is needed, estimated at $184,000. The Mayfield Estates project, involving a lift station and initial storm sewer installation, will hook into a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District new sewer line along Dempster, the northern border of that subdivision. Park Ridge can’t proceed without MWRD, but its first stage only requires installation of a connecting pipe, and funds are already set aside to cover that. Having available funds now to cover these projects means the city can start on the first two sets before the 2019 budget year ends in April 2019. Authorization to collect stormwater utility fees, based on property’s coverage by buildings and impermeable surfaces, was postponed over a year ago during an upgrade in the finance department’s billing system. Extra sewer funds had been accumulated before the stormwater utility was approved.
https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/aldermen-agree-to-use-sewer-funds-to-start-work/

The North Branch of the Chicago River near Montrose Avenue in Horner Park. (Courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
https://news.wttw.com/2018/09/26/advocates-celebrate-opening-restored-horner-park-riverfront

“Construction Work On $100M Bellwood Detention Pond To Start In Coming Weeks,” Village Free Press
Summary: Construction on a long-anticipated reservoir north of Washington Boulevard, near Addison Creek in Bellwood, could start within the next several months, according to Bellwood Mayor Andre Harvey. During a regular meeting on Sept. 19, the Bellwood Board of Trustees unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to maintain the reservoir. At that meeting, Harvey said that construction work on the project is going out for bid soon. The MWRD could choose a bidder by the end of this year, with construction scheduled to start shortly afterward. Harvey added that as of Sept. 19, MWRD has already completed most of the demolition necessary for the reservoir, with only some minor work still to be done. The mayor said that he expected the reservoir to be finished “18 to 24 months” from when construction on the 600-foot reservoir begins. Construction is projected to cost around $100 million, according to the reclamation district. Once the reservoir is complete, the reclamation district will work on a series of “channel improvements” to the creek and its banks that is expected to cost around $48 million. In Bellwood, those improvements will include rebuilding the walls and removing three bridges along the spot where the creek parallels the Eisenhower Expressway. According to the reclamation district, construction contracts aren’t expected to be awarded until summer 2019 at the earliest, and construction related to those additional improvements won’t be finished until 2021. The detention pond is one of the two measures that aim to address flooding along the creek, which is a longstanding issue in Bellwood. Harvey said that Bellwood has 900 homes on the floodplain. He said that after the pond is constructed 800 homes will no longer be flooded, and the property owners for remaining 100 homes will see their insurance premiums reduced. Flooding has also been an ongoing issue in other communities through which Addison Creek flows, including Northlake, Stone Park, Melrose Park, Broadview and Westchester. The reclamation district began planning a solution in 2011. While it originally considered putting a reservoir in Melrose Park, issues with property ownership, among challenges, led it to consider an alternative site. Aside from the properties in Bellwood, two properties will be removed from the flood plain in Broadview, 218 in Melrose Park and 183 in Stone Park. According to the water reclamation project document, a total of 1,707 structures will be protected from flooding.
Note: Article has been edited for accuracy.
https://thevillagefreepress.org/2018/09/24/construction-work-on-110m-bellwood-detention-pond-to-start-in-coming-weeks/

“Residents chime in on proposed fruit orchard,” Austin Weekly
The second of three meetings will be held at a banquet hall at Marshall High School, 3250 W. Adams St., this evening at 6 p.m.

Summary: The Garfield Park Community Council recently teamed up with the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development and the Metropolitan Planning Council to figure out the details of the Fifth Avenue Eco Orchard — a fruit orchard that would be built near the intersection of 5th Avenue and Sacramento Boulevard. And they want the community to weigh in. On Sept. 11, the organizations held the first of three community planning meetings near the orchard's future site at a banquet hall at 2946 W. Madison St. Residents and community activists in attendance got a chance to get some more information about the project and discuss what sort of features they want to see and how the orchard can benefit the community.  The next meeting will be held on Sept. 25, 6 p.m., at Marshall High School, 3250 W. Adams St., while the final meeting will be held on Oct. 17, 6 p.m. The idea for the orchard grew from feedback by residents who shopped at CPCC's Garfield Park Farmers Market who wanted to be able to buy fresh fruit. While the organization has been pushing for the orchard for the past four years, the project didn't gain significant traction until it was able to secure $500,000 in Open Space Impact funds and a matching grant from Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The project was able to qualify for the grant because the orchard would double as a flood reduction measure, absorbing and storing storm water that would otherwise go into the sewers. During the Sept. 11 meeting, Michael Berkshire, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development's green projects administrator, explained that this would be accomplished through some combination of permeable surfaces, bio-swales and underground storage tanks. He also said that the garden would help cool the surrounding area, noting that, because of pavement and other material that traps heat, urban areas tend to be hotter than rural areas. During the Feb. 26 meeting of the Chicago City Council's Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation, Berkshire said that the city hasn't settled on which city-owned vacant lots along 5th Avenue the garden would grow on.  During the Sept. 11 meeting, he revealed that the city would choose two lots — one at the southwest corner of Sacramento Boulevard and 5th Avenue, and one on the north side of 5th Avenue, between Whipple Street and Albany Avenue. Berkshire said that they chose the parcels that were least contaminated and where flood reduction measures would have the most impact.
http://www.austinweeklynews.com/News/Articles/9-18-2018/Residents-chime-in-on-proposed-fruit-orchard--/

“Excellence In Operation And Design In Water Infrastructure Honored,” Water Online
Summary: The Water Environment Federation (WEF) proudly announces the 2018 WEF Awards recipients for operational and design excellence. These awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the water environment profession. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is among the 2018 WEF Project Excellence Award recipients. This annual award pays tribute to excellence and innovation in the execution of projects and programs in the water sector.

• The McCook Reservoir

Awardee: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
The McCook Reservoir Stage 1 was formally unveiled to provide flood and pollution control to 3.1 million people in the Chicago area. The McCook Reservoir is part of the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP). TARP is the Chicago area’s plan for cost-effectively complying with federal and state water quality standards. TARP’s main goals are to protect Lake Michigan – the region’s drinking water supply – from raw sewage pollution; improve water quality of area rivers and streams; and provide an outlet for floodwaters to reduce street and basement sewage backup flooding.

https://www.wateronline.com/doc/excellence-in-operation-and-design-in-water-infrastructure-honored-0001

“An insider’s guide to Open House Chicago’s newest, must-see sites,” Curbed Chicago
Chicago’s Architecture Center’s Eric Rogers reveals his favorite additions to this year’s OHC event
After attracting an estimated 91,000 attendees last year, the Chicago Architecture Center has unveiled a 250-plus lineup of sites for its eighth edition of its yearly Open House Chicago weekend, set for October 13 and 14. With a first-time presence in the city’s Austin, Beverly, and Morgan Park neighborhoods and a return to Rogers Park and West Ridge following a hiatus, the free event offers unique access to more than 50 new or returning locations. Helping makes sense of the expansive geographically and architecturally diverse 2018 program is Eric Rogers, the Chicago Architecture Center’s OHC and community outreach manager. Rogers, who is tasked with seeking out and convincing the city’s best historical treasures and otherwise hidden spaces to open their doors to the general public, is in a unique position to share his thoughts on this year’s new and must-see sites. For the weekend’s full list of sites and a handy itinerary planning tool, be sure to check out OHC’s official website.

West Ridge
Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant: Constructed in 1928, this Saturday-only site is one of seven wastewater treatment facilities operated by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. “This is our first time partnering with the district,” explains Rogers. “It’s not only an opportunity to see a historical space, but a chance to learn about the water treatment first hand.” Witness the final stage of the process as water passes through ultraviolet (UV) disinfection tanks before being released in the North Shore Channel of the Chicago River’s north branch.

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/9/13/17841370/open-house-chicago-2018-best-sites

“You've Got To Crawl Before You Can Count: Mill Creek Mussel Survey,” Friends of the Chicago River Blog
Friends of the Chicago River and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District teamed up for a mussel survey on Mill Creek near Palos Hills ahead of a major project to reconnect the stream with the Cal-Sag Channel. How do you survey mussels? On your knees mostly, digging into the river bed and pulling up handfuls of wet sand and soil. Not many mussels were found on Aug. 2, 2018, but those slim findings could illustrate how a limestone shelf Friends aims to remove between the channel and the stream is currently blocking fish and other waterborne wildlife. The team dug for about an hour then recorded the number and location of mussels found, measured them and released most back into Mill Creek. Some were kept for further research by MWRD scientists. The group included Friends Conservation Programs Specialist Maggie Jones, and the MWRD's Al Eastman, Paula Brinkman Lowe, Justin Vick and Jennifer Wasik. Earlier this year, Friends did a fish survey in the creek. Both searches are valuable to measure improvements in the years to come after the shelf is removed. On survey day with temperatures in the 90s, the team navigated thick bushes and trees to get to the hidden creek near Calumet Sag Road. After donning waders, they dug a designated stretch of the clear running stream, using gloved hands to siphon the soil and reveal the mussels. Most found were small fingernail-sized specimens though a few larger, empty "relic" shells were discovered. The mussels were counted, measured, recorded and most were returned to the creek. A few were kept for research. Vick called the low count "an opportunity to re-populate." Once the shelf is removed, it is hoped fish and the mussels they carry will travel deep up the 2 1/2-mile Mill Creek sparking new communities. The Cal-Sag Channel connects the Little Calumet River to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, part of the Chicago River system. When the 16-mile, man-made channel opened in 1922, engineers ran it below the limestone at Mill Creek effectively blocking passage between the two waterways. The nearly quarter million dollar project to remove the shelf and restore the habitat is funded by the Chi-Cal Rivers Fund, a public-private partnership working to restore the health, vitality and accessibility of the waterways in the Chicago and Calumet region by supporting green stormwater infrastructure, habitat enhancement, and public-use improvements. The removal of the limestone shelf is slated to begin early next year after Friends and its project partners complete fish, mussel, and macroinvertebrate surveys, and secure necessary permits.

Maggie Jones and Jennifer Wasik examine an area near rocks where mussels might be lodged.
https://www.chicagoriver.org/blog/2018/8/you-ve-got-to-crawl-before-you-can-count-mill-creek-mussel-survey

“Design Evanston sets tour of mystery buildings,” Evanston Now

The MWRD pumping station at 1455 Elmwood Ave. (Google Maps images)

Summary: Design Evanston will host tours later this month of two curious buildings located just a block apart that members of the public have rarely ever been inside. Dick Lanyon, former executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, will guide a tour of the MWRD's Evanston Pumping Station at 1455 Elmwood Ave. at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29. The pumping station was designed in 1920 by Chief Engineer George Wisner.
https://evanstonnow.com/story/education/evanston-now/2018-09-02/80408/design-evanston-sets-tour-of-mystery-buildings

“Village wins green alley grant,” Forest Park Review
A grant from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District will help Forest Park construct a green alley in the Elgin-Marengo alley between Lexington and Harvard streets. At the Aug. 27 Forest Park Village Council meeting, elected officials unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the water reclamation district, which will pay up to $123,830 of the estimated $275,000 cost of creating the green alley. When the alley is replaced, the center 6 feet will consist of permeable pavers to help stop storm water runoff; the rest will be concrete. In addition, the alley will have perforated catch basins to maximize storm water infiltration into the ground. Together the green infrastructure installations will provide a total design retention capacity of 28,841 gallons of storm water per rain event. Village Administrator Tim Gillian said the alley is on the list of alleys being considered for replacement through the village's five-year infrastructure plan and "soil conditions are good for this type of alley." He said village officials applied for the grant in 2017, and they were informed by water reclamation district officials in July that they received the grant. "It took some time to go through their process," he explained. "But we've got it now." Gillian said the project will be undertaken in 2019 with the bidding process taking place in the winter months and the actual work done in late spring or early summer. The green alley will be the third in the village, joining the 500 block alley between Thomas and Beloit avenues and the 100 block alley between Harlem and Elgin avenues. Gillian said both were done "a long time ago," also with partial funding from the water reclamation district. He indicated the cost of a green alley, $100,000 higher than the cost of a standard concrete alley, is preventing the village from doing more. "We would do more if we could get financial assistance from somebody," Gillian explained. "We just cannot justify the cost to do it by ourselves." Under the intergovernmental agreement, Forest Park officials will provide and maintain signage describing the project as a joint effort between the village and the water reclamation district "to promote the use of green infrastructure as an effective means of storm water management." The Forest Park project is among projects in parks, forest preserves, municipalities, a university and a nature center throughout Cook County to benefit from water reclamation district funding of green infrastructure enhancements to better manage storm water.
http://www.forestparkreview.com/News/Articles/8-28-2018/Village-wins-green-alley-grant/

“Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago: Reservoir Tours Engage Thousands to Showcase Critical Water Infrastructure,” Value of Water Campaign

Many Americans take water for granted. They start their morning making coffee, taking a shower, brushing their teeth, but few understand how the water from their faucet gets to and leaves their homes before being cleaned and returned to nearby rivers and streams. The MWRD is among the organizations that annually join the Value of Water Campaign that will take place on Oct. 10, 2018, to Imagine a Day Without Water and raise awareness about the value of water and issues facing the critical infrastructure every home and business in America relies on. Participating is fun and engaging! Last year, over 750 organizations used this signature day of action to host events, partner with their elected officials, showcase local businesses and allies, and more!

Need ideas? Look no further! Peruse the Value of Water Campaign's Excellence in Communications online gallery for ideas and tips from some of the water sector's leading communications teams to use for Imagine a Day Without Water.

See how:

• Philadelphia Water Department and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago use tours and open houses to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to keep water infrastructure running and protect local water bodies.
• KC Water teams up with coffee shops, breweries, and other local businesses to demonstrate how important water infrastructure is to our daily lives and identify opportunities for future partnership.
• Pennsylvania American Water inspires students to imagine a day without water and make the connection between their actions and the impact on natural resources.
• Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's "Sewer University" brings history to life educating Cleveland residents about the evolution and function of their wastewater infrastructure.

Once you sign up, keep the momentum going by encouraging others to join you! Share a link to Imagine a Day Without Water on your website, and join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #ValueWater.

The Value of Water Campaign educates and inspires the nation about how water is essential, invaluable, and in need of investment. Spearheaded by top leaders in the water industry, the Value of Water Campaign is building public and political will for investment in America's water infrastructure.
http://thevalueofwater.org/content/metropolitan-water-reclamation-district-greater-chicago-reservoir-tours-engage-thousands

“Big Jump 2018: Access for All,” Friends of Chicago River

Summary: Elected officials and river advocates swam in the Chicago River on August 25 in a “Big Jump” event designed to highlight the collective work that has been done to improve the river’s water quality and to demonstrate a commitment to making the Chicago River swimmable for all. The 2nd “Big Jump” event took place at Ping Tom Memorial Park. In addition to MWRD Commissioner Josina Morita and Margaret Frisbie, Executive Director of Friends of the Chicago River, jumpers included U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Colonel Aaron Reisinger, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Ald. Michelle Smith (43rd), State Rep. Robyn Gabel of the 18th District, and MWRD ETPO Steve Carmody among others. There has been a great deal of improvement to the water quality in the Chicago River system including the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP, aka Deep Tunnel) and new water quality standards that include disinfection at the O’Brien and Calumet Plants which discharge to the river. According to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, with disinfection in place the water they are releasing into the river is cleaner than the river water itself.  The water quality station nearest to the Ping Tom Park river area is often lower than the IEPA target for the Primary Contact Recreation waters, and tests have shown no human pathogens.  In other words, the water is safe for people with normal immune systems.

And...they're in! (MWRD)

Congresswoman Robin Kelly addresses the audience. In the back row, MWRD Commissioner David Walsh and Steve Carmody.

https://www.chicagoriver.org/blog/2018/8/photos-video-big-jump-2018-access-for-all

“The improbable possibility of Bubbly Creek: Of fire and water,” Chicago Sun Times
By Dale Bowman
Summary: Gary ‘‘Hal’’ Link said a few cattails are growing on Bubbly Creek. That wasn’t the oddest thing Wednesday. I was talking to a strapping man in a kilt. I went to the Chicago Maritime Museum for a panel discussion titled ‘‘The Past, Present and Future of Bubbly Creek,’’ put on in conjunction with the McKinley Park Development Council. Panelists included Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner Debra Shore; Ald. Patrick Thompson (11th); Phil Willink, a former senior research biologist at the Shedd Aquarium; and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers restoration biologist Frank Veraldi. Beforehand, the cocktail crowd wandered out on the deck by Bubbly Creek. When I snuck off to photograph a mural on the 35th Street bridge, I found wood scraps piled by wooden benches and seats around a fire ring. Mary Ann O’Rourke, who handles communications for the CMM, said, ‘‘You should meet Hal,’’ then led me through the basement of the Bridgeport Art Center (Racine and 35th) to Link at his Halldoor Woodworking shop. He said Rahmaan Statik did the mural under lights in a few nights. ‘‘Taggers won’t tag murals because they respect other artists,’’ Link said. ‘‘Professional courtesy.’’ Link is a curious chap, the original artist in BAC. He plants native wildflowers, primarily for pollinators. He usually has beehives, but not this year after a hive was stolen. He had a small jar of his Bubbly Creek honey, which Arthur Schattke, an electrical engineer down the street, and I dipped our fingers into. BAC is the kind of place where anything seems possible. ‘‘There are solutions to Bubbly Creek, but they cost a lot of money,’’ Shore said while listing some of the wilder ideas. The basic plan the Corps has would cost around $20 million, 65 percent of which would be covered by the federal government. Authorization could come by 2020. In the best case, construction would begin in 2022 or 2023. The South Branch and Bubbly Creek do not yet have the grandiose development plans there are on the North Branch. But Thompson noted there is already serious residential development near Bubbly Creek. ‘‘It is such an asset, we should treasure it,’’ Thompson said. ‘‘It is a place for families to come down and enjoy.’’ He mentioned fishing and picnicking, then drew laughs when he said, ‘‘Don’t know if we will go swimming in there.’’ ‘‘What would be the closest in nature to Bubbly Creek?’’ Veraldi asked rhetorically. ‘‘It mimics backwater swamp conditions of a large river system. There are huge flood pulses, times when it is really ripping through, times when the backwater is stagnant and has very low oxygen levels.’’ As for sediment, he said the best plan will be to cap it, which will be tough. There is as much as 16 feet of muck, which is the consistency of pudding. The Corps plan would cap it with sand, gravel and rock. ‘‘Never had a raging mountain stream full of trout here,’’ Willink said. ‘‘The main currents are artificial ones from [the Racine] pumping station.’’ He thought likely fish species would be largemouth bass, sunfish, catfish and a number of minnows. ‘‘If you create the habitat, they will come and utilize it,’’ he said. ‘‘The ultimate point is to get people back down to the river,’’ Veraldi said. On open-studio nights on the third Friday of the month, Link has as many as 75 people around the fire ring, a symbolic lighting and enlivening of Bubbly Creek.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/environment/possibility-bubbly-creek-fire-water/

“Joint Niles Committee Reviews Design Proposals For Golf Mill Park,” Journals & Topics
Members of a joint Niles village and park district committee reviewed the top proposals to redesign a larger Golf Mill Park during Monday’s (Aug. 20) public meeting at the Niles Park District Howard Leisure Center. The committee will hear presentations by firms who submitted the top five proposals at two joint committee meetings, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 13 and Monday, Sept. 17, Niles Village Manager Steve Vinezeano said. Village officials own the former multi-story office building at Greenwood Avenue and Church Street, adjacent to Golf Mill Park. Village officials plan to demolish the building shortly after Labor Day and install underground stormwater detention vaults. Above ground, the building site would become green space, combined with Golf Mill Park, to double the park’s size to nine acres. Vinezeano said 10 design proposals were received and the top proposals evaluated and prioritized by the joint committee at Monday’s meeting. When one proposal is chosen by the joint committee, both park commissioners and village trustees will need to approve that recommendation at separate board meetings. Vinezeano said that decision would not likely come until September or October, as “we still need to do interviews and shore up the scope of work.” Vinezeano said there would also need to be “large public participation component” in creating the final design for the expanded park. Early conceptual designs for the expanded Golf Mill Park were completed last year by the late Ed Uhlir before his death in November. Final designs could differ from Uhlir’s conceptual renderings after the design process and input from the public and joint committee. Uhlir was formerly the Chicago Park District’s chief architect, director of engineering and director of research and planning. He was tapped by former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley as Millennium Park’s project director and helped design Maggie Daley Park in Millennium Park. Uhlir’s renderings show a long park with parking areas on either end and a walking or running path surrounding the entire area. One side of the park would contain athletic fields, while the other side would have additional walking paths and a series of iconic and interactive pavilions. One of Uhlir’s proposals includes a water feature. Below ground, the project would create a stormwater detention area equivalent to 12 acres of water, one foot deep, along with 4,000 feet of 36-inch to 54-inch sewer lines. The village purchased the office building from the Cuneo Family, former owners of the Golf Mill Shopping Center, in 2016 for $2.6 million, designating the building site for stormwater detention and a possible festival grounds area in the village’s stormwater master plan. Initial cost estimates for the project were placed at $8.6 million. In May, Mayor Andrew Przybylo announced the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago would provide a $2 million grant to offset project costs. Przybylo also said artistic elements in the park and festivals could boost the economy by drawing more visitors to Niles from across the region.
https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/joint-niles-committee-reviews-design-proposals-for-golf-mill-park1/

“Seventh Edgar Fellows class,” Northern Illinois University Today
MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos was selected as one of 40 emerging leaders in the state of Illinois to take part in the seventh class of the University of Illinois Edgar Fellows Program. Participants were selected from nearly 170 nominations by an advisory board of former and current elected leaders and public and private CEOs and directors. The leadership program ran from Aug. 5 to Aug. 9 and included presentations, workshops and activities. The program is designed and constructed each year by former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar to inspire respectful and collaborative leadership to address the state’s major challenges.

https://igpa.uillinois.edu/page/edgar-fellows-alumni
https://www.niutoday.info/2018/08/20/mark-pietrowski-selected-for-seventh-edgar-fellows-class/

“The Beauty of Physics,” The Physics Teacher
Summary: The idea of a liberal arts education is deeply rooted in our academic history. Originally based in the goal of learning about the classical literature of Greece and Rome, the approach has morphed over the years into a broad course of study, including mathematics, literature, history, languages, philosophy, art, and the sciences. It is those last two subjects that brought Don Lincoln, a particle physics researcher, and Lindsay Olson, an artist who has featured MWRD properties and processes in some of her work, to collaborate on artwork that can interest the public about science.

This manmade waterfall was Lindsay Olson’s inspiration into exploring the world of science with her art. The MWRD SEPA Station #3 is located at Waterfall Park at the corner of Fulton and Chatham, in Blue Island, IL. (Courtesy Lindsay Olson)

This work has been, and continues to be, shown at many venues. The photo here was taken of Lindsay Olson at an art exhibition in the assembly hall of the Compact Muon Solenoid, one of the two large LHC detectors. (Courtesy Bree Corn)

https://aapt.scitation.org/doi/10.1119/1.5051141

“Shoreline Abnormality: An industrial corridor’s past and future, as seen from the waters of the Calumet,” South Side Weekly
Summary: Down the Calumet River from a former petcoke storage site, several acres of early growth trees rustle gently in the breeze. It’s one of a few areas with sustained natural growth on the northern part of the river, which snakes through the Southeast Side’s industrial corridor. Tom Shepherd, an environmental activist and longtime Southeast Side resident—and, on a recent overcast morning, the guide of a boat tour down the river—singles that parcel out as we pass by. “It’s really amazing on that property to see how nature makes its comeback,” he says. Shepherd, along with 12 others, boarded the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District boat for a tour of the southeastern branch of the Calumet River System. From the yacht yard on 95th Street, they travelled onto Lake Michigan for a panoramic view of the Illinois-Indiana skyline then back into the mouth of the river, under the 95th Street bridge, past the bulk materials handlers, the metal scrappers, and the city salt storage piles. Then the group went under the bascule bridge on 106th Street, past the Ford plant and then past the shallow wetland lake owned by the Illinois International Port District.

Piles of salt on city-owned land on the Calumet River (Courtesy Ders Anderson)

https://southsideweekly.com/shoreline-abnormality-southeast-side-industrial-calumet-river/

“How permeable paving can help Melbourne reduce urban runoff and flooding,” Architecture and Design (Australia)
Several small American towns are relying on permeable pavers for effective water management and flood control, and an Australian publication sites these projects as examples to be followed in their country.
Summary: Harwood Heights, a small village in Cook County, Illinois is working with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to construct two permeable alley way systems. Harwood Heights is creating these new alley ways for the purpose of preventing flooding and stormwater runoff. It is estimated that these two permeable alley ways will retain a whopping 364,830.42 litres of stormwater runoff per rain event. A $28 million police station built in Arlington Heights, Illinois features a car park paved with permeable pavers, and believed to store 340,687.061 litres of stormwater. Ellicott City in Maryland suffered from severe flooding, prompting immediate action from engineers, sentimentalists and state officials. Ellicott City implemented rain gardens, permeable pavers and bio-retention cells in order to reduce flooding and prevent pollution. Allentown, Pennsylvania has just implemented a ‘stormwater credit system’ in which individuals who install storm water collection/management systems such as permeable pavers, dry ponds and wetlands will receive a large discount on their stormwater fee. So, if small American towns and cities are implementing water management strategies and utilizing permeable pavers, why isn’t Melbourne doing the same? Even when Australia has access to the world’s most advanced permeable pavers.
https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/premier-pavers-stone/how-permeable-paving-can-help-melbourne-reduce-urb

“Government Officials and Staff Engage in Conversations about Nutrient Management,” Cook County Farm Bureau News
Cook County governmental officials and staff engaged in conversations regarding nutrient treatment and recovery.  Participants toured the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, which can treat up to 1.44 billion gallons of water daily.  The plant treats effluent from Chicago and 46 suburban communities.  Through a partnership with Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies and Black & Veatch, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) operates the largest nutrient recovery facility in the world.  Using Ostara’s technology, the plant can remove phosphorus and nitrogen to create a high value fertilizer. The plant can produce up to 10,000 tons per year. Participants also toured MWRD’s Harlem Avenue compost treatment site.  The site co-composts biosolids, a product of the water treatment process, and wood chips from Chicago area municipalities and landscaping companies.  Using an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved process, MWRD mixes wood chips and biosolids before stacking the product in windrows.  The windrows are turned and cured before being screened to ensure that the compost is a consistent and even textured premium product. Staff Exchange participants also traveled to Smits Farm a family owned and operated business.  Over the past 25-years Smits Farms has grown from a single greenhouse and a family of two to thirteen greenhouses and a family of eight.  To conserve nutrients, Smits Farms utilizes compost and innovative farming techniques.  Throughout the program, participants explored and discussed nutrient reduction strategies and the impact of these strategies on the environment and waterways. Since 2012, over 140 officials and staff have participated in the Staff Exchange Program.

http://www.cookcfb.org/stay-updated/news/ccfb-news/article/2018/06/conversationsaboutnutrientmanagement

“Brookfielder earns science fair honors,” Riverside-Brookfield Landmark
Brookfield resident and recent St. Mary School graduate Benediktas Bieliauskas was among students in grades seven through 12 who won awards at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's (MWRD) Environmental Science Fair in June. Certificates were presented to the winners by MWRD President Mariyana T. Spyropoulos. Students presented their projects in front of their families, MWRD commissioners and staff. Afterwards, the winners and parents took a guided tour of the Chicago River, learning about the history and role of the waterways in managing storm water.

http://www.rblandmark.com/Community/Blogs/8-7-2018/Brookfielder-earns-science-fair-honors/

“Will County, Army Corps turn former prison farm into prairie,” Daily Southtown
Summary: With the flip of a shovel, officials of the Forest Preserve District of Will County and the Army Corps of Engineers launched a project to turn a former prison farm into a restored prairie. Just north of the former Joliet Prison, at the site of the Prairie Bluff Preserve on Renwick Road, forest preserve leaders joined with ACOE Colonel Aaron Reisinger and U.S. Rep Dan Lipinski, D-Western Springs, Monday afternoon to mark the beginning of an aquatic restoration project spanning hundreds of acres in two preserves. A $2.3 million bid was awarded last December to Applied Ecological Services, with options to do an overall $4.3 million of work. It will restore 400 acres at Prairie Bluff Preserve and 300 acres at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserves, which includes one half of the rare wet dolomite prairie in the world, said Ralph Schultz, chief operating officer for the forest preserve district. The two sites – which sit west and east of Route 53 – are interconnected through groundwater discharge. Through prescribed burns, control of invasive species and planting and restoration of native vegetation, the prairie will be restored, monitored and maintained over the next five years to ensure that the plants become established. This project will “improve and protect both preserves for generations to come,” said forest preserve district President Suzanne Hart, R-Naperville. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District bought the Lockport Prairie land 86 years ago for flood control, but it was not until the 1970s that the “uniqueness of the prairie” was recognized, said forest preserve commissioner Annette Parker, R-Crest Hill. In 2011, the forest preserve district was able to acquire that land, and in 2015, the state transferred ownership of the Prairie Bluff Preserve property to the district, making this project possible.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-lockport-prairie-st-0807-story.html

“Video: Devonshire Park ribbon-cutting ceremony in Skokie,” MWRD
MWRD’s Office of Public Affairs is pleased to present footage from the Devonshire Park ribbon-cutting ceremony in Skokie on the MWRD’s YouTube page: https://youtu.be/aMCXCxuspSQ.

 “Steele Visits With Youth Group,” Beverly Review

“With removal of century-old dam underway, nature lovers can soon kayak from Skokie to Chicago Riverwalk,” Chicago Tribune
Summary: A more-than century old concrete dam met the beginning of its demise Tuesday on the North Branch of the Chicago River, as stakeholders gathered for the start of the first phase of a demolition and habitat rehab project that could take up to five years to complete. Representatives from the Chicago district of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), Chicago Park District, Friends of the Chicago River and Illinois Department of Natural Resources were at the west bank of North Branch at River Park Tuesday, in the 5000 block of North Albany Avenue in Chicago, as the work got underway. The more than $4 million dam removal project will be paid for with $2.7 million in federal funding and $1.5 million in local money from MWRD and the Chicago Park District, according to Park District officials. The idea to remove it came about in 2000, officials said, after biologists saw success with dam removals in Wisconsin and elsewhere that often involved the return of aquatic species to the river and an easier passage for boaters. The channel water was originally used to dilute the waste flowing southwest out of the city. The river dam helped slow that flow down as the two water bodies merged. According to officials, the removal of the North Branch Dam will help create an obstacle-free path for fish and boaters to cruise from the north suburbs to downtown Chicago.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/morton-grove/news/ct-mgc-chicago-river-dam-removal-tl-0809-story.html

“Albany Park Storm Water Diversion Tunnel Completed,” Storm Water Solutions
On July 24, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel cut a ceremonial ribbon signaling the completion of the Albany Park Storm Water Diversion Tunnel in a north Chicago neighborhood. The $70 million storm water tunnel has already been activated four times this year and effectively diverted water from the north branch of the Chicago River into the North Shore Channel that runs into Lake Michigan. The 1-mile long tunnel is 150-ft deep and 18-ft wide. Located beneath Foster Ave., it stretches east from Eugene Field Park to the North Shore Channel. For residents of the community, the tunnel is providing much needed flood relief as the neighborhood suffered devastating flooding in 2008 and 2013. The two-year project was a collaboration between the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. “In essence, the tunnel serves as a second river making sure the above-ground channel doesn’t overflow and flood neighborhoods like Albany Park,” First Deputy Transportation Commissioner Tom Carney said. SWS editors were fortunate enough to visit the Albany Park Storm Water Diversion Tunnel just before its completion. Check out our video coverage of the site visit here, featuring interviews with the engineers behind it and a look inside the tunnel.

Storm water diversion tunnel in north Chicago neighborhood completed

https://www.estormwater.com/flood-control/albany-park-storm-water-diversion-tunnel-completed

“Too dry? Scientists show runoff water boosts yields, cuts fertilizer costs,” Farm Week
Reusing runoff water to irrigate crops can make up for as much as a 50 percent cut in fertilizer while maintaining yields.

Olawale Oladeji, left, an environmental soil scientist with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), describes his research to reuse runoff water for crop irrigation and reduce applied fertilizer at MWRD’s Fulton County site. (Photo by Kay Shipman)

Recycling runoff water by irrigating crops reduces nutrient losses and boosts yields while reducing fertilizer costs, according to scientists with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago. “It’s good for farmers; it’s good for the environment. It’s a win-win,” Olawale Oladeji, a MWRD environmental soil scientist, told FarmWeek. Oladeji and his colleague Albert Cox, MWRD environmental monitoring and research manager, discussed a three-year study on MWRD farmland in Fulton County. The research project was displayed during a recent Fulton County Farm Bureau Nutrient Field Day. The study involves weekly pumping of runoff water from an adjacent retention basin through perforated subsurface tile to irrigate a crop. The Nutrient Research Education Council (NREC) helps fund the project by MWRD and the University of Illinois Extension.

Attendees of a recent Fulton County Farm Bureau Nutrient Field Day inspect a pumping system used to reuse retention pond water to irrigate an adjacent cornfield at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District site in Fulton County. (Photo by Kay Shipman)

A 250-by-180 field was divided into three plots. One received a full agronomic recommendation of nitrogen and phosphorus and no additional water. The fertilizer rate was cut in half on two other plots. One half-rate plot is irrigated, while the other is not. For two years, the irrigated plot with half of the recommended fertilizer rate yielded nearly the same as the plot with the full rate. “We can cut the fertilizer by half and irrigate, and the yield comes close to the 100 agronomic rate,” Oladeji noted. Biweekly results of nutrient levels vary in the retention basin water, but researchers assume that water contributes some nutrients to the growing crop, Oladeji said. The recycled water also provides moisture for the crop and helps it better use the applied fertilizer, Cox added. In addition to water nutrient levels, the scientists also monitor soil nutrient levels. The water reuse study was organized as a research project with “very little pipes” and does not include a cost analysis, according to Oladeji. A new related project, involving MWRD and U of I Extension, would use drainage tiles to recycle runoff water. Such a system may prove more practical for farmers. “A substantial amount of Illinois farmland is already tiled, so the cost would be minimal to connect to a control structure” to irrigate with recycled water, Oladeji said. “The same tile that draws out excess water could be used to draw in water when needed.” Results of the water reuse irrigation study will be available later through NREC, U of I Extension and a journal article written by MWRD researchers.
https://farmweeknow.com/story-too-dry-scientists-show-runoff-water-boosts-yields-cuts-fertilizer-costs-4-178169

“Photo Essay: Once Polluted and Reviled, the Chicago River Bounces Back,” New York Times
Summary: Mayors and city planners have long dreamed of making the Chicago River a busy, dazzling waterfront. It might have finally happened. This summer, photo editor Julie Boxman explored the riverfront in Chicago’s Loop to see the transformation. Includes historical photos from the MWRD.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/02/us/chicago-river-waterfront.html

“MWRD winners in Water Environment Federation Photo Contest,” WEF

“Chicago River Fish: 3 Things From Lunchtime Lecture Speaker Jennifer Wasik,” Friends of Chicago River
It was an overtime situation for our guest at the latest Monday lunchtime lecture at our McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. Metropolitan Water Reclamation District principal environmental scientist Jennifer Wasik dubbed her July 30 talk "Getting Clarity: FAQ's about Chicago River Water Quality." Folks certainly brought their Qs, pushing the lunch-and-learn past the usual half hour. Wasik, an aquatic biologist, had the As.
https://www.chicagoriver.org/blog/2018/7/chicago-river-fish-3-things-from-lunchtime-lecture-speaker-jennifer-wasik

“New $70 Million Albany Park Tunnel Has Stopped Flood Waters Since May, City Says,” NBC 5
The two-year project built a tunnel 150 feet beneath Foster Avenue to divert floodwaters that ravaged the neighborhood in 2008 and 2013.
Summary: Since its completion earlier this year, the new $70 million Albany Park Tunnel has already prevented neighborhoods from being hit with flooding, city officials said Tuesday at a ceremony at the tunnel. “The tunnel has been activated four times, and we’re four for four with no flooding,” said Tom Carney, first deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation. Completed earlier this spring, Carney said the tunnel was first activated on May 3 and diverted a flow of over 1,000 cubic feet of water per second from Albany Park. “These are the types of projects we love because they make a difference in the lives of our residents,” he said, comparing the Tuesday morning ribbon cutting to his department’s version of the Super Bowl or Stanley Cup. Federal, state and local funds paid for the project, which was put in motion after catastrophic floods hit Albany Park in 2013, the second time in five years that the neighborhood’s streets were flooded. “It used to be said that this area was hit with a major flood every hundred years,” said Ald. Margaret Laurino (39th). “But the math went wrong and we were hit with another flood. “ According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the river crested a record 8.57 feet on April 18, 2013. Once the water receded the flooding left behind a layer of grimy residue that coated sidewalks and lawns. At Tuesday’s ribbon cutting, Mayor Rahm Emanuel recalled his experience during the 2008 flood. “When we were touring the streets Ald. Margaret Laurino and I didn’t know if we were going to need a forklift of a boat,” he said.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, center, Ald. Margaret Laurino (left of Emanuel) and MWRD Commissioners help cut the ribbon on the new Albany Park Tunnel.

He added that the flooding didn’t just make traveling the streets impossible, but also destroyed or damaged residents’ groceries, clothes, photos and other property. “A flood would disrupt the families in the Albany Park neighborhood for weeks, and they never got their photos back,” said Emanuel. The 5,833-foot tunnel sits about 150 feet below Foster Avenue. It is designed to divert 2,300 cubic feet of water per second. Flood water is collected at an inlet near Springfield Avenue along the south bank of the Chicago River. Because the tunnel has an 18-foot diameter, it essentially functions as a second underground river and diverts floodwaters into an outlet shaft in River Park. 

The stormwater diversion tunnel runs 150 feet below Foster Avenue. [City of Chicago]

Construction on the Albany Park Tunnel began during the spring of 2016. A tunnel boring machine was used for part of the tunnel excavation. The city also used “controlled blasting” to help create the intake and outflow shafts for the project. While the tunnel is complete, ongoing aspects of the project include improvements to Eugene Field Park at the western end of the tunnel. The park’s landscaping will include new trees, a new walkway, benches and a water fountain. Meanwhile improvements to River Park at the eastern end of the project will include a new soccer field, a new regulation-sized baseball field and diamond with a backstop and batting cage, in addition to landscaping. During the ribbon cutting, Emanuel also said he would continue to reach out to Federal Emergency Management Agency to try and remove the neighborhood’s “flood marking” in a bid to lower home insurance rates for residents.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/07/24/new-70-million-albany-park-tunnel-has-stopped-flood-waters-since-may-city-says/
https://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2018/07/24/70-million-albany-park-floodwater-tunnel-goes-online
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/rahm-emanuel-70-million-stormwater-diversion-tunnel-albany-park-flooding-flood-control/

“Albany Park Flood Project Wraps Up $25 Million Over Budget,” CBS 2 Chicago

After two major floods, five years of planning and construction and $70 million in tax dollars, a solution is finally in place for water-weary property owners in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood. A decade ago, torrential rains caused the Chicago River’s north branch to overflow. The rains turned streets into rivers, and nearly caused tears for homeowner Dirk Vandenheuvel. “My wife and I thought maybe we shouldn’t have bought this house (and thought) maybe we should move, because nothing we do stops it,” he said. Five years later, heavy rains caused more disparaging floods in the neighborhood. Mayor Emanuel proposed a solution to help the flood-prone neighborhood. “We need to make the investments necessary here in Albany Park,” Emanuel said. Part of the $70 million project includes a mile-long tunnel running under Foster Avenue to carry floodwaters to the North Shore Channel. The city declared the completion of the project today at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Because the city had originally planned to spend $45 million on the project, Emanuel was questioned today about why the city went $25 million over budget. “My understanding is, the tunnel was a little more complicated, the soil was a little more complicated,” Emanuel said. “Seeing everything that got destroyed, and families crying because there’s no way to replace what grandma handed down to you—I don’t know how you put a price on that.” Vandenheuvel’s wife, Kara Malenfant, said she was relieved the city built the tunnel. “Rather than have to keep paying out for floods, having people lose their homes, and having to resettle people for months on end, it probably made sense to build the tunnel,” Malenfant said. “I’m glad they did.”
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/07/24/albany-park-flooding/

“Mayor Announces Albany Park Flooding Prevention Tunnel Completed,” NBC 5 Chicago
A $70 million project aimed to prevent floods in Albany Park has been completed, according to Mayor Emanuel Tuesday. The mile-long tunnel, said to be 18-feet deep at Foster Avenue, is meant to control the flow of storm water and keep the neighborhood dry no matter how much rain falls. The project was created following the historic and damaging flooding of 2008 and 2013. According to the mayor, the much-needed project was completed on time and on budget with federal assistance. The next step, he says, is to petition the Federal Emergency Management Agency to remove the flood zone designation from 360 Albany Park homes and apartments. 
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/mayor-announces-albany-park-flooding-prevention-tunnel-completed-489044451.html
https://wgntv.com/2018/07/24/albany-park-storm-tunnel-complete/

“Stormwater Diversion Tunnel Completed,” CBS 2 Chicago

After two historic floods, and years of promises, people living in the Albany Park neighborhood can rest easy now that an 18-foot wide stormwater diversion tunnel is complete. The tunnel is welcome relief for people whose homes have filled with water during heavy rain in the past, or who are constantly worried about being the next flooding victim. It was a huge undertaking by the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The $70 million project features an 18-foot wide tunnel that sits about 150 feet under Foster Avenue. When it rains, stormwater is diverted from the North Branch of the Chicago River to the North Shore Channel drainage canal, about 1.4 miles from a bend in the river near Eugene Park. The two-year project was designed to provide relief from flooding caused by heavy rains that have overwhelmed the neighborhood in the past. Several residents have seen homes and possessions destroyed in catastrophic floods in 2008 and 2013. It wasn’t a fun wait to get to this point. Construction crews spent several months blasting through the ground, sending vibrations across the neighborhood. Project workers also had to rip up Eugene and River parks, but both will be restored with new fields and amenities.
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/07/24/albany-park-stormwater-diversion-tunnel/

“Why Chicago is tearing down its last waterfall,” WTTW

Summary: At River Park on Chicago’s Northwest Side, a concrete dam standing 4 feet high is being prepped for removal. But it’s not just any dam – this happens to be the last waterfall within Chicago city limits, according to Chicago Park District project manager Lauren Umek. “There are others in more landscape settings and some of our other parks and lagoon and areas,” Umek said. “But in terms of our lakes and river systems, this is the last waterfall in Chicago.” Built in 1910, the dam is located at the meeting point of the North Branch of the Chicago River and the North Shore Channel. It prevents fish and other organisms from swimming upriver. “So the fish are coming, swimming upstream – they hit that concrete wall and they’ve got nowhere to go,” Umek said. “They can’t go up the North Branch of the Chicago River.” As a result, fish surveys conducted by the Park District have concluded very little biodiversity north of the dam, compared to downriver. Another big part of the project is removing non-native plant species that offer little to no food for local wildlife. The invasive species also tend to have shallow roots, creating steep riverbanks due to erosion. A spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers said the River Park dam will likely be removed within a week or so.
As the local sponsor to the US Army Corps’ river riparian project, the Metropolitan Wwater Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is contributing funds toward the dam removal. The concrete wall will be replaced with a series of ripple strips, or rocks of varying sizes, that would be found in more of a natural river system. Fish and other aquatic life have a much easier time of traversing over ripple strips.
https://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2018/07/16/why-chicago-tearing-down-its-last-waterfall

“MWRD contractor to begin construction on Washington Avenue,” Village of Brookfield
Summary: Pavement patching on Washington Avenue will be completed as part of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Sewer Improvements project completed in 2017 & 2018 by Kenny Construction.
https://brookfieldil.gov/mwrd-contractor-to-begin-construction-on-washington-avenue/

“Evaluation of Revolving Algae Biofilm Reactors for Nutrients and Metals Removal from Sludge Thickening Supernatant in a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facility,” Science Direct
An article co-authored by Dr. Kuldip Kumar, Senior Environmental Soil Scientist, and Tom Kunetz, Assistant Director of Monitoring & Research, along with colleagues at Iowa State University was published in water research journal Science Direct. The article, “Evaluation of Revolving Algae Biofilm Reactors for Nutrients and Metals Removal from Sludge Thickening Supernatant in a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facility,” highlights research work at the revolving algae biofilm reactor research facility at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant. Kuldip serves as the research project manager and assumes day-to-day operational control on the algae project.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135418305335

“Harwood Heights, Ill., to Build Permeable Pavement Alleyways,” Storm Water Solutions
The alleyways are expected to provide 96,378 gallons of storm water retention per rain event.

Harwood Heights, Illinois, has approved the construction of two permeable pavement alleyways designed to prevent storm water runoff and flooding. Officials estimate the alleys will provide a total retention of approximately 96,378 gallons of storm water per rain event, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. The project is made possible through a partnership with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). Under the terms of the agreement, MWRD will reimburse the village for 65.8% of the total construction cost, not to exceed $393,984. The village will be responsible for maintaining the permeable pavement system through regular cleaning and maintenance. Similarly, MWRD is collaborating with Arlington Heights, Illinois, to fund a rain garden and permeable pavement at the downtown police station currently under construction. The funding will represent approximately a quarter of the total cost for the green infrastructure improvements at the police station.
https://www.estormwater.com/harwood-heights-ill-build-permeable-pavement-alleyways

Friday Farm Focus: Nutrient Stewardship Field Day at MWRD,” Canton Daily Ledger

U of I ACES graduate student August Schetter described his multipurpose riparian buffer study. In addition to absorbing nutrients from runoff water, different vegetation planted in the buffers could be used for other purposes, such as forage.

Dr. Albert Cox, Soil Scientist with the MWRD, shows area farmers a corn plot using an irrigation system (small pipes pictured in lower right of photo). The irrigations waster is recaptured runoff that is recycled through the field.

Nutrient stewardship research efforts were showcased for farmers and researchers alike earlier this month when the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago hosted a “Nutrient Management Field Day” on some of their 13,000 acres near Cuba. A large crowd gathered at the MWRD “Prairie Plan” site June 13 to glimpse four research projects during a field day hosted by the Fulton County Farm Bureau, the Illinois Farm Bureau, MWRD and University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES). Projects highlighted ranged from farming practices to subsurface drainage water treatment. Farmers were overheard discussing how they could replicate a drainage water management and reuse system on their fields. At another project site, an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency water official explored possibilities for a U of I doctoral student’s project to remove phosphorus from drainage water. U of I Agricultural Engineer Richard Cooke described his bioreactor research that receives funding from the Nutrient Research and Education Council. Cooke will compare the effectiveness of three side-by-side bioreactors, each filled with different materials. Those are woodchips, corn stover and a mixture of woodchips and corn stover. The bioreactors use bacteria to convert nitrate in drainage tile water to harmless nitrogen gas. A unique component of Cooke’s study includes use of different metals in a control structure to remove phosphorous. U of I doctoral student Bianca Bailey explained a chemical reaction between the element and metal removes the phosphorous. Illinois Central College Agriculture Professor Pete Fandel showed his cover crop study of interseeding cereal rye and a cover crop mix, including balansa clover, in corn. Fandel seeded three rows of cover crops between each corn row. U of I ACES graduate student August Schetter described his multipurpose riparian buffer study. In addition to absorbing nutrients from runoff water, different vegetation planted in the buffers could be used for other purposes, such as forage, Schetter noted. MWRD Environmental Soil Scientist Olawale Oladeji shared his study to repurpose water that drains into a small pond. By pumping the water through PVC pipes and drip irrigation hoses onto an adjacent field, Oladeji said he was able to harvest comparable yields on fields where fertilizer rates were cut in half. Lauren Lurkins, IFB director of natural and environmental resources, reminded farmer attendees they do not face nutrient challenges alone: “You have researchers at multiple universities and colleges working really hard” on nutrient practices. Our Fulton County Farm Bureau leaders “shuttled” the nearly 90 guests between the four experiment sites, using flatbed trailers and straw bales. Our Farm Bureau also provided a complimentary lunch, catered by the American Grille, for all attending and presenting. We were able to provide this unique opportunity through a generous grant from Illinois Farm Bureau, the hospitality of the research and site crew at the Prairie Plan office, and the site contractors who helped make the day possible. Everyone’s involvement in making this day a great success is appreciated!
http://www.cantondailyledger.com/news/20180629/friday-farm-focus-nutrient-stewardship-field-day-at-mwrd

“Launching Summit's future; Tour of boat launch site reels in ideas,” Des Plaines Valley News

This is an aerial view of the Summit Boat Launch, which officials hope to redevelop. Photo by Steve Metsch.

Summary: For the first time in three years, the Summit boat launch on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal was open to visitors. Invited by Summit Mayor Sergio Rodriguez, representatives from the Metropolitan Planning Council, Friends of the Chicago River, Open Lands, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Juan G. Moreno Architects, Active Transportation Alliance, National Park Service, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were on hand. They later reconvened at the village hall for a brainstorming session about developing the 3.5 acres. Last year, the village received a grant that has the National Park Service providing its expertise in helping the village develop the site that’s been closed since 2015. Visitors on June 5 were thrilled to get a closer look at the boat launch. The concrete ramp leading to the canal still is in place. So are the steps on the east side of the ramp. “You can imagine fishing events for kids, concerts along the canal, there’s a tremendous amount of potential here,” said Josh Ellis, vice president of the Metropolitan Planning Council. The land is owned by the MWRD, second only to the Forest Preserve District when it comes to land ownership in Cook County. Laura Barghusen, an aquatic ecologist for Open Lands, called the site “really amazing.” A “nature play area for kids” may be a nice addition, she said. “I’d love to see a boat launch that could accommodate non-motorized boating. After the tour, the group met at the Summit Village Hall to discuss ideas. The MWRD lease requires that no structures can be built within 60 feet of the water’s edge, said Michael Mencarini of the park service. “That shouldn’t be a problem,” he said. Steps along the water’s edge, east of the launch, are grandfathered in. The June 5 gathering echoed some ideas from the Summit residents who suggested picnic tables, a wildlife habitat, fishing lessons, a fitness are, a bicycle rack, and a canoe/kayak launch. Rodriguez thinks developing the area could lead to more commercial developments in the village, and more people coming to Summit.
https://suburbanchicagoland.com/2018/06/21/launching-summits-future/amp/

“Letter to the Editor: Simple Steps For Water Conservation,” Journal & Topics
We can never predict our weather across Chicagoland, but we do know that heavy rains and storms are more than likely to hit our region as spring turns to summer. This weather brings the potential for serious flooding. Heavy storms can and have wreaked havoc in the basements of many Cook County residents. The weather also stretches the capacity of our sewer systems. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) is the governmental agency that treats wastewater and manages stormwater. We work hard to protect homes and businesses from flood damage. Protection is provided through our Tunnel and Reservoir Project, also known as the Deep Tunnel. TARP is one of the nation’s largest public works projects for pollution and flood control. When heavy rains hit Cook County this past February, our newly opened McCook Reservoir kept storm water out of many basements, and from flushing into Lake Michigan. While most people feel helpless when flooding hits our region, there are simple steps that homeowners can take to make a difference. The MWRD encourages residents to use less water at home when forecasts predict significant rains in order to give sewers more capacity to handle the rain. These water-saving actions include reducing the length of showers, and waiting to run your dishwasher and washing machine until after the rains have subsided. There are also simple tips that we can all utilize to conserve water and save money on water bills. Replace your old faucets and showerheads with more efficient ones. The average household can save up to 700 gallons of water in a year. You can also consider installing a low-flow showerhead for substantial water savings and only running your dishwasher when you have a full load of dishes. Water is our most vital resource, let’s work together to protect it.

Mariyana T. Spyropoulos
President
Metropolitan Water ­Reclamation District
https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/simple-steps-for-water-conservation/
http://www.beverlyreview.net/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_da0d53de-68c5-11e8-9716-8fa30000b0c3.html

US Water Alliance Releases National Paper on Advancing One Water Through Arts and Culture
New Report Accelerates Innovative and Promising Efforts Taking Place Around the Country at the Intersection of Water, Arts, and Culture
Summary: MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore participated on the US Water Alliance team to develop an action-oriented blueprint for integrating arts and culture into sustainable water management. The report highlights the opportunities for arts and culture strategies to advance sustainable, integrated, and inclusive water management. The blueprint presents a framework that can demonstrate the myriad ways in which arts and culture strategies can be effective, focused on seven strategies for how arts and culture can:

1. Help people understand and connect to water;
2. Inform water resource planning with new perspectives;
3. Engage communities in participatory processes;
4. Build bridges across different sectors and stakeholder groups;
5. Mitigate the disruptive effect of construction projects;
6. Integrate water infrastructure into the fabric of a community; and
7. Support community activism.

More than 30 real-world examples of effective projects and artistic collaborations are covered in the report. The US Water Alliance thanks the more than 40 contributors who lent time, talent, and expertise to the document, particularly the members of the project's 21-member advisory group.  The entire blueprint is available online here. An MWRD initiative is featured. “Art experiences can provide a human-centered way for people to understand highly technical or scientific processes and systems. For example, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) operates the largest phosphorus recovery facility in the world, with the capacity to remove 1,500 tons of phosphorus from wastewater annually and convert it into a slow-release fertilizer. While accomplishing this feat was a game changer for regional water quality, the MWRD still needed to find an effective way to explain the value of this highly technical process to the public. Realizing the need to spark curiosity and engagement rather than just provide people with more data, in 2015 the MWRD partnered with a group of artists who created an interactive game using augmented reality to help the public understand the process of phosphorus recovery. The game helped build awareness around a critical water quality issue, highlight an innovative new solution, and share opportunities for engaging the public. These examples show that arts and culture can help foster greater understanding and connection to water systems by creating human-centered experiences that make abstract, complex processes more accessible, engaging, and concrete. The more people understand, see, and interact with the water systems in their community, the more likely they are to value and appreciate these systems. Additionally, increasing understanding of what goes into water management can help encourage desired water-related behavior, such as drinking tap water instead of bottled water, conserving water, or supporting infrastructure investments.”
http://uswateralliance.org/sites/uswateralliance.org/files/publications/uswa_artsculture_FINAL_PAGES_RGB_0.PDF

“Angst turns to relief over planned Elk Grove annexation,” Daily Herald
Summary: Angst appeared to give way to relief Thursday afternoon as concerned Elk Grove Village business owners and residents came to better understand the scope, intent and timing of the village's plans to forcibly annex about 58 acres of commercial property near Interstate 90. Mayor Craig Johnson assured the audience of about 75 people at a special board meeting that the village does not intend to shut down or change any currently operating businesses, and there is no interest in annexing the nearby Roppolo residential subdivision. Village officials hoped to complete the annexation Thursday, but public notice was not given in time. Johnson took responsibility for that error and said he hopes he hadn't wasted anyone's time. The voluntary annexation of a separate 41-acre parcel owned by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago did go forward Thursday. Michael Hurt, a longtime resident of the Roppolo subdivision, said he was concerned that his neighborhood's possible inclusion in the annexation would lead to a developer bulldozing the homes. Johnson said the village isn't contemplating annexing the neighborhood at this time. He could not promise a future village board wouldn't have a new reason to do so in 10, 20 or 30 years, however. While the village is often approached by developers asking what it might consider approving if they acquired the subdivision, Johnson said the village respects residents' desire not to sell.
http://www.dailyherald.com/business/20180628/angst-turns-to-relief-over-planned-elk-grove-annexation

“Arlington Heights, Ill., to build green infrastructure at police station,” Storm Water Solutions
Summary: Arlington Heights, Ill., a Chicago suburb, received a $358,000 grant to fund a rain garden and permeable pavement at the downtown police station currently under construction. The funding was provided by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and represents approximately a quarter of the total cost for the green infrastructure improvements. According to the Daily Herald, the rain garden will be installed near the existing park at the northwest corner of the property and will be composed of native plants that naturally filter storm water runoff. Additionally, permeable pavement will be installed in the rear parking lot on top of a storm water detention vault. The entire project will aim to capture up to 90,807 gal of storm water and construction on the green infrastructure project is scheduled to begin after the building is completed.

https://www.estormwater.com/arlington-heights-ill-build-green-infrastructure-police-station

“Rolling Meadows is turning an old pool into a new wedding venue,” The Daily Herald
What once was an outdoor pool is a step closer to becoming a Rolling Meadows Park District wedding and event venue. The old six-lane, 25-meter pool and 12-foot-deep diving well at Plum Grove Park has been filled in with stone and will get a layer of top soil before landscape architects begin work on the outdoor green space this summer. Geared to wedding parties and other group events, the area will include a picnic pavilion with six tables and two grills, a large circular courtyard with a wedding arbor, along with walkways and landscaping. The expected transformation -- at a cost of $251,851 -- comes after the park board decided not to reopen the 1960s-era pool following the summer of 2016 due to leaks and a crumbling shell. The fixes would have cost $800,000. The park district acquired the pool from the Plum Grove Estates Homeowners Association two decades ago. The eight-acre park -- which includes a clubhouse banquet room, skate park, and tennis and basketball courts -- is a public park incorporated within Rolling Meadows, though its mailing address is 4001 Park Drive in Palatine. After the park district secures project permits with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, construction is expected to last up to four months. The goal is to finish by October and have the venue be available for rentals in spring 2019, according to Amy Charlesworth, the park district's executive director. D&J Landscape was awarded a contract for the work last week. A future phase proposes modifying the old swimming pool concession stand kitchen area to bathrooms with outdoor access. Right now, visitors to the park are able to use bathrooms inside the clubhouse.

http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180621/rolling-meadows-is-turning-an-old-pool-into-a-new-wedding-venue

“Maywood wins funds for green alley resurfacing,” Village Free Press
Summary: The village of Maywood was recently selected to receive funding to resurface six alleys in the village with material that will more effectively capture stormwater runoff and reduce residential flooding and basement backups. At a regular meeting on June 5, the Maywood Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve an intergovernmental agreement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, which awarded the grant. Under the agreement, the reclamation district will cover 70 percent of the total cost, estimated at around $1.2 million, for resurfacing the six alleys, which include four alleys from 12th to 14th Avenues between Oak St. and Washington Blvd., and two alleys from 15th to 16th Avenues between Washington Blvd. and Warren Ave. In order to secure the 70 percent share, which comes to around $841,000 of the total estimated cost of the project, the village would need to secure a 30 percent matching portion of the estimate project cost, or around $360,000. The village would be required to return all of the funds provided by the district if the project is not completed in accordance with strict construction standards or within two years of the village awarding a construction contract for the project, unless the district approves an extension before the 2-year completion period expires. In March, the village tapped Hancock Engineering to conduct preliminary design engineering services for the project, which, once its complete, is estimated to retain around 250,000 gallons of stormwater each time it rains. According to a statement released earlier this year announcing the grant recipients, reclamation district officials said that the projects selected for the funds needed to meet a range of criteria, including being located in flood-prone areas and having a “high rate of ground infiltration in which stormwater is prevented from entering the local sewer system.” Once the alley construction is complete, the village will be responsible for maintaining them. According to the website of the city of Chicago, one of the other municipalities that received funding, green alleys feature a variety of characteristics that make for reduced flooding. Those characteristics include permeable pavements like asphalt that allow water to filter through the pavement and into the ground rather than collecting on the surface, catch basins to capture water and funnel it into the ground, recyclable materials like tire rubber and surfaces that are lighter-colored in order to better reflect sunlight. Green alleys can also include native and drought tolerant plants to soften the landscape and pedestrian-friendly features such as lights, signage and walk striping. So far, the village hasn’t released a construction timeline. Village officials are required to provide the reclamation district with 30 days’ notice before advertising bids for the project. They’re also required to submit a construction schedule to the district. “We have seen how the natural long-term benefits of green infrastructure can provide solutions to managing the stormwater that confronts our communities,” said Mariyana Spyropoulos, the reclamation district president, in the statement. “Thank you to all of the communities that recognize the value of investing in green infrastructure and collaborating with us on these important projects,” she added. The green alley improvements would be crucial in a town where bad alleys are a ubiquitous source of frustration for residents, particularly those on the south side of the village, where many alleys are made of gravel. The village, already stretched thin financially, is often strapped for the revenue required for major alleyway improvements. Those alleys that do benefit from improvements are often in areas of town that are within TIF districts, which have funds that are specifically earmarked for capital improvements. This year, the village will complete around $1.7 million worth of alley and roadway improvements within the Madison Street TIF district.
https://thevillagefreepress.org/2018/06/20/maywood-wins-grant-funds-for-green-alley-resurfacing/

“Arlington Heights gets grant for rain garden, pavers at police station,” The Daily Herald
Summary: Arlington Heights has received $358,000 in funding to help pay for a rain garden and permeable pavers at the downtown police station that's under construction. The funding from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago had been contemplated when plans for the $27.9 million, 70,500-square-foot station were being discussed last year. An intergovernmental agreement approved by the village board Monday formalized and confirmed the grant award from the stormwater management agency. It represents about a quarter of the total cost for the green upgrades, which will be constructed and maintained by the village. The village has already spent $127,685 on the engineering and design of the project, and could spend another $1.8 million on construction, according to the agreement. Officials say that will still fall within the $27.9 million guaranteed maximum price for the entire police station project set by the village board last July. The board approved a $35 million bond issue in 2016 for the police station work. The rain garden will be installed near the existing park at the northwest corner of the municipal complex. It will consist of native plants meant to naturally filter storm runoff before being released to a storm sewer. Permeable pavement will be installed in lieu of asphalt in the rear parking lot -- on top of a stormwater detention vault -- and the main access driveway between the station and village hall. Those green infrastructure components are aimed at capturing up to 90,807 gallons of stormwater every time it rains, officials said. As the new cop shop at 200 E. Sigwalt St. continues to take shape, the police department is still aiming to move in by fall. It's likely construction of the rain garden and pavers won't take place until after move-in, said Charles Witherington-Perkins, the village's director of planning and community development. The village is due to receive half the grant amount when construction is halfway complete, and the rest when the project is done, under terms of the agreement.

http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180619/arlington-heights-gets-grant-for-rain-garden-pavers-at-police-station

'Green alley' project: Harwood Heights moves forward on plan designed to prevent storm runoff and flooding,” Pioneer Press
Summary: Harwood Heights trustees moved forward last week on a “green alley” project designed to prevent storm runoff and flooding. At the June 14 village board meeting, trustees approved a resolution authorizing an intergovernmental agreement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District for the construction of two “green alleys.” The alleys are located between Winnemac Avenue, Argyle Street, Olcott Avenue and Oriole Avenue, and between Forest Preserve Drive, Sunnyside Avenue and Narragansett Avenue. Officials estimate the construction of a porous surface at those locations will provide a total retention of 96,378 gallons of storm water per rain event. The reclamation district is partnering with local governments to help fund public projects utilizing green infrastructure to reduce flooding and improve clean water through enhanced storm water management utilizing improved infiltration, the resolution stated. Under the proposal, the district is to reimburse the village 65.8 percent of the total construction cost of the project, which is not to exceed $383,984. The village has spent approximately $48,500 on engineering on engineering, property acquisition, and other design work, the document said. The village estimates spending approximately $100,000 toward construction costs. During the meeting, Harwood Heights Trustee Lawrence Steiner, whose areas of oversight include public works and water and sewer, said he is looking forward to the new endeavor. “It really requires the cooperation of everybody,” he noted. Under the project, the village will be required to undertake a regular maintenance schedule to ensure optimal functioning of the permeable pavement system. The village’s operations and maintenance plan for the green alley reconstruction notes that “over the lifetime of the permeable pavement system, there will be a need to clean any sediment, soil, dirt and debris from the permeable pavement in order to maintain a sufficient infiltration rate.” The village’s plan calls for a regular maintenance schedule for the surface, including removing debris and sediment from drainage structures in early spring and late fall and replenishing the aggregate material used to the “lip” of the surface pavers as needed.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/norridge/news/ct-nhh-harwood-heights-briefs-green-alley-tl-0621-story.html

“Plan aims to make Hanover Park the 'epicenter' of cricket in U.S.,” Daily Herald
Summary: A 10-year deal between Hanover Park, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and a national cricket organization could have major implications for the future of the sport in the suburbs. The plan calls for construction of three cricket grounds and a soccer field on 23 acres owned by MWRD east of Hanover Highlands Elementary School in Hanover Park. Shiraz Najam, president of the Midwestern Cricket Conference, said the new fields' proximity to Chicago and O'Hare International Airport mean they'll have "a very significant footprint" for cricket.
http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20180611/plan-aims-to-make-hanover-park-the-epicenter-of-cricket-in-us

“A Sign Of Financial Stability, Fitch Ratings Service Has Affirmed The MWRD's AAA Credit Rating,” Water Online

A sign of financial stability, Fitch Ratings Service has affirmed the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's (MWRD's) AAA credit rating. A new report from Fitch documents the MWRD's continued steady financial performance and flexibility, sufficient reserves to cover unexpected expenditures and overfunding of pension and other post employee benefits while routinely underspending its budgeted expenditures. "The 'AAA' Issuer Default Rating is based upon Fitch's assessment of the district's strong revenue defensibility profile and the expectation of continued steady financial performance," the Fitch report stated. The report notes that the MWRD provides an essential service to the third largest metropolitan area in the country, and although the MWRD's current capital improvement program is large at $1.1B, it "equates to a very manageable approximately $70 per customer" living in the MWRD's 882-square-mile service area. "This AAA credit rating demonstrates our commitment to long-term fiscal management," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "Having reliable financial standing affords us the opportunity to meet long-term vision and goals through the optimization of new technology to bolster our resource recovery efforts and ensure environmental protection of our water. We thank Fitch for recognizing our financial standing." In its daily role, the MWRD treats and cleans an average of 1.3 billion gallons of used water, serving about 10.35 million people in Chicago and 128 communities across nearly all of Cook County. The MWRD protects the region's waterways and source of drinking water in Lake Michigan, while also protecting homes and businesses from flooding. Fitch reports that the MWRD's service area is broad and diverse, representing all major sectors of employment and strong educational attainment levels. "The district serves a well-developed and mature economy whose stability and growth underpin Fitch's expectations for continued revenue growth," the Fitch report outlines. The MWRD's Stormwater Management Fund has increased in recent years in light of increasing efforts to create a resilient Cook County in the face of changing weather patterns and flooding, according to the Fitch report. But the report also noted that MWRD finances have benefitted from strong discretionary funding of pension and retirement benefits coupled with a favorable labor environment. Recent labor-approved pension reform and health care plan design changes have strengthened the MWRD's finances. "We could not employ the best technology, invest as much in our communities, or protect our water environment without achieving a strong credit rating," said MWRD Chairman of Finance Frank Avila. "This credit rating validates that our financial house is in order and the investments we make today will yield long-term benefits." The Civic Federation, a government research organization, has also expressed support for MWRD finances, noting in an analysis of the agency's $1.15B 2018 budget that the MWRD "continues to control operating expenses and maintains financial safeguards, including substantial reserves, to cover shortfalls or financial emergencies." The Civic Federation cited the MWRD's ability to control spending; prepare for unforeseen expenses; restore its pension fund; address worker safety training programs and encourage public participation in the budget process. For more information, visit https://www.fitchratings.com/site/pr/10030748.
https://www.wateronline.com/doc/a-sign-of-financial-stability-fitch-ratings-mwrds-aaa-credit-rating-0001

“Franklin Park to seek ability to regulate pesticide use,” Chicago Tribune
Summary: Franklin Park officials want to be able to regulate pesticides at the village level, and they have plans to ask the state to allow them to do so. The village board may vote as soon as its next meeting on a resolution requesting that the Illinois General Assembly remove the clause from the Illinois Pesticide Act that prevents municipalities from controlling pesticide use. “It’s the reason I got involved in public office — sustainability,” Mayor Barrett Pedersen said of the proposed resolution. Oak Park and Evanston have approved similar motions, according to Pedersen, who said the village of Franklin Park and the local park district do not use pesticides on their properties. The village welcomed presenter Ryan Anderson, of the Midwest Pesticide Action Center, to its meeting June 4. Anderson discussed the effect of pesticides on human health, water quality and bee loss. He also talked about pesticide alternatives, such as using compost and grass clippings to nurture lawns and planting marigolds, which repel mosquitoes. Also at the June 4 meeting, Village Engineer David Talbott announced Franklin Park has been selected for a more than $300,000 grant from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The money will be used for stormwater improvements in the Reuters subdivision, which will reduce the likelihood of flooding for 69 homes in the area. The village is also hoping to receive more than $4 million in low-interest loans from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for water and sewer repairs in the subdivision. Talbott said after the meeting it is unlikely Franklin Park will get the money, although the village won’t find out until July. He said village officials are considering issuing debt certificates for the project if the state loan doesn’t come through.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/franklin-park/news/ct-fhj-franklin-park-meets-tl-0614-story.html

“Field day to highlight water quality research,” AgriNews
The Fulton County Farm Bureau, together with the Illinois Farm Bureau, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the University of Illinois College of Agricultural Consumer and Environmental Sciences will host a field day June 13 to showcase research being conducted by the MWRD on water quality and nutrient loss reduction. “We’re extremely excited to host this field day,” said William Carlberg, Fulton County Farm Bureau president. “This project began as part of a grant from the Illinois Farm Bureau to highlight nutrient loss reduction research and practices and grew thanks to research funds from the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council. Today, it’s a full-fledged, mutually beneficial partnership with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District that we’re happy to continue.” The field day, which will be held at 15779 County Road 5, Cuba, will cover topics including:

• Woodchip bioreactor installation.
• Drainage water management and runoff reuse.
• Vegetative buffer strips.
• Cover crop interseeding.
• Soil health.

“Our work with the Fulton County Farm Bureau and area farmers will prove to be a beneficial partnership, one that will be extremely important in supporting our effort to gather and disseminate research to the agricultural community,” said Mariyana Spyropoulos, MWRD Board of Commissioners president. “Water quality is not just the responsibility of area farmers or municipalities. It’s a burden we all need to shoulder and projects like this one help to ensure we’re working together and using resources to do just that.” The field day will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided at no cost. The event is free, but attendees are asked to register through the Fulton County Farm Bureau by calling 309-547-3011 or emailing fultonfb@att.net. “It’s a pleasure to continue working with a group like the MWRD,” said Lauren Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau natural and environmental resources director. “They’ve been involved in the fight to reduce nutrient losses and improve water quality from the very beginning, and their willingness to continue funding research and working with farmers and the Illinois Farm Bureau proves how committed they are — how committed we all are — to preserving our natural resources for the generations to come.”
http://www.agrinews-pubs.com/markets/field-day-to-highlight-water-quality-research/article_82d6aeda-3da4-5b1a-8003-5ce94541cdac.html
http://www.cantondailyledger.com/news/20180602/farm-bureau-to-host-field-day

“Great tree giveaway of 2018 to be held on Sunday, June 10,” Park Forest News

Mature Pin Oak (Source: Ohio DNR Division of Forestry)

As part of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s ‘Restore the Canopy Project, the Southland Voice at the Benjamin O Davis VFW Post 311 will host the Great Tree Giveaway of 2018. The event will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday June 10 at VFW Post 311, 22341 Governors Highway, in Richton Park. 200 Pin Oak saplings that are looking for a new home will be given away. For additional information, contact Tom Shepherd at tomshepherd2001@yahoo.com.
https://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/human-interest/great-tree-giveaway-of-2018-to-be-held-on-sunday-june-10/

“RF wins 'green' alley grant,” Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) recently awarded the village of River Forest up to $75,000 in grant funding to construct a green alley between Gale and Keystone avenues, from Vine to Madison. The village applied for the grant in May 2017 and, a year later at a village board meeting on May 14, trustees unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with MWRD. "I compliment you guys on getting these grants, because it saves us money," Trustee Tom Cargie said at the meeting. Nearly 50 other municipalities, townships and more applied for the grant through MWRD's Green Infrastructure Program, which assists in the construction of sustainable stormwater runoff solutions. From Vine to Madison, between Gale and Keystone, the alley's middle section will soon be paved with permeable pavers to help stop stormwater runoff. The total cost of the project is estimated at $150,000, with the village contributing at least $75,000 to build the project, according to the agreement. Officials from the MWRD have pledged to contribute 40.5 percent of cost of the project, but not more than $75,000. River Forest has already spent $7,000 on engineering, property acquisition and design costs, according to the agreement. It has now been sent to the MWRD Board of Commissioners for approval. Once approved, the village will the solicit bids and choose a firm to repave the 9,000- square-foot area. Building plans must be sent to the MWRD for approval and any suggestions the agency makes will be included in the final building plan. Once the alley is complete, it will be able to capture up to 26,490 gallons of stormwater per rain event. The project is intended to improve the look and driving surface of the alley, as well as provide stormwater storage to an area that experiences heavy flooding on rainy days. It will take about 45 days to construct the alley, and work should take place during the current fiscal year, which ends April 30, 2019. The village will be charged with maintaining the alley in the future. This isn't the first time River Forest has received a grant for a green alley. In October 2013, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency awarded the village $484,169 to reconstruct five alleys with permeable pavers. The alleys are located in the far northeast corner of the community, just south of North Avenue and west of Harlem Avenue.
http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/5-30-2018/RF-wins-%27green%27-alley-grant-/

"Farmers market returns to LaGrange," Patch

Summary: The farmers market in La Grange returns, and will open on May 10. New activities this year will target millennials including live-action stations like bread-making and cooking demos, plant potting parties, yoga sessions and story times, the La Grange Business Association said in a release. The outdoor market will run through October on Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. According to the business association, this year's market is the largest to-date with up to 35 local and regional small batch vendors; not all farmers will be present early in the season. On May 10, organizers will hand out 100 free oak tree saplings, compliments of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, as part of an initiative to help restore the tree canopy. The business association said along with returning farmers selling in-season fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers plus meats, fish and fresh eggs, small-batch food artisans will also sell: cheeses; organic breads, pastries and wraps; tacos, tamales and flavor-infused waters, cold brew coffees, smoothies and juices; seasonings, sauces, salsas, jams and honey; natural hand-made soaps and cleaners; and natural pet foods.
https://patch.com/illinois/lagrange/farmers-market-returns-la-grange

“Plan now for local fun,” The Beverly Review
Summary: As Mother Nature finally delivers us warmer weather, local residents can begin planning their outdoor activities for the beautiful days ahead. In Blue Island, a fun lineup of entertaining activities is planned. The Blue Island Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry is now overseeing “Drivin’ the Dixie,” a longtime event that begins at 8 a.m. on June 16. The event includes dozens of vintage automobiles that drive the Dixie Highway, beginning at South Olde Western Avenue and Broadway Street in Blue Island and finishing in Momence at Island Park, about 40 miles south of Blue Island. Food, refreshments and live music are part of the fun. Participants also stop at various points of interest along the way. Blue Island will also host the third annual Chicago Southland Dragon Boat Festival on June 2, an event that attracted over 1,000 people last year. The festival, which takes place at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Sidestream Elevated Pool, Aeration Waterfall and Park near Chatham and Fulton streets, features a series of races featuring 21 racers in each dragon boat, the design of which comes from ancient China. Music, food and craft beer will also be part of that event. http://www.beverlyreview.net/opinion/our_opinion/article_371eef8c-4d5b-11e8-af4c-d785b13cbadc.html

“Buffalo Grove Reservoir Expansion Underway,” Journal and Topics

Buffalo Grove officials in addition to officials from MWRD and the Lake County Forest Preserve District participated in a groundbreaking ceremony May 3, 2018 for the expansion of Buffalo Creek Reservoir.

Buffalo Grove officials and representatives from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and Lake County Forest Preserve District broke ground on the Buffalo Creek Reservoir expansion project last Wednesday (May 2).  The project aims to expand storage capacity for the reservoir and alleviate flooding along Buffalo Creek within Buffalo Grove, plus areas downstream. Buffalo Creek starts in the Deer Grove Forest Preserve in Palatine, meandering east through the reservoir, then south into Wheeling where it enters the Wheeling Drainage Ditch. From there it flows into the Des Plaines.  The Buffalo Creek project includes public access improvements, enhancing the preserve’s natural features and expanding the reservoir volume to mitigate flooding.  Buffalo Creek Reservoir will be expanded to store an additional 58.6 million gallons and relieve area flooding; wetlands will be created and restored; more than 1,000 trees and shrubs will be planted; upland prairie will be restored; grade control structures will be constructed; and public access improvements include seven pedestrian boardwalks, parking lot expansion and more than two miles of new and improved trails. As part of the reservoir expansion, an estimated 107 structures will be removed from the floodplain, while more than 2,000 structures along Buffalo Creek and the main stem of the Des Plaines River will receive some form of flood reduction benefit. Through a collaborative process with the Lake County Forest Preserve District and Buffalo Grove, the project design incorporates planned forest preserve improvements while offering increased stormwater protection for Buffalo Grove and surrounding communities. The MWRD will expand the reservoir by excavating over 300,000 cubic yards of material.
https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/buffalo-grove-reservoir-expansion-underway/

“Officials look for solutions to flooding in Bellwood, greater Proviso area,” Positively Proviso Monthly

“Water Professionals and Students Turning Lego Project into Rain Garden at Skinner North Classical; Construction set to begin at 10 a.m. on Mon., May 14 and run until 3 p.m.,” Water Environment Federation
What began as a group of fifth graders designing a rain garden with Legos will now become a reality as water professionals transform the playground at a Chicago school. Central States Water Environment Association (CSWEA) will host a volunteer project for Skinner North Classical School, 640 W Scott Street, on Monday, May 14, bringing together water professionals from across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota to solve a stormwater problem at the Chicago school. CSWEA will be conducting this project in conjunction with their annual meeting to occur in Oakbrook Terrace May 14-16. Sue Baert, CSWEA president, is excited about CSWEA's opportunity to work with the water stewards of the future. "In our industry we are constantly wanting to engage our youth through tours, experiments, educational materials - including WEF's World Water Day - actually getting to be part of this wonderful adventure is awe inspiring. How exciting to take an idea from our youth, create a plan, and implement it." The Skinner North Classical First Lego League Girls Lego Robotics Team initially designed the project in response to a flooding issue on their playground. The team proposed the idea while learning about stormwater and observing flooding on their own playground. "When our team first came up with the project idea, we wanted to make it a reality but didn't know how that would happen. Working with Julia Bunn of Spirited Gardener, and Natalie Cook, a local wastewater engineer, was an amazing experience and they taught us so much along the way. They helped us see that even a kids' idea can benefit the whole City of Chicago. Now our idea is a dream come true" says one team member. As part of the new design, a rain garden will be installed to capture stormwater instead of it running into an overburdened stormwater system. The project will include backfilling the rain garden with gravel and topsoil to create underground water storage, and planting native species that can sustain growth with wet soil and uptake water. Community partners have come together to make this rain garden a possibility. Design and plant selection were developed by Spirited Gardener. The excavation was generously performed by the Chicago Department of Water Management. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is providing needed tools and equipment to help bring the project to reality. "It's critically important that we create the next generation of citizens committed to water conservation," said Chicago Department of Water Management Commissioner Randy Conner. "That is why I agreed to support this project which engages kids in learning about our water system." "The MWRD is thrilled that we can be a part of a student-driven initiative that serves multiple purposes," said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "We have partnered for many years with WEF, Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Department of Water Management to construct gardens during WEFTEC so this additional project is a wonderful extension of this partnership." Central States Water Environment Association (CSWEA) is a member of the Water Environment Federation (WEF) representing Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The mission of CSWEA is to offer multiple opportunities for the exchange of water quality knowledge and experiences among its members and the public and to foster a greater awareness of water quality achievements and challenges. To learn more, visit www.cswea.org.

“What Houston Is Learning About Underground Tunnels To Mitigate Flooding,” Houston NPR
Harris County is looking at tunnels to help with flood mitigation. How have the tunnels in other cities fared?

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Tim Nolan, Senior Civil Engineer for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, stands inside the tunnel liner form in the Des Plaines Inflow Tunnel. (March 13, 2018)

Summary: Hurricane season starts June 1^st, and a Post-Harvey Houston has already cultivated a pool of potential flood mitigation projects. One of them is massive underground tunnels, to divert storm waters from flood-prone watersheds into the Houston Ship Channel. So far, the Harris County Flood Control District is considering what a feasibility study would look like. The district declined to comment further, at this time. And while some local officials have said this idea is thinking “outside of the box,” tunnels to mitigate flooding isn’t a new concept.

Chicago’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP)
Construction for The Windy City’s Tunnels and Reservoir Plan, or TARP, began in 1975. Also known as “Deep Tunnel,” it’s dubbed as “one of the largest civil engineering projects on Earth,” by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). The system includes four huge tunnels that run almost 110 miles long; which are connected to three colossal reservoirs, to capture and store combined stormwater and sewage. According to the MWRD website, TARP protects 1.5 million structures from flooding, and touts over $180 million in annual flood damage savings. By 2029, TARP is expected to have a holding capacity of over 20 billion gallons of wastewater and stormwater. In comparison, Hurricane Harvey dumped 1 trillion gallons of water on Harris County over a 4-day period, according to the Harris County Flood Control District.
San Antonio River Authority
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/in-depth/2018/05/12/284919/what-houston-is-learning-about-flood-tunnels-in-other-cities/

Commissioner Shore contributes article to book “Sustainable Nation: Urban Design Patterns for the Future”
Commissioner Debra Shore has written an article titled “Design wastewater treatment plants to be resource recovery and power centers” which appears in the book “Sustainable Nation: Urban Design Patterns for the Future” by Doug Farr. The article appears in the book’s chapter on “Urban Waters.” https://www.sustainablenationbook.com/). Copyright © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

“Mobile Weather Lab - Techny Basin in Glenview,” CBS 2
Heavy rain filled the MWRD’s Techny Reservoir in Glenview, and CBS Weather Lab’s Ed Curran parked the mobile lab nearby for yesterday’s evening newscast. He also showed MWRD timelapse footage of the first full fill in February and showcased the work of TARP.
https://cbsloc.al/2rJELqS

“Construction season arrives in Riverside; MWRD, street repair projects kick off for summer,” Riverside Brookfield Landmark
Construction season has arrived in Riverside, and anyone living in or driving through the village – particularly south of the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad tracks -- this summer will no doubt feel its impact. On May 10, equipment related to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's Salt Creek Intercepting Sewer No. 2 sewer lining project reappeared on Riverside Road. Depending on rainfall – since crews from Kenny Construction can't work on the pipes until storm water drains from them – work is expected to begin sometime this week. Under construction since 2016, the $41 million project will result in rehabilitating more than six miles of the Salt Creek Intercepting Sewer No. 2, which extends down First Avenue from roughly Roosevelt Road to Forest Avenue/Ridgewood Road and then heads both east and west into Riverside and Brookfield. The Salt Creek Intercepting Sewer conveys combined waste and storm water to the MWRD's waste water treatment facility in Stickney. The sewer is also part of the MWRD's Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), also known as the Deep Tunnel system, which serves as a massive combined sewer overflow during heavy rain events. Crews have been inserting a flexible tube, impregnated with resin, into the 90-year-old Salt Creek Intercepting Sewer pipes and then curing the liner in place. In Riverside, the work has taken place inside the pipes, which are up to seven feet in diameter. In Brookfield along Arden Avenue, where the work restarted in April, the liner was fed into the smaller sewer line from trucks parked along the street. The sewer lining project is expected to wrap up later this year.
http://www.rblandmark.com/News/Articles/5-15-2018/Construction-season-arrives-in-Riverside/

“A recycling effort that shouldn’t go to waste,” Chicago Sun Times
 By Marlen Garcia, a member of the Sun-Times Editorial Board

Exceptional quality biosolids compost produced at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's Stickney plant. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

On Saturday, I will drive to the Kirie Water Reclamation Plant in Des Plaines to pick up a bag of free compost for my garden. It’s part of an open house the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, with the largest wastewater treatment facility in the world, will have at six plants. It’s not just any compost. It is made from nutrient-rich biosolids, the term for the treated and processed human waste, or sludge, that travels from our toilets through 20,000 miles of local sewers and ultimately to the MWRD. Cue the jokes here, if not the “ick” factor. But don’t be quick to pooh-pooh biosolids. They’re an organic recycled product that every state applies to land. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers them safe, though it isn’t doing enough to study the effects of chemicals we send down drains and the pharmaceuticals we ingest and emit. Four years ago, I wrote about biosolid composting by the MWRD and its plan to bring to market biosolids in the way Milwaukee sludge is being turned into a commercially sold fertilizer called Milorganite. I visited the MWRD recently, along with Sun-Times photojournalist Ashlee Rezin, to check on progress. I hope you’ll check out Rezin’s video for a glimpse of how the MWRD, in treating wastewater, turns sludge into high-quality compost coveted by farms and golf courses. Since last summer, the MWRD has been selling its exceptional quality compost to the general public for $10 a cubic yard plus tax at the Harlem Avenue Solids Management Area in Forest View and Calumet Solids Management Area in Chicago. Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill into law three years ago to green-light the sale of biosolids to the public, as long as certain processing and treatment guidelines are followed. The MWRD has come a long way in processing biosolids and for years has been effectively removing metals and pathogens as required by the EPA. I watched recently as cranes filled big-rig trailers with biosolids from the MWRD that were headed for farms throughout the state. Farmers love the stuff because it is rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and organic matter. Using it saves farmers a lot of money. Most get it for free because wastewater treatment plants have tons of it available.

The biosolids train unloads solids from the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant to lagoons at the Lawndale Avenue Solids Management Area (LASMA).  | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

‘Ick’ factor persists
Biosolids aren’t being used for crops that go directly to your table, for the most part, Russ Higgins, a University of Illinois Extension educator in commercial agriculture, told me. Illinois’ largest crop, corn, is mostly raised for ethanol or livestock feed. Soybeans are a close second to corn, also largely for livestock feed. A University of Illinois Extension educator for small farms, James Theuri, said the U. of I. doesn’t recommend farmers use biosolids on fruit and vegetable crops. There are two issues, Theuri said. One is attitude. People think it’s icky (but all manure fertilizers are icky, generally). The other is a concern about pharmaceuticals and chemicals affecting low-growing edible plants. There isn’t enough research on potential effects. Hauling away biosolids to farms costs the MWRD about $5 million a year, executive director David St. Pierre told me. The hope is that the agency can recoup some of those costs by marketing it to the general public. If that goes well, it could reduce supply to farmers and raise demand, along with the possibility that farmers would pay for it. That won’t happen anytime soon. Marketing is still in early stages. “We’re looking at ways to get the word out,” St. Pierre said. “We haven’t given it a name.”

NY pooh-poohs biosolids
The MWRD no longer has to send biosolids to landfills, as some states do. New York City fills rail cars with sludge (a poo-poo train) and sends them to landfills in the South that have cheap dumping rates. A controversy ensued earlier this year in Alabama when the town of West Jefferson, located near a landfill, got an injunction to bar the dumping, and the stinky train got stuck for two months near the small town of Parrish. New Yorkers, apparently, aren’t big fans of biosolids. Whereas garden beds at Maggie Daley Park and the popular 606 Trail were cultivated with biosolids, we probably wouldn’t see the same at Central Park in New York. If New York City tried to send biosolids upstate, “we’d have a civil war in the state, I’m pretty sure,” Murray McBride, a soil contaminant expert at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, told me. I asked New York’s wastewater treatment agency about its biosolids program but didn’t hear back. McBride, though, hears from communities in the Northeast that worry about applying biosolids to farmland. Some say it makes them sick; others complain about the smell. (I didn’t detect an odor on the finished product at the MWRD). “The EPA likes to say people are being hysterical,” McBride said. “These people are really getting sick. What’s blowing off fields is infecting people.” McBride raises legitimate concerns about the EPA. Scientists know chemicals and pharmaceuticals are present in biosolids, and the EPA isn’t doing enough to study the effects. The EPA’s rules on biosolids are in a guide that is 24 years old. Surely, it needs updating. If the EPA doesn’t lead, this significant recycling project won’t evolve to earn the public’s trust. And we’ll never get past the “ick” factor.

A compost screener removes larger pieces of woodchips, which are used as a bulking agent for composting with biosolids in open windrows, from finished compost at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/biosolids-sludge-recycling-marlen-garcia/

“'It was close,' but pilot's skills before plane crash around Hanover Park may have saved lives,” Daily Herald

The wreckage of a RV7 airplane that landed in a field near a Hanover Park neighborhood sits on a flatbed Saturday.

Police from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District on Saturday morning guard the entrance to the district property along Walnut Avenue in Hanover Park where a small plane went down on Friday night.

As they gazed at the mangled wings and crumpled propeller of a single-engine airplane that crashed near their Hanover Park homes, Longmeadow Lane residents considered themselves and the pilot lucky Saturday. "It was close," Krista Torres said. The two-seater RV7 airplane crash-landed at 9:18 p.m. Friday in a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District field alongside Walnut Avenue, northwest of the Schaumburg Airport. The pilot suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and was taken to St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates. There were no passengers. The FAA is investigating. The airplane is registered to Robert Wiemuth of Terre Haute, Indiana, but it's not known if he was flying the plane. FAA records show a Robert Wiemuth who is an American Airlines pilot, but authorities could not confirm if it was the same person. If so, it could explain how the airplane landed at nighttime, without being demolished or catching on fire, and in a grassy area away from homes. "The skills of the pilot saved his life as well as those that could have been in harm's way," said Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig, a former FAA manager. Residents didn't recall hearing any impact, but the noise of emergency sirens drew them out onto the normally quiet street to see fire trucks, police cars and media trucks. "It was Grand Central Station," said Jane Wogelius, who lives on Longmeadow Lane. Because of the proximity to Schaumburg Airport, she and her husband, Bill, are accustomed to small aircraft flying overhead. "We never gave them a second thought," she said. "We were pretty lucky when you think about what could have been." John Haslett, whose house on Walnut Avenue looks out on the water district property and is west of Schaumburg airport, said he was thankful the aircraft didn't explode. "I am in the front row if anything happens. ... I prefer to be in the second row," he said jokingly. But "I've been here since 1985 -- it's one of the few times I've ever had a plane crash around here. It's pretty rare." A flatbed tow truck took the plane and pieces of the wings away Saturday afternoon as neighbors watched with serious faces -- except for the youngest spectators. "Mommy, next time a plane crashes, can you wake me up?" asked 5-year-old Christian, Torres' son.
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180519/it-was-close-but-pilots-skills-before-plane-crash-around-hanover-park-may-have-saved-lives

“‘Space to Grow’ Celebrates National Infrastructure Week,” National League of Cities
Last week, leaders from across America convened in Washington for Infrastructure Week 2018, which focuses on the impact of infrastructure on the economy and society and how to make improvements for the 21st century. Cities across the country are experiencing heavy storms that lead to flooding—and all of its consequences. Additionally, the storms are becoming heavier and more frequent. A recent article in Chicago magazine imagines a future where Chicago leads the way in a country plagued by intensifying weather. The story dreams of highways made of a permeable material that lets water soak through and reduces flooding and large skyscrapers are adorned with native plants that absorb water and then irrigate other plants.

This vision is set in 2068, a mere half a century from now, but some of the innovations described are already happening. In schoolyards across Chicago, the Space to Grow program is transforming Chicago schoolyards into vibrant spaces that support children, communities and the environment. The program is co-managed by Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands. Capital funding and expertise comes from Chicago Public Schools, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the Chicago Department of Water Management. Each Space to Grow schoolyard receives a $1.5 million transformation, and every space uses special surfaces and design elements—such as rain gardens and permeable pavers—to capture rainwater and help reduce neighborhood flooding during the heaviest of storms. This innovative partnership ensures that the schoolyards are designed by and for the communities they serve. They become beautiful and functional spaces with many co-benefits for students, parents, schools and communities. Managing stormwater is especially important in Chicago because of the city’s combined sewer system. All of our used water and stormwater flow through the same pipes to a reclamation facility where the water is cleaned before being returned to the waterways. Treating all of the excess stormwater is costly, and the increased intensity of storms we experience puts additional burdens on treatment plants.

The use of green infrastructure, which incorporates natural landscaping and permeable surfaces that mimic the natural water cycle, allows stormwater to slowly absorb into the ground right where it falls, keeping it out of the sewer system during peak storms. This not only protects our sewer system, but when used in schoolyards, also provides multiple community benefits. With more than 760 acres of impermeable surface in a highly urbanized area, Chicago Public Schools schoolyards present a significant opportunity for changing the way stormwater is managed on public land in Chicago. But the schoolyards also provide healthy, engaging places for students to be physically active before, during and after school. Each schoolyard includes spaces for physical activity, such as turf fields, jogging tracks, basketball and tennis courts, and play equipment for all ages. The schoolyards also include outdoor classrooms and native gardens, providing a daily opportunity to connect with nature which has proven benefits for academic achievement. Space to Grow schoolyards provide space and equipment that empower school leaders to put positive new CPS policies for recess and PE into practice. The schoolyards are also open to the community after school and on the weekends, serving a community parks in some of Chicago’s most park deficient communities. The Space to Grow partners’ current commitments will transform 34 schoolyards in Chicago. In total, those schoolyards will be able to capture and hold over 5 millions gallons of stormwater at any given time. They will serve over 15,000 Chicago Public School students and their families, providing access to nature, outdoor classrooms, space for physical activity and recreation and edible gardens to support nutrition education. To date, nine are completed and six will open this fall. We look forward to continuing this effort, improving one school at a time and one community at a time.
https://citiesspeak.org/2018/05/21/space-to-grow-celebrates-national-infrastructure-week/

“MWRD Commissioner Kari K. Steele hosts 100 Black Men Chicago, Inc. mentees (ages 13-18) during MWRD open house and national Infrastructure Week,” Chicago Citizen

MWRD Commissioner Kari Steele with 100 Black Men Chicago, Inc.

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Commissioner Kari K. Steele and 100 Black Men Chicago, Inc. come together to provide Chicago area youth Mentees of 100 Black Men Chicago, Inc. (ages 13-18) with an extraordinary opportunity to learn how the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) recovers resources and transform water at their fascinating and vital Water Reclamation Plants (WRPs). 100 Black Men Chicago, Inc. Board President Carl Tutt accompanied the South Side Academy Site group of Mentors and Mentees during a tour recently. The tour included a video presentation, Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) tour, informational brochures and a candid discussion with Commissioner Kari K. Steele about their future career goals and MWRD. All visitors were also provided free MWRD EQ compost and tree saplings. “As MWRD Commissioner, serving as the only chemist on the nine member board, I have made it one of my many goals to reach out to youth and introduce them to the fascinating work done at MWRD. This gives them the opportunity to see first-hand how S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) can work together in one place to accomplish extraordinary goals. At ages 13-18, it’s not too early for youth to start planning their future career goals and S.T.E.M. careers are great options to include in the planning. I’m grateful to 100 Black Men Chicago, Inc. Board President Carl Tutt for accepting the invitation and his team of Mentoring Professionals who organized their Mentees to make the MWRD tour possible,” said MWRD Commissioner Kari K. Steele. “We welcome opportunities to engage our Mentees with new ideas, concepts, organizations and companies that assist our efforts to expand their opportunities for success. The invitation from MWRD Commissioner Steele to participate in the MWRD Open House proved to be amongst the most unique experiences ever had by our Mentees. They were intrigued and excited to learn about Chicago waterways. It was a truly fascinating experience for all of us,” said Carl Tutt, 100 Black Men Chicago, Inc. Board President. The MWRD protects the health and safety of the public in its service area, protect the quality of the water supply (Lake Michigan), improve the quality of water in watercourses in its service area, protect businesses and homes from flood damages, and manage water as a vital resource for its service area. The District’s service area is 883.5 square miles of Cook County, Illinois. The District is committed to achieving the highest standards of excellence in fulfilling its mission. The mission of 100 Black Men Chicago, Inc. is to improve the quality of life and enhance the educational opportunities of African-American males throughout the Greater Chicago area by pairing them with successful African-American professionals committed to the intellectual development of youth and the economic empowerment of the African-American community based on the following principles: Respect for family, Spirituality, Justice and Integrity.
http://thechicagocitizen.com/news/2018/may/23/mwrd-commissioner-kari-k-steele-host-100-black-men/

“Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebrated In Chicago,” News India Times
More than 300 people gathered in Chicago’s James R. Thompson Center May 15 to celebrate the 18th annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, hosted this year by the Illinois Secretary of State Asian American Advisory Council. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, celebrated through May, pays tribute to the contributions generations of Asian Pacific Americans have made to American history, society and culture. Joanie Lum, reporter, Fox 32 News Chicago and Ravi Baichwal from ABC7 moderated the event.

The opening remarks were presented by Jesse White, secretary of state.

“It is a privilege to welcome and celebrate the legacies of these prestigious individuals. I look forward to the continued success of Illinois’ outstanding Asian Pacific American community,” White is quoted saying in the press release from Syed Ullah.

Dr. John A Kalapurakal, professor of Radiation Oncology and Neurological Surgery at Northwestern University, received the Special Humanitarian Service Award. He also served as the keynote speaker for the event.

Commissioner Josina Morita with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, was honored with the Judge Laura C. Liu Trailblazer Award. Bala Ghimire was honored with the Appreciation Award. Austin Prabhu received the Humanitarian Excellence Award. Stephanie Chan Vo was honored with the Volunteer Achievement Award. Rebecca Yemin Shi received the Community Leadership Award. Arshia Hasnain, executive director of Suzy’s Place was honored with the Community Service Award for her humanitarianism and activism. Her fight for domestic violence victims, provides emergency and transitional housing, and services, to women survivors of domestic violence through Suzy’s Place. Several other individuals were also honored with the Community Service Award including Neelofar Kanji, Yolanda Tubalina, Murad Husain, Kakrasana Nugroho, fujima Shunojo, Bok Hyung An, Azelena Ali Vandre, Satya Chaudhary, Mimi Moore, James Eursiriwan, and Jennifer Pham.
http://www.newsindiatimes.com/asian-pacific-american-heritage-month-celebrated-in-chicago

“$2 Million From MWRD For Niles Golf Mill Park Stormwater Project,” Journal & Topics
Editor’s Note: The Board has yet to approve funding for this project or for the other recently selected Phase II projects.

Summary: A village owned building at 9101 Greenwood, adjacent to Golf Mill Park, may be torn down to make way for a larger park and festival ground, under which will be underground stormwater detention vaults. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago may commit $2 million in funding for a massive water detention project under Golf Mill Park and a village-owned property at 9101 Greenwood Ave., both in Niles. The $8.6 million project would double Golf Mill Park in size with stormwater detention built underneath the park located on Church Street between Greenwood and Cumberland on Niles’ north side. Mayor Andrew Przybylo announced the MWRD award at a Thursday, May 17 Niles Economic Development & Neighborhood Renewal Commission meeting. Village officials issued bid specifications to tear down the office building at 9101 Greenwood (at the corner of Greenwood and Church). Bids are expected to be opened Wednesday, May 30. A contract is expected to be awarded for the demolition at the Tuesday, June 26 village board meeting. Once the building is demolished, underground stormwater detention vaults would be able to hold the equivalent of 12 acres of one-foot-above-ground stormwater detention in area. Approximately 4,000 feet of new 36-inch-to-54-inch sewer lines would also be installed. Above ground, plans are to combine the 9101 Greenwood property with Golf Mill Park to the east, to create one park and festival grounds, eventually doubling the overall size of Golf Mill Park. A new joint village and park district committee was formed to work on designs of the new park and festival ground space, which would include creating a request for qualifications to create the larger space while incorporating “wish lists” from both the village and park district. Serving on the committee are Joe LoVerde, a consultant to the park district, former park district director and current village trustee; Village Manager Steve Vinezeano, Niles Park District Director Tom Elenz, village trustees Denise McCreery and John Jekot, who is also the Golf Maine Park Dist. director; and park commissioners Julie Genualdi and Chris Zalinski, who owns a successful landscaping company. Mayor Przybylo has discussed including an artist’s pavilion in the new park, along with space for festivals and a farmers market. The use of public art as a driver of economic development is part of the village’s long term plan. Elenz said the park district’s priority would be to maintain athletics such as basketball and tennis courts, a soccer field and playground. A request for qualifications would be reviewed by the joint committee and, once approved there, be sent to both village trustees and park board commissioners for separate approvals, Elenz said.
https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/2-million-from-mwrd-for-niles-golf-mill-park-stormwater-project/

“A City Built on Sludge; an ambitious book chronicles the early years of the South and West Sides’ sewage systems,” By Emeline Posner, Food & Land editor, Southside Weekly

May 11, 1937. The sun is shining through the access manhole above and through floor manholes into the gate chamber. Access to the backwater gates on West Town's outlet sewer section 3 is through the operating gallery above the gate chamber. (Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Archives)

Summary: The largest and greatest sludge plant in the world… wasn’t intended to be that way,” Richard Lanyon, former executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), said to a rapt audience, a playful smile spreading across his face. “It just happened.” It’s true: Cook County’s very own Stickney Water Reclamation Plant is just about the largest in the world, processing sewage and stormwater from a 260-square-mile area that includes the South and West Sides, some of the North Side, and forty-six suburbs. Just outside the city limits on Pershing and Central, the plant remains out of sight and out of mind for most Chicagoans. But it’s central to the history Lanyon tells in his most recent book, West by Southwest to Stickney: Draining the Central Area of Chicago and Exorcising Clout, which he visited the Chicago Maritime Museum to speak about in late April.  The book title is a play not on the Hitchcock movie, but on the names of the Stickney plant’s earlier incarnations. First called the West Side Sewage Treatment Plant when it opened in 1930, as the plant processed sewage from greater portions of the South Side, it added a Southwest branch, and then the two merged to become the West-Southwest Sewage Treatment Works. In 1988, as part of a larger wave of rechristenings, the MWRD stopped naming the site for its breadth of coverage and instead renamed it for the small village to its west, Stickney. West by Southwest to Stickney, the third in Lanyon’s four-book series on the development of Chicago’s sewage system, offers an insider’s account of how those plants, and the District’s sewer system, have been integral to flood prevention and public health efforts on the South and West Sides.

Looking west on July 23, 1940. The first step in construction of the Racine Avenue Pumping Station was constructing a sheet pile dock wall to close off the remaining part of the East Fork. A small channel was left to receive the discharge of stormwater. The station will be built on the vacant land west of the dock wall. The long-gone Iron Street bridge over the West Arm is in the background. (Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Archives)

Chicago’s sewer system actually dates back much further than its first sewage treatment plant. Up until the 1850s, the city’s earliest sewage pipes sent downtown sewage directly into Lake Michigan, with gravity’s aid. In light of the unpleasant odors and rising typhoid rates that followed, the city decided shortly thereafter that it was in its best interest to send its sewage not toward but away from its sole source of drinking water. In the mid-1850s, the city started diverting most of its sewage into the Chicago River and the Illinois and Michigan Canal. But though both channels provided a route for ships to move to the southwest and into the Mississippi River System, despite engineers’ best efforts (including temporarily reversing the river in 1871), the water (and waste) carried by both still flowed naturally into the lake. In 1885, when a storm sent the canal’s most polluted waters far out into the lake, near the drinking water intakes, the city panicked, and four years later created the Sanitary District of Chicago (as the MWRD was known until 1988). The agency was tasked with permanently reversing the canal and the Chicago River to prevent future contamination of the lake. By 1900, the new district had built the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal—an improvement on the Illinois and Michigan Canal—and succeeded in reversing the Chicago River, once and for all diverting its polluted waters southwest, into the Des Plaines River and then the Mississippi. But as Lanyon writes in the first chapter of West by Southwest, “Reversing the flow of the Chicago River and South Branch wasn’t enough to keep sewage out of the lake.” To get to that point, Lanyon argues, it took decades of building out intercepting sewers, pumping stations, and waste treatment plants, from the early 1900s through the thirties and forties. What follows is a fascinating but labyrinthine account of the development of Chicago’s current waste management system. It’s easy to understand why the work of the District following the Chicago River reversal goes underappreciated: Plagued by corruption and controversy for most of the twentieth century, the District operated in an ad-hoc fashion, adding pumping stations and intercepting sewer systems when it became apparent that they couldn’t do without them. The West Side Sewage Treatment Center, for instance, became operational in 1930. The District operated a small railroad to transfer its processed sewage sludge from the facility to a 950-acre dumping site to the southwest. But by 1934, “The depth of material was encroaching on the tracks on top of the trestle,” Lanyon writes, and expansion was needed; the District opened a second processing facility on the same site in 1939. The District’s stop-and-start building over this period—especially of new sewage treatment facilities and intercepting sewer lines on the South and West Sides—did not exactly invite the awe of the public in the way that the river reversal did.

A portion of the City of Chicago 1911 Map of Main Outfall Sewers upon which District engineers positioned planned sewage treatment facilities to serve the west and south sewer districts and the routes of planned intercepting sewers in 1919. The proposed site of the Southwest plant and actual site of both Southwest and West Side plants are added. (Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Archives)

But the infrastructure that the District was building through the thirties and forties and forties, at however variable a pace, was for the first time infrastructure that wouldn’t direct sewage into the Chicago River system. Instead of pumping into the river—and to less fortunate cities downstream—the District started using technology to process sewage into “sludge,” a composted, air-dried biosolid rich in nutrients. Over the years, the agency has marketed sludge to farmers, gardeners, landscapers, and, recently, to those working to rehabilitate brownfields and other contaminated sites. There is likely no person in the city of Chicago better equipped to tell this story than Lanyon, who spent fifty years working in Chicago water management before retiring in 2010. At the Maritime Museum, he recalled parts of his childhood in a house in Englewood that, like most other homes on the low-lying South Side at the time, often flooded to varying degrees of severity. And as an adult, he was present for the construction of the infrastructure that most helped to alleviate flooding on the South Side: the 1964 Racine Avenue Pumping Station on Pershing. Replacing an older pumping station with less capacity, it pumped sewage from a 36-square-mile area, from Western east to the lakefront, and from 87th up to Taylor.

June 19, 1925. An engineer is inspecting a manhole structure and backfill along the Elmwood Park sewer along North Avenue. The backfill will be graded level and compacted below the top of the manhole to allow for street construction. With completion of the sewer, homes can be built in the underdeveloped area. (Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Archives)

It’s not that Lanyon doesn’t see the forest for the trees (or, er, the sewer system for the lines). At the Maritime Museum, Lanyon spoke compellingly about how land use in the early 20th century affected the growth of the city’s sewer system. Midway through his talk, he put up on the projector an early sewer map covering Fullerton through 87th Street. It ended at 87th, he explained, because for a long time that’s where the city ended—but it stopped at Fullerton because the Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul railroad, which like most other railroads until the 1920s ran at street level, had stopped the District from developing any further. “This [rail line] became a natural boundary for sewers because when they were laying out sewers they didn’t want to cross railroad tracks, and railroads didn’t want pipe go underneath the tracks anyways,” Lanyon said. “So a lot of the present-day sewer maps are defined by railroads.” Lanyon has undertaken an impressive feat in pulling together this history—not to mention the two histories preceding it—and the book will serve as a guide for researchers and all those who have an interest in the nitty-gritty of Chicago’s underground infrastructure. https://southsideweekly.com/city-built-sludge-mwrd-stickney/

Public-Private Partnership Recognized at LISC Chicago’s annual neighborhood awards event on April 5

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Chicago presented the 24th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA) on April 5, 2018, to recognize and honor the top community development, real estate development and architectural design projects in the city’s neighborhoods. Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands received the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Healthy Community Award as recognition for work on Space to Grow: Greening Chicago Schoolyards. Space to Grow transforms Chicago Schoolyards into vibrant spaces to play, learn and be outside. Space to Grow is co-managed by Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands and brings together capital funds and leadership from Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Water Management, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. For more information, please visit www.spacetogrowchicago.org. “On behalf of the Space to Grow partners, we want to thank LISC and CNDA for their recognition of this partnership,” explained Rochelle Davis, President and CEO of Healthy Schools Campaign. “Space to Grow is a unique collaboration dedicated to creating a brighter, greener, healthier future for our city. Each partner believes that schools are central to community life, making them an ideal focus for collaboration.” “Space to Grow schoolyard transformations prioritize physical activity, outdoor learning, and community engagement,” said Daniella Pereira, Vice President of Community Conservation at Openlands. “The green schoolyards incorporate landscape features that capture a significant amount of rainfall, helping keep the city’s water resources clean and resulting in less neighborhood flooding. It’s a win for students, neighborhoods, and our city’s environment.” The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Healthy Community Award recognizes a successful community-based effort to address the health of a low-to-moderate income neighborhood in the Chicago metropolitan area through creative and collaborative strategies. “For more than two decades the Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design have celebrated Chicago’s neighborhoods by honoring and recognizing the outstanding achievements in neighborhood real estate development, community engagement and neighborhood planning,” said LISC Chicago’s Executive Director Meghan Harte. “At CNDA we take a moment to really recognize and celebrate the creativity and accomplishments that transform our communities. Our neighborhoods are what make Chicago the unique city it is – congratulations to this year’s winners, you have inspired us with your vision and commitment.” Established in 1995, CNDA was created to celebrate and honor the outstanding achievements in neighborhood real estate development, architectural design and community building, as well as the essential role that both non-profit and for-profit developers play in building healthier neighborhoods throughout Chicago. CNDA is the largest and most venerated celebration of the creativity and accomplishments that transform neighborhoods across the City. During the ceremony CNDA presented six community development awards, three Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Architectural Excellence in Community Design and two awards for personal achievement to individuals. All award submissions were extensively reviewed by teams of judges. For more information about the CNDA and to learn more about this year’s winners visit, http://www.lisc-cnda.org/.

“Open house planned for Riverside station area upgrades, MWRD to help fund brick paver commuter lot,” Riverside-Brookfield Landmark
Riverside residents curious, or who have some thoughts they'd like to share, about roadway and streetscape improvements scheduled later this summer in and around the intersection of Riverside and Bloomingbank roads, can get a closer look at an open house planned for Thursday, April 12 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 4 of the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road. The improvements, which seek to realign crosswalks, traffic patterns and parking near the train station to enhance pedestrian safety, are just part of what is expected to be a busy construction season later this summer.

People can drop in any time during the open house to ask questions about and discuss the proposed improvements with village officials and project consultants. The plan calls for eliminating the long crosswalk across Bloomingbank Road from the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad crossing, moving it west and shortening it, which should also prevent cars from backing up on the tracks as they wait for people to cross the street. In addition, there will be an expanded brick-paver plaza east of the train station, with a raised planter and bike racks. The brick pavers will extend west in front of the station, eliminating parking immediately south of the platform and creating a safe area for pedestrians there. On the east side of Riverside Road, the streetscape will undergo a complete makeover to mirror improvements north of the tracks along Longcommon Road. The $540,000 station area roadway and streetscape improvements are being funded in part by a $378,000 federal Surface Transportation Program grant. Riverside officials are aiming to have construction begin in September, with work wrapping up in late November.
Commuter lot to get 'green' makeover
It's going to be a busy construction season next fall at Riverside's downtown train station. In addition to the streetscape improvements, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) has informed the village that it will be awarding a grant to help fund the reconstruction of the main commuter parking lot west of the train station. Instead of simply resurfacing the lot with asphalt, the village will create a "green" parking lot using permeable brick pavers, which comes at a greater up front cost, but is expected to last decades longer. The MWRD has not yet specified its grant award for the project, which the village is estimating will cost $1.2 million to complete. In March, the West Suburban Mass Transit District informed village officials that Riverside had been awarded a $325,000 grant that it can use toward the parking lot project and/or a separate project scheduled for 2018 to reset the brick pavers on the train station platform and install new hand railings there. The West Suburban Mass Transit District had already awarded a $235,000 grant to help fund the platform/railing project. Village officials say they are hoping to coordinate the construction schedules for all of the improvements slated for the area around the train station.
http://mobile.rblandmark.com/News/Articles/4-3-2018/Open-house-planned-for-Riverside-station-area-upgrades/

“Flooding Relief for Chatham,” Medill Reports Chicago
A South-Side Chicago neighborhood endures significant flooding from even minor rain events. It’s had this problem since the 1860s and residents are tired of scrubbing their basements and dealing with mold. But the end may be in sight — at least for a few dozen homes.

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/flooding-relief-for-chatham/

“Local family may get help for water woes,” The Regional News
Summary: Tim and Melinda Moore are often looking up, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. For the past 15 years, the Palos Heights couple have become near-incessant weather-watchers, always on the lookout for approaching rain—and sometimes even snow—that might result in standing water in their backyard, a flooded basement, or even worse. “It’s a nightmare,” says Tim. “There have been instances where the water has been so deep out there, 10 inches all across my property that it was threatening to come in the back door of the house.” Relief may be on the horizon, however. Tentative plans are in the works for the house to be possibly purchased from the Moores and leveled, allowing them to find a happy home elsewhere in Palos Heights, a community where they’d very much like to stay. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District may be able to alleviate some of the Moores’ sleepless nights—at least the rainy ones—with a plan still in development.
http://www.theregionalnews.com/index.php/newsx/159-local-news/top-news-story/35983-local-family-may-get-help-for-water-woes

“Water Week a prime opportunity to emphasize critical water needs,” The Hill
By David St. Pierre, Opinion Contributor
As the deadline for filing federal income taxes draws near, many question the value taxpayers receive in exchange for their contributions to the U.S. Treasury. This year, coinciding with the traditional April 15 Tax Day, is the kick-off of the combined water sector’s annual “Water Week,” where lawmakers and the public at large are made aware of crucial water supply and water quality issues facing the nation. Water is essential to sustain life, and yet it is often undervalued, even ignored, until there is a problem or crisis such as a water main break, contamination, or other safety threat. Not only is reliably clean and safe water imperative in protecting public/human health, it is one of the major drivers of our economy and ensures that our local communities grow and thrive. All one needs to do is look around their community at the homes, schools, hospitals, government buildings, businesses, and recreation centers that rely on water delivery to understand. Consider that every $1 invested in water and wastewater infrastructure increases long-term GDP by $6.35, and a one-day disruption in national water services would result in a $43.5 billion daily sales loss to businesses. And, each job created in water and wastewater leads to 3.68 jobs in the national economy, as water contributes tens of billions of dollars to economic growth through tourism, fishing and water related sports. When funding priorities for infrastructure are discussed however, it is usually “roads and bridges” that are addressed before anyone even considers water. In turn, federal investment in water and wastewater has been declining for decades and has failed to keep pace with the challenges and demands that communities across the country are facing. States, local communities, and their ratepayers are the ones who have continuously shouldered the overwhelmingly large portion of the costs, and have stepped up to provide the needed investments for these essential water services. This lack of federal investment will continue to contribute to breakdowns in water supply, treatment and wastewater capacity that are projected to cost manufacturers and other businesses over $7.5 trillion in lost sales and $41 trillion in loss GDP by 2040. Clean water is an essential part of every local economy, but utility leaders and local governments can no longer afford to do it alone. After several decades of neglect, Congress recently passed a bipartisan spending bill that provided for some increased federal investments in water infrastructure. While the needed investment is still far off the mark of the more than $1 trillion needed just to maintain current levels of service for wastewater and drinking water over the next twenty years, it provided a starting point for further increases in investment. There is a great deal more work to do! Communities and cities cannot attract and keep business, industry or even population without adequate water resources and the technical, managerial and financial resources to manage water. During Water Week and beyond, utility leaders across America will be advocating for greater federal funding so communities have the financial support they need to provide clean water to all. Now is the time for Congress to help the communities they represent with some of their biggest needs and devote the necessary increased resources to build and maintain the critical infrastructure required to continue the delivery and treatment of clean, safe water. So, as we ponder, and sometimes complain, about the use of government funds while filing federal taxes this year, water stakeholders hope every American comes to appreciate, and even voice their support, for water investments. What investment could be more worthy? If political leaders on Capitol Hill understand what every citizen instinctively knows to be true, then they too can be heroes in the combined effort to keep clean and safe water flowing to every community. A fiscally balanced infrastructure plan must prioritize this country’s critical water needs. David St. Pierre is president of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies and executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
http://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/383416-water-week-a-prime-opportunity-to-emphasize-critical-water-needs

“Mariyana Spyropoulos, President, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago addresses the Chicago City Club,” Chicago City Club
MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos addressed a sold-out crowd at the City Club of Chicago, Illinois’ premiere public affairs forum since 1903. President Spyropoulos was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2016. She was elected as Chairman of Finance in January 2013 and Board President in January 2015 and 2017. President Spyropoulos serves as Chairman of three committees: Judiciary; Labor and Industrial Relations; and Pension, Human Resources and Civil Service. She is also Vice Chairman of the Ethics Committee and serves as a Trustee on the Pension Board. In January 2011, the Board of Commissioners appointed her to the Public Building Commission. President Spyropoulos has championed transparency and fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers of Cook County.
Link to video: https://www.cityclub-chicago.org/video/1277/mariyana-spyropoulos

“City Club of Chicago: Mariyana Spyropoulos, President of the MWRD Board of Commissioners,” WGN Radio
Summary: WGN Radio provides the full video of President Mariyana Spyropoulos’ presentation to the City Club on April 17, 2018.
http://wgnradio.com/2018/04/17/city-club-of-chicago-mariyana-spyropoulos-president-of-the-metropolitan-water-reclamation-district/

“The Dirty Work of Keeping the Chicago River Clean,” WTTW

On a cool and sunny spring morning, Marty Cech is deftly piloting a strange-looking craft through Chicago’s widest, wettest thoroughfare. He’s searching for something the city usually supplies in abundance, but this morning, Cech says the pickings are slim. “From day to day it always varies. Sometimes a little bit of garbage, sometimes a lot,” he says. Cech is the pilot of Skim Pickens, one of two skimmer boats operated by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District that act as the Chicago River’s floating garbage trucks. Monday through Friday, the two boats – the other one is named Skimmy Dipper – cruise the river scooping up the cans, cups, wrappers and bottles that, one way or another, wind up in the water. They’ve been patrolling the river since 2015, and MWRD principal engineer Brian Levy says the boats were custom-made to efficiently sift and lift debris from the river’s surface. “There's a basket that's in between the two hulls that actually collects the debris from the water. The basket lowers, it skims the water, and any sort of floating debris that’s right in front of the basket, it collects it,” Levy says. In addition to pilot Cech, deckhand Sean Kingsley is aboard the Skim Pickens to get into the odd corners the boat can’t reach. Keeping the river clean is no easy task, particularly during the summer months when the river is bustling. Cech says, “You’re moving in and amongst all the commercial vessels, tour boats, pleasure craft, kayaks, tugboats, taxis – in the heat of the summer, it's a good old fashioned traffic jam out here.” And with all that tourism comes trash – a lot of it. Levy says his crews pull about 170 cubic yards of debris each year with their skimmer boats. Once the basket is full, the skimmer travels to a site on the south branch, where a crane lifts the basket out of the boat and empties it into a massive container. While the cups and bottles that make up the bulk of the catch are certainly unsightly, the crews also have to contend with a more hazardous type of debris often found bobbing along in the current – logs. Cech says, “The river flows downstream from the North Shore Channel, the North Branch, and the middle fork, so we get heavy tree debris, especially after the rain.” And logs and other large debris require a bigger boat. Levy says, “When we find larger-type logs along the river, we try to get those out of the way to make it safer for boats to travel through. We’ll tie it up to one of our boats, and then we'll call for our debris boat to come by. It's a 36-foot pusher boat that pushes a barge that has a crane on it. That crane will actually grab that log and bring it on its barge and dispose of it.” Levy’s crews have pulled a few other large items out of the river’s murky depths. “Mattresses, garbage cans, basketballs. Once we had to pull a couch out of the river,” Levy recalls. “A couple years ago one of the pilots actually rescued an individual that fell into the river. One of our pilots threw him a life ring and actually got him up on board.” But, Levy says, that kind of heroism is rarely needed. For the most part, the Skim Pickens and its crew are content to float under the radar, quietly doing the dirty – and wet – work that keeps our river sparkling.
Link to video: https://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2018/04/17/dirty-work-keeping-chicago-river-clean?utm_source=WTTW%2FWFMT+Subscribers&utm_campaign=4d946a5fc6-Daily_Briefing_Thursday_10_20_16&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5bc493c2d1-4d946a5fc6-91949597

“McCook Levee, Illinois,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
In partnership with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District is conducting a Feasibility Study to address flood risk in the Villages of McCook, Lyons, and Summit, Ill. The Detailed Project Report and Integrated Environmental Assessment, documenting the study process and recommendations, was released for public review and comment April 18, 2018. Comments must be received by Wednesday, May 23, 2018. Comments can be submitted via email to ChicagoDistrict.Pao@usace.army.mil or via postal mail to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, ATTN: Planning Branch (McCook Levee), 231 S. LaSalle Street (Suite 1500), Chicago, Illinois, 60604.
For more information, visit http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/…/Civil-Works-P…/McCook-Levee/

“New tech suggests more homes near Des Plaines River at risk of flooding,” Chicago Tribune

Summary: Big Bend Drive, once a serene, secluded cluster of homes hugging the banks of the Des Plaines River, was a hive of hauling, digging, shoveling and excavation on a recent spring day. A bulldozer churned down the middle of the block, flinging a splatter of mud. A crew loaded chunks of concrete into a dump truck parked near splintered pieces of house siding, a jagged reminder of a recent past. The crews are not building, however, but demolishing. The neighborhood in Des Plaines is the target of a systematic flood mitigation program that aims to tear down most of the homes in an area frequently ravaged by the rising waters of the Des Plaines River. The buyouts and teardowns in Des Plaines are perhaps the most striking example of the ongoing tussle with the forces of the river, just one of the tools in an arsenal used by city, state and federal agencies to combat the effects of annual flooding. More people find themselves in the path of rising waters as extreme flooding events and torrential rains become more common. And as technology improves to map floodplains, the number of residents and businesses at risk is climbing. A newly released report from The Nature Conservancy and the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom indicates 41 million Americans live in areas at risk of flooding, three times more than official Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates. After flooding caused widespread damage to the Big Bend neighborhood in 2010 and 2013, the city targeted it and four nearby streets for the mitigation program. State and federal officials said the program is voluntary and is designed to reduce the dangers, risks and costs of Des Plaines River flooding. Clearing the area of houses will benefit people and nature, they said, preventing future damage and rescues. “We’re not trying to drive people out of their homes,” said David St. Pierre, executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, one of the agencies involved in the buyout programs. “We’re trying to offer them an escape from their homes.”
An underestimated risk
Using new technology, researchers and hydrologists with The Nature Conservancy and the University of Bristol conclude 13.3 percent of the U.S. population is currently exposed to a 1-in-100-year flood. On Wednesday legislation was introduced in the U.S. House and Senate that would provide $5.5 million for grants to cities to improve mapping technologies and provide better data to Congress and FEMA. The proposal, advocates say, will help local governments and residents better understand and estimate flood risks, coordinate with the federal government, and help protect homeowners.
Bucking the trend
Mark Allen is adamant he is not going anywhere. He sued the city of Des Plaines in January to ensure the short-sale purchase of his home on Big Bend Drive. He was aware of the flooding risks but said the house was a great deal, and he could not resist the natural setting.  Now his house is alone at the end of the street, at the base of the U where the river turns. In collaboration with FEMA and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the city has acquired 61 properties and a few more are under contract, IEMA said. Eighty-one properties are being targeted. The proposed buyouts cost approximately $25 million. FEMA is providing 75 percent of the cost, with the reclamation district covering 24 percent and the city the remainder.
Making acquisitions a priority
Another acquisition program is underway along the Des Plaines River in an unincorporated area near Riverside, where Cook County has acquired 20 of 39 homes, according to the reclamation district. Since the early 1990s, about 4,400 homes have been acquired throughout Illinois in an effort to clear flood areas. “The state of Illinois has made a high priority of getting people out of flooding areas,” said Patti Thompson, Illinois Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman. “Most of these people don’t have just one flood, they have had multiple floods.”
Stilts and levees
Returning riverside neighborhoods to undeveloped land is only one of the flood prevention options at play. Throughout Cook and Lake counties, levees, reservoirs and sewer projects have been built and launched to tame the river, or at least minimize the damage to homes and businesses when floodwaters inevitably spill over its banks. With spring rains underway, these projects will be tested anew. Oakton Community College’s Des Plaines campus sits along the river and often floods when the water level rises. The college’s new science and health careers center, which opened in 2015, was built on stilts to keep floodwaters at bay. The school is relocating its computer databases from the basement to the second floor because of flooding concerns and is considering options to protect its athletic fields, which sit along the banks of the river, spokesman Paul Palian said. Upstream in Mount Prospect, residents are cautiously optimistic that Levee 37 along River Road and the river’s west bank, the final pieces of which were completed last year, will provide a buffer from rising water.
Sandbags at the ready
Sandbags haven’t disappeared completely from the area. Despite the levee, Maria Ivek has a stack of orange sacks at the ready by the garage of her Park Drive home, where she has lived since the early 1970s. The river was one of the biggest appeals of the home, Ivek said, and the natural beauty and close access to recreation was well worth the flooding trade-off. She just didn’t realize how many floods she would endure. The Army Corps has approval but is awaiting funding for two reservoirs and three levees: the Harry Semrow Driving Range Reservoir and the Touhy-Miner Levee in Des Plaines; the Belmont-Irving Park Levee in Schiller Park and Franklin Park; and the Fullerton Grand levee and Fullerton Woods reservoir in River Grove. The goal of the projects is to comprehensively address the river basin’s flooding, officials said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-des-plaines-river-flooding-20180417-story.html

“McCook Levee Report Available Online,” Dredging Today
Summary: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, recently released for public comment the McCook Levee Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment. According to the Corps, the draft report provides a recommended plan to address flood risk in the Villages of McCook, Lyons, and Summit, Ill. The study was completed in partnership with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). The report, available online, will be open for comments until May 23, 2018.
https://www.dredgingtoday.com/2018/04/20/mccook-levee-report-available-online/

“14^th annual free citywide home expo hosted in Tuley Park,” Chicago Citizen

Summary: Chicago’s Chesterfield Community Council recently hosted their 14th annual free Citywide Home Expo at the Tuley Park Field House located on 90th St. and King Drive.  The Chesterfield Community Council is a community based non-profit organization that was started in 1955. The free Home Expo was designed to bring Chicagoans together with all the housing-related resources that are available to them. The one-day expo included a basement flooding seminar moderated by Kari Steele from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. A Home Security Seminar presented by the Chicago Police Department and other home security professionals was also on the agenda. http://thechicagocitizen.com/news/2018/apr/25/14th-annual-free-citywide-home-expo-hosted-tuley-p/

“National Drug Take Back Day in Full Swing,” CBS Chicago

There’s a massive effort underway to combat the opioid crisis and a chance to get rid of unwanted and unneeded prescription drugs. CBS 2’s Vi Nguyen has the story on National Drug Take Back Day. The Stickney Water Reclamation Plant in Cicero is one of several locations taking part in the national initiative by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The goal is to toss out any unused prescription drugs and to prevent the drugs from getting into the wrong hands. Several communities are participating in the event. Communities like Lake County have seen the impact of getting rid of the drugs firsthand and launched their own version of the take back program in 2012. Every two months, law enforcement officials go to the solid waste agency to drop off boxes of drugs. Police say the drugs go through a chain of custody before being placed in barrels of gasoline to be destroyed. Lake County is expecting to collect 13,000 lbs. of drugs this year. The street value is estimated at $500,000. “In 2012, we had 45 deaths from opioid overdoses. Last year we had 12,” said Bill Gentes of the Lake County Health Department. “Every single year it’s declined in numbers. I believe one of the major reasons is because we’re getting opioids out of people’s medicine cabinets and that’s why this program is so valuable.” To take part in the national initiative, you can click on the Take Back Day website and type in your zip code to find the nearest location to drop off the prescription drugs.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/04/28/national-drug-take-back-day-in-full-swing/

“An orchard on the West Side? After City Council vote and $500K in funding, the idea could come to fruition,” Austin Weekly News

The Chicago City Council recently voted unanimously to approve spending $500,000 to build a fruit orchard somewhere on the stretch of 5th Avenue, between Kedzie Avenue and Sacramento Boulevard. The Garfield Park Community Council has been lobbying for the project for years. As the officials explained, they were responding to something they heard from residents who shopped at Garfield Park Farmers Market. The customers wanted fruit, but they didn't have anywhere to grow it.  Many details of the project still need to be worked out. The city hasn't narrowed down which of the several city-owned vacant lots on that stretch of 5th Avenue it would use, and the timeline is still unclear. But what is clear is that the orchard would double as a flood mitigation measure. And, wherever it may be located, the city plans to tie it with new housing planned for that stretch of 5th Avenue, as well as the Hatchery food business incubator, which is currently being built at the nearby Kedzie/Lake intersection. Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), whose ward includes that stretch of 5th Avenue, explained during the Feb. 26 meeting of the Chicago City Council's Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation, the Garfield Park Community Council has been pushing for the fruit orchard for the past four years. The organization runs the Garfield Park Farmers Market, which was originally located at the southeastern corner of Lake and Kedzie, but which will be operating at the northeastern corner of the intersection while the Hatchery is being built. Mike Tomas, the organization's executive director, told the aldermen that the push was a direct response to customer demand. On Jan. 17, Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced an ordinance that authorized spending $500,000 in Open Space fees collected in East Garfield Park to build the East Garfield Park Community Eco Orchard. The ordinance went before the Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation on Feb. 26.  Michael Berkshire, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development's green projects administrator, showed several city-owned lots between Kedzie and Sacramento that could be used for the orchard. "We'll be doing analysis to see which lot would be appropriate to build the orchard," he said, adding that many other details still need to be finalized. "Right now, we're at the very beginning [stage]," he said. "We'll be going through design, permitting, and construction. We will be working with neighboring groups." Berkshire also explained that the orchard would be more than a space to plant fruit-growing trees — it would also feature measures to address local flooding. As previously reported by Austin Weekly News, last year, the city launched the Resilient Corridors program to reduce flooding by either sending water into the ground or temporary storing it. The idea is to reduce the amount of water that goes into the sewers so the sewer system doesn't become overwhelmed. DPD chose North Lawndale and West Humboldt Park as pilot communities. The orchard, Berkshire said, is based on the same concept. "We may have some permeable pavement," he said. "More native planting that will be used to be able to absorb storm-water on site." Because the orchard will help reduce flooding, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago contributed $500,000 to cover the rest of the project costs. Tomas told the aldermen that the orchard will compliment new housing planned to be built near the intersection of 5th and Kedzie, as well as the Hatchery. "We're looking at this orchard [as part of] the food hub in the neighborhood, so it will not only bring food but bring jobs to the neighborhood," he said. Ervin urged his colleagues to vote in favor of the funding. "I think this will pull together a lot of property along this area and bring back sustainable and nice use," he said. The committee voted unanimously to approve it, sending it up to the City Council, where it was approved as part of a series of votes. Tomas told Austin Weekly News that while his organization hopes to run the orchard it will be up to the city to decide what entity operates it. Gina Jamison, who runs Kuumba Tre-Ahm community garden, one of the vendors at the community market, said that having fruit for sale right in the community will help everyone, especially the youth. "They will be healthier and they will be able to make better decisions," she said.
http://mobile.austinweeklynews.com/News/Articles/3-6-2018/An-orchard-on-the-West-Side%3F-/?utm_source=Free+Email&utm_campaign=bc96578501-Review_6_26_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6833c6a000-bc96578501-232344625&mc_cid=bc96578501&mc_eid=712fd4cd1d

“Water Tunnel Business 'Exploding' as Technology Reduces Risk and Cost,” Engineering News-Record

Chicago’s tunnel and reservoir system includes a mainstream tunnel and a tunnel to the McCook Reservoir.

Summary: MWRD’s TARP is featured in an article about tunnels.
Pollution Solution
Historically, water tunnels were used to move drinking water from point A to point B. But that changed after the Clean Water Act of 1972, which aimed to eliminate raw sewage discharges into rivers, lakes and other water bodies during heavy rains or combined sewer overflows (CSOs) from the century-old combined sewer systems mainly in the Northeast and Midwest. Work in Chicago to eliminate the CSOs that were polluting Lake Michigan began almost immediately. Construction on Chicago’s first tunnels began in 1975 and were completed in 1985. Chicago is still working on its tunnel and reservoir system, and when up to 3 in. of rain fell on the city Feb. 19-20, the 3.5-billion-gallon McCook Reservoir, a former hard-rock quarry that came on line late last year, filled for the first time, greatly reducing the amount of combined sewer output into the Des Plaines River system, according to a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Other large cities, including Cleveland and Milwaukee, also have built tunnels to prevent the release of wastewater. Most others, though, lagged behind. In the 1990s, EPA began taking enforcement actions against cities that didn’t address the issue, resulting in more than 50 consent decrees with cities requiring them to act to prevent overflows, including New York City, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. As of last year, the Environmental Protection Agency still listed more than 850 municipalities, primarily in the Northeast and Midwest that were releasing some sewage into water during heavy rain. Projects to remedy the CSOs, in the works since those enforcement actions began, are now being built.
https://www.enr.com/articles/44133-cities-dig-water-tunnels-to-meet-long-term-demands

This video from Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago during a Feb. 20, 2018, storm shows the 3.5 billion-gallon capacity reservoir filling to capacity with rain, melting snow and sewage. (Metropolitan Water Reclamation District)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/media/96158558-132.html

“Even with $1 billion upgrade, Deep Tunnel swamped by winter storm as streets and basements flooded,” Chicago Tribune
Summary: Starting on Feb. 20, more than 2 inches of rain flushed a torrent of sewage mixed with runoff from rooftops, streets and parking lots into stormwater tunnels stretching from Wilmette to Westchester, rapidly filling the McCook Reservoir built to hold wastewater until it can be treated. The reservoir will be able to hold 10 billion gallons after a nearby quarry is mined out by 2029. The first section of the reservoir opened in December, and if the storm had dumped a little more rain on the area, even the larger reservoir would have been filled within a day. But without the reservoir, the district likely would have been forced to release sewage and runoff into Lake Michigan — the outlet of last resort when streets and basements are flooded. With the bulk of the project completed, even some of the project’s most ardent backers say the city and county need to start focusing more intensely on neighborhood-focused improvements that allow runoff to soak into the ground before it reaches local sewers. The problem starts with sewers in Chicago and older suburbs that combine runoff with waste from homes and factories. When it rains, the combined sewers quickly fill up and begin spilling the waste through dozens of overflow pipes into local streams. Lake Michigan has been hit more frequently since 2008 than it was during the previous quarter-century, district records show. The Deep Tunnel is supposed to sharply reduce, if not completely eliminate, those problems. Technically known as the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, the project has been in the works since the mid-1970s and became the metropolitan area’s official response to the federal Clean Water Act. Mayor Rahm Emanuel often cites the Deep Tunnel as an example of the region’s commitment to protecting Lake Michigan and revitalizing the city’s long-abused river. Two separate, smaller sections of the project, serving the Calumet region and communities near O'Hare International Airport, have essentially put an end to raw sewage and runoff pouring into local waterways during and after rainstorms. But there are lingering questions about whether the larger system can handle quick, powerful storms hitting the region more frequently as the climate changes. The Calumet and O’Hare systems collect runoff from 102 square miles combined. By contrast, the McCook Reservoir's service area is more than double that amount: 252 square miles, stretching from Wilmette south and west across a vast swath of Chicago and including western suburbs along the Des Plaines River.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-deep-tunnel-swamped-20180307-story.html#nt=outfit

“MWRD to share stormwater management tips, showcase exceptional quality compost during Chicago Flower & Garden Show at Navy Pier Now Through March 18,” Citizen Weekly

Summary: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) will be hosting a booth at the Flower & Garden Show at Navy Pier to demonstrate its new exceptional quality compost, a soil amendment that is derived from wood chips and nutrient-rich materials. “We look forward to speaking with the Chicago Flower & Garden Show attendees about our compost and about ways they can make a difference in their own homes and neighborhoods by incorporating green infrastructure solutions,” said MWRD Commissioner Kari K. Steele (pictured). The MWRD will also showcase best management practices in stormwater management and green infrastructure and will hold drawings for a free rain barrel. As part of its Strategic Business Plan, the MWRD’s Resource Recovery Program is focusing on reclaiming, processing, and reusing solids, water, and discarded materials like yard and food waste. The MWRD is transforming these materials into environmentally friendly products like compost; there will be samples of compost on display. “The MWRD has a legacy of innovation and ingenuity so we are excited to demonstrate environmentally friendly best management practices,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. Green infrastructure is in play at parks, forest preserves, municipalities, schools, and alleys and parking lots across Cook County. GI enhancements are designed to capture water and allow it to infiltrate into the ground before it enters the traditional conveyance system. This helps to reduce the amount of water flowing through the pipes that are often overwhelmed by increasingly intense rain events experienced throughout the region which ends up as basement backups and neighborhood flooding. “The mission of the Chicago Flower & Garden Show is to inspire attendees with what they see, educate them about what or how they can do things in their own green space and then motivate them to make a difference,” said Tony Abruscato, Show Director. “MWRD’s participation in the Chicago Flower & Garden Show is just one of many ways to share with communities and families of all cultures throughout Cook County the important work that is being done daily at the MWRD,” said Commissioner Steele.
http://thechicagocitizen.com/news/2018/mar/14/mwrd-share-stormwater-management-tips-showcase-exc/

‘WE’ hosts celebration of Indian women,” India Post
Summary:  It was for the first time that Indian women in Chicagoland decided under the banner of WE to celebrate the International Women Day along with women across the world. The event on March 3 turned out to be an affair to remember with a huge turnout of Chicago elites along with the Illinois State First Lady Ms. Diana Rauner and the First Lady for the Indian people Consul General Ms. Nita Bhushan. The event on March 3 in Rolling Meadows, a Chicago suburb, was a high profile red-carpet affair with 500 plus guests attending it. Many high-level elected officials including Senators Laura Murphy and Christina Castro, Judge Linda Davenport, Mayor Rodney Craig, MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos, Trustee of Schaumburg Nimish Jani, Trustee of South Barrington Dr. Hina Patel, Schaumburg school superintendent Bhava Lewis & representative Char Kegerise, Mayor Gopal Lalmalani graced the event. This black tie event was studded with many highlights – business awards presentation, empowerment speeches by leading community activists and women empowerment themed entertainment created especially for this three-hour program. “It was our aim to offer a platform that raised the level of recognition of Indian women commensurate to their contribution to the economy and to society” said Dr. Anuja Gupta.

http://www.indiapost.com/we-hosts-celebration-of-indian-women/

“Village of Midlothian IL: A Guide to Water Wellness - Presented by MWRD,” 4-Traders.com
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) promotes prevention as a means to reduce risk and offers useful tips. MWRD is asking consumers to Think, Consider and Choose.
Think about how you will use of discard a product before you purchase it.
Consider how the things you use every day affect the waterways and the environment.
Choose to use environmentally friendly products and teach your children to do the same.
For more information, please follow the link below to read the full brochure.
http://www.4-traders.com/news/Village-of-Midlothian-IL-A-Guide-to-Water-Wellness-Presented-by-MWRD--26031590/

“Richton Park village site links up to MWRD’s Water Wellness”
Summary: Richton Park is just one of the 129 villages in the District, but it is the first to choose to include a link to the electronic version of A healthy waterway begins with you.  Copies of this brochure, recently created by MWRD, were mailed to officials in all villages that are a part of the District.  It is an easy to follow guide telling residents how they can do their part to protect our valuable waterways. Officials were advised to contact MWRD if they would like additional supply of brochures for their residents.  Here is the new Richton Park link:
http://richtonpark.org/DocumentCenter/View/1769

“MWRD President Spyropoulos Celebrates Greek Independence Day,” Hellenic News

From L to R: Mrs. Erika Spyropoulos; MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos; Counsul General of Greece in Chicago, Mrs. Polyxeni Petropoulou; Ms. Christina Chronopoulos and Mr. Mihalis Politis

On March 23, 2018, in observance of Greek Independence Day, March 25th, MWRD President Spyropoulos presents to the Consul General of Greece a resolution which honors and commends the bravery of Greece’s ancestors and their fight for freedom.  “This year marks the 197th anniversary of the Greek revolution where the phrase Freedom or Death was cried out by our brave ancestors at Agia Lavra. It is important that we remember all those who fought and sacrificed their lives for freedom. We celebrate and commemorate this day here at the agency by giving our employees a little taste of Greek culture,” said MWRD President Spyropoulos.  The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is an award-winning special purpose government agency responsible for wastewater treatment and stormwater management. MWRD’s mission is to protect the health and safety of the public, the quality of the water supply source (Lake Michigan) and protect businesses and homes from flood damages.
https://hellenicnews.com/mwrd-president-spyropoulos-celebrates-greek-independence-day/

“Niles Flood Relief Project Named Public Works Project of the Year,” Water Online

A partnership between the Village of Niles and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) to address flooding has led to a Public Works Project of the Year award.

The American Public Works Association (APWA) Chicago Metro Chapter Suburban Branch announced that the Cleveland Corridor Sewer Improvements project was selected as a Public Works Project of the Year in the Environment category for projects ranging in size of $5M to $25M. The Village of Niles along with the MWRD were on hand to receive the award at a reception in Schaumburg last month. “We are happy to receive this recognition from the Suburban Branch of the American Public Works Association’s Chicago Chapter and we look forward to a more resilient future thanks to this award winning project,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. “I would like to commend Mayor Przybylo, the Niles Board of Trustees, Chairman Joe LoVerde and the Niles Stormwater Commission, the IEPA, Cook County Forest Preserve District and our stormwater engineers at the MWRD for their collaboration on this project and their urgency in preparing for the next storm. It’s partnerships like these with Niles that we treasure, as we work toward solutions to flooding all across Cook County.” The $9.1M project, considered the largest infrastructure project in the history of Niles, will protect more than 140 homes in Niles that have sustained flood damages in recent years. The project was financed through the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund — administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency — and a $2M reimbursement from the MWRD. The project consists of approximately 12,500 feet of new storm and sanitary sewers, with a 72-inch main line extending more than 3,200 feet along Cleveland and Monroe Streets. This will provide relief from surface water flooding for the area generally bounded by Main Street to the north, Harlem Avenue to the east, Monroe Street to the south, and Oketo Avenue to the west. The project, which was finished three months early in the spring of 2017, also provides protection for the environment. In addition to reducing surface water flooding in the area, the project will also protect the Chicago River by separating used water from combined sewers that drain into the waterway. Niles also coordinated with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County to construct a new recreation trail connecting Caldwell Avenue to the North Branch Chicago River Trail. “Interagency coordination and cooperation was key to this project, and 140 homes will now see reduced flood risk,” said Niles Mayor Andrew Przybylo. Local dignitaries and MWRD officials gathered with neighbors from the community last March at the Grennan Heights Gym in Niles to celebrate the completion of the project with an indoor picnic. President Spyropoulos and Mayor Przybylo and community officials tossed mops into the trash as a symbolic gesture to represent the residents’ relief from flooding. The Cleveland Corridor Sewer Improvement Project is the last project in Tier I of Niles’ Stormwater Master Plan and one of many partnerships the MWRD and Niles have established to combat flooding. The MWRD also contributed approximately half of the estimated $400,000 for the construction of a bioswale and a 1,070 square yard permeable pavement parking lot to be located adjacent to Oak Park, centrally located in Niles. The project will reduce localized flooding, reduce the flow of stormwater into the local combined sewer system and provide educational and volunteer opportunities for the community. The bioswale and permeable pavement parking lot near a public park will serve to further the MWRD’s goal of informing the public of the value of green infrastructure. “These projects will help prevent flooding in Niles, while also improving water quality in the North Branch of the Chicago River,” said MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore. “By sharing the costs of the project with communities like Niles, the MWRD can maximize its impact across all of Cook County.”

About The MWRD
Established in 1889, the MWRD is an award winning, special purpose government agency responsible for used water treatment and stormwater management in Cook County, Illinois. For more information, visit www.mwrd.org.
https://www.wateronline.com/doc/niles-flood-relief-project-named-public-works-project-of-the-year-0001

“Morton Grove, Niles Water Commission lays out water supply route,” The Bugle

Morton Grove Mayor Dan DiMaria, left, and Niles Mayor Andrew Przybylo address the crowd. Photo by Igor Studenkov for The Bugle

Summary: Residents of Skokie, Morton Grove and Niles got a chance to see where Morton Grove Niles Water Commission will put in pipes for the new water supply and ask questions about how it would affect them. Morton Grove and Niles are currently preparing to build pipes and other infrastructure necessary to switch water supply from Chicago to Evanston. The project has particular urgency for Morton Grove, whose contract with the City of Chicago expires in the end of 2018. Niles’ contract expires in the end of 2019. On Feb. 12 the commission held an open house in Morton Grove’s American Legion Civic Center to let residents know what path the pipeline would take and how the project would affect them. The construction would mostly be limited to residential and industrial streets, and property owners with buildings nearby will be eligible for free, lead service pipe replacement. And, as the officials from the commission and the two villages emphasized, the biggest benefit would be the money residents would save paying for water. At around mid-point of the Open House, several officials addressed the crowd. Morton Grove village administrator Ralph Czerwinski said that many parts of the existing sever system – both the older pipes from 1930s and the somewhat newer pipes built in 1950s need to be replaced – and the supply switch will allow it. “We are going to put the savings back into our communities,” he said. Morton Grove Mayor Dan DiMaria emphasized that it wasn’t an easy project, but Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin (13th) and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago commissioners made it easier. And he said that he was especially grateful for all the work Morton Grove staff put into it.
https://buglenewspapers.com/morton-grove-niles-water-commission-lays-out-water-supply-route

“Mix of Heavy Rain, Melting Snow Puts McCook Reservoir to the Test,” WTTW
Summary: The 3 to 5 inches of rain that fell on the Chicago area over the last two days, along with melting snow, caused heavy flooding in the south Chicago suburbs and northwest Indiana. It was also the first test of the huge new McCook Reservoir that opened in December. A time-lapse video by the MWRD shows the McCook Reservoir filling up with water beginning Monday through Wednesday morning.
https://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2018/02/21/mix-heavy-rain-melting-snow-puts-mccook-reservoir-test

“Robbins planning for the future with help from regional partners,” CMAP
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) are working together with the Village of Robbins to plan for a future with better stormwater management, increased economic development, and improved quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors to the village. “Robbins is a unique regional asset, rich in history and full of opportunity,” said Kelwin Harris, senior outreach planner and manager of the project for CMAP.  “CMAP is excited to work with partners and Village leadership to improve and create new community spaces and enhance economic development and quality of life.” Robbins was one of 34 projects approved in October 2017 by the CMAP board to receive planning support through the agency’s Local Technical Assistance program, which has undertaken more than 200 projects since 2012 to help the region’s communities plan for increased livability, sustainability and economic vitality.  CMAP is in the process of developing the region’s next comprehensive plan, ON TO 2050, which will focus on three overarching principles: Resilience, Inclusive Growth, and Prioritized Investment.  With those principles in mind, the 2017 LTA selection process empathized the importance of assistance for communities that -- due to limited resources -- would not otherwise have the ability to undertake such projects.  Nearly 75 percent of the program’s resources this year are devoted to higher-need communities, which are determined based on median income, local tax base, and population. The joint planning process in Robbins is also a partnership with RTA’s Community Planning program and MWRD’s stormwater planning efforts. "The MWRD wanted to approach this project with a holistic mindset to alleviate flooding but also consider other needs in the Village,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. “Thanks to our partnerships with the Village of Robbins, CMAP and the RTA, we believe we have established the expertise needed to make this vision a reality."  MWRD is currently working on a plan to reduce flooding and create new recreational and economic opportunities in eastern Robbins near Midlothian Creek.  Residents and municipal leaders in the Village of Robbins are motivated to address flooding in a way that spurs economic development and creates a more beautiful place to live and work. Goals of such investment also include new residential, transit-oriented development near the Metra station, as well as new uses in an industrial district near the river. “The RTA is excited to provide assistance to the Village of Robbins, helping the Village renew its vision for development and other improvements near its Metra station,” said Leanne Redden, RTA Executive Director. “Partnerships in the Chicago region, such as this one between the RTA, CMAP, and the MWRD, best leverage technical resources to help advance economic, environmental and transportation goals in the Village.” Through the joint planning process, RTA will assist in updating the Robbins Transit-Oriented Development Plan and assess the feasibility of residential and commercial or industrial uses in the study area portion of the Village along with subarea concept plans with specific recommendations for development and land use strategies based on market feasibility.  The plan will also identify opportunities to implement recommendations from the RainReady Calumet Corridor Plan. “The Village of Robbins is excited to partner with CMAP, MWRD and RTA.  This is a valuable opportunity to reimagine our transportation assets, explore our industrial potential and spur economic development,” said Mayor Tyrone Ward. “We would like to thank CMAP for considering Robbins and look forward to a prosperous relationship.” Throughout the planning process, CMAP, RTA, and MWRD will engage village staff, local organizations and business owners, and the general public to ensure the community has a voice in the future of Robbins.

About CMAP
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is our region’s comprehensive planning organization.  The agency and its partners are developing ON TO 2050, a new comprehensive regional plan to help the seven counties and 284 communities of northeastern Illinois implement strategies that address transportation, housing, economic development, open space, the environment, and other quality-of-life issues.  See www.cmap.illinois.gov for more information.

“Public Service Announcement (PSA) issued to provide residents and businesses tips on preventing basement backups during extreme rainfall,” Chicago Crusader

WHO: Commissioner Kari K. Steele, Chemist and Environmentalist for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago has more than 11 years professional experience working as a chemist. She has worked at both the Jardin Water Purification Plant (as a chemist) and the MWRD (as a water sampler and lab technician). Commissioner Steele has a Pre-med degree in Chemistry and serves as Chairman and Vice Chairman on various MWRD Standing Committees.

WHAT: A valuable Public Service Announcement for the residents and businesses of Greater Chicago to assist in the prevention of basement backups during extreme rainfall. A radio and television PSA issued by MWRD Commissioner Kari K. Steele that provides useful information for knowing the difference in the services provided by the MWRD and City of Chicago Department of Water Management. The Greater Chicago area experiences Mother Nature’s extreme rainfall periodically throughout the year, often forecasted and other times unpredicted. Recent excessive rainfall caused the Chicago River to overflow, standing water on many city streets and some basement backups for homeowners and businesses. It is important to provide helpful tips for local residents to assist them in preventing basement backups and knowing which government agency provides the water source entering their home and which government agency manages and treats the wastewater leaving their home. The purpose of the PSAs are to assist in the following areas:

• Knowing the difference in the services provided by MWRD and the Chicago Department of Water Management (:30 sec)
• 3 simple tips to help prevent basement backups (:60 sec)

https://chicagocrusader.com/public-service-announcement-psa-issued-to-provide-residents-and-businesses-tips-on-preventing-basement-backups-during-extreme-rainfall/

“MWRD President Spyropoulos celebrates International Greek Language Day,” Hellenic News of America
On February 15, 2018, in observance of International Greek Language Day, February 9^th, MWRD President Spyropoulos honors some of the Greek Schools in the area for their continued effort in the teaching of the Greek language. The day was officially declared last month and this was the first of many celebrations to come. “The Greek language is the longest documented language and is spoken today by over 13 million people. Its foundation can be found in many of the sciences such as mathematics, astronomy and philosophy, to name a few. We encourage people to celebrate and share the Greek language and culture. We acknowledge and commend these schools for their continued efforts through their educational programs which help spread and preserve our culture”, said MWRD President Spyropoulos. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is an award-winning special purpose government agency responsible for wastewater treatment and stormwater management. MWRD’s mission is to protect the health and safety of the public, the quality of the water supply source (Lake Michigan) and protect businesses and homes from flood damages.

From L to R: Rev. Fr.John Kalomas, Proistamenos, representing Dr. Basil Stevens Greek School of St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church; Konstantinos Siozios Co-Principal Solon Greek School of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church; MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos; Rita Petratos, Director of Preschool and Kindergarten, Aristotle Greek Schools of St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church; Rev. Fr. Tom De Medeiros, Pastor, representing Koraes Elementary School of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Palos Hills; Koraes teacher Zoe Koultourides; Koraes Principal Beth Lind, Koraes Student Council President Evneki Crenshaw; and Mark Dinos, Parish Council President at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church.
https://hellenicnews.com/mwrd-president-spyropoulos-celebrates-international-greek-language-day/

“MWRD, Current Launch First Technology Pilot; Microvi’s technology aims to boost water treatment efficiency,” Lift Notes, Water Research Foundation

CHICAGO, Illinois (February 5, 2018) – Today, Current launched its first technology demonstration project in partnership with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). The project will test San Francisco Bay Area-based Microvi’s MicroNiche™ Engineering (MNE) technology. This innovative technology uses densely packed natural microorganisms to efficiently treat used water and remove organics, ammonia and phosphorus, nutrients that in large quantities can harm water quality. Current, a Chicago-based non-profit, is assisting the MWRD in evaluating the technical and economic merits of Microvi’s MNE technology as part of Current’s newly-launched technology demonstration program. Through its validation and demonstration services, Current delivers market-driven innovations by bridging gaps in water technology commercialization. “MWRD’s partnership with Current creates valuable opportunities to pilot innovative technologies like Microvi’s MNE,” said MWRD Board President Mariyana Spyropoulos. “As our innovation partner, Current streamlines MWRD’s efforts to find new technologies that improve operations, boost efficiency and enhance sustainability.”  Microvi’s MNE technology will be piloted at the MWRD’s O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois where its compact design can fit within the plant’s space-constraints. “Current reduces technology risk and helps utilities, industry and investors source promising innovations,” said Current Executive Director Steve Frenkel. “This project marks our inaugural effort to create value for innovators and end-users in the water and wastewater industry through our tech-to-market platform that spans early-stage innovation to full commercialization.” Microvi’s MNE technology uses an engineered polymer-biological composite to optimize the performance of water and wastewater treatment and other biochemical processes. “Our water treatment solution is a low-cost and small-footprint system that promises to bring important benefits to MWRD,” said Microvi CEO Fatemeh Shirazi. “Current’s technical and economic analysis of the MicroNiche™ Engineering technology helped MWRD see the potential value for their operations and identified key factors to help optimize the performance of Microvi’s MNE Technology when deployed at full-scale. Current is seeking innovative solutions for utility and industrial applications from companies worldwide. Current launched in 2016 as a partnership of the MWRD, the City of Chicago, and World Business Chicago.
http://www.currentwater.org/microvi-pilot

ArtPlace America and US Water Alliance

Announce a New Partnership to Deploy Arts and Cultural Strategies to Advance Solutions to Our Nation's Water Challenges

February 16, 2018 - San Francisco - Today, ArtPlace America and the US Water Alliance launched a partnership that will bring together water experts and arts and cultural leaders to foster collaboration on our nation's thorniest water challenges. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment when it comes to securing our nation's water future. Our supplies of clean, dependable, and affordable water are more fragile now than at any other time in our recent history. Long term trends like population growth, economic development, changing weather patterns, new energy supply strategies, growing income inequality, and the needs of endangered ecosystems are threatening to overwhelm both the physical infrastructure and management systems that have previously met our water needs. Acute crises like that in Flint, Michigan, the trio of deadly storms in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, and wildfires and drought in the Western states, are just a few visible examples of the water challenges we face. We need new solutions and partnerships to drive positive and lasting change in the water sector. ArtPlace America and the US Water Alliance share the conviction that arts and culture strategies have the power to transform the way the nation views, values, and manages water. Through this partnership, the organizations will catalogue the best and brightest models and partnerships that are utilizing arts and culture to advance sustainable, integrated, and equitable water management in America. "As cities pursue long-term health and stability, there is nothing more important than ensuring all residents have access to healthful, safe, reliable water," said Rip Rapson, president and CEO of The Kresge Foundation and Chair of the ArtPlace Presidents' Council. "There is enormous opportunity to attack that challenge with new eyes by integrating arts, culture, and water policies and practices--and by animating those efforts through community-based decision-making."  "Across the country there are exciting examples of how US Water Alliance members--from water and wastewater utilities, to conservation organizations, to water reliant businesses--are integrating arts and cultural strategies into their work to secure our water future. These efforts are making our often-invisible water challenges visible, engaging and educating the public in new ways, and transforming communities. We want to shine a light on these successful collaborations and pave a path that advances the integration of art approaches into sustainable water management," said Radhika Fox, Chief Executive Officer of the US Water Alliance.  "ArtPlace is thrilled to embark on this effort with the US Water Alliance. Our research over the last year revealed that there is committed leadership, but also untapped potential, in the water sector to use arts and cultural strategies to advance both environmental and community well-being. Our research also surfaced example after example of artists tackling water-related issues in their communities. We hope this partnership catalyzes a longer legacy of deeper exchange and field building across arts, culture, and water practitioners," said Jamie Hand, Director of Research Strategies at ArtPlace America.  The organizations will develop an action-oriented blueprint for integrating arts and culture into water management, complete with in-depth case studies, which will be released at the One Water Summit 2018 in the Twin Cities, July 10-12. This new partnership will be guided by a 21-member advisory group of experts from local governments, water utilities, artists, cultural organizations, and conservation groups:

• Tyler Antrup, Urban Water Program Manager, Office of Resilience + Sustainability, City of New Orleans
• Matthew Clarke, Director of Creative Placemaking, The Trust for Public Land
• Liz Crosson, Deputy Mayor for Sustainability, Mayor's Office, City of Los Angeles
• Nicole Crutchfield, City Planner, Planning & Development, City of Fargo
• Ramon Cruz, International Policy Program Manager, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy and Board of Directors, Sierra Club
• Joanne Dahme, General Manager of Public Affairs, Philadelphia Water
• Tom Decaigny, Director of Cultural Affairs, San Francisco Arts Commission
• Jayeesha Dutta, Artist, StoryShift at Working Films
• Juliet Ellis, Chief Strategy Officer and Assistant General Manager of External Affairs, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
• Jorie Emory, Director of Community Strategies, River Network
• Stephanie Gidigbi, SPARCC Policy, Capacity, and Systems Change Director and Senior Advisor, Urban Solutions, National Resources Defense Council
• Constance Haqq, Director of Administration and External Affairs, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
• Milly Hawk Daniel, Vice President of Communications, PolicyLink
• Shanai Matteson, Artist and Collaborative Director, Water Bar & Public Studio
• Mary Miss, Founder and Artist, City as Living Laboratory
• Eve Mosher, Artist, HighWaterLine, Liquid Cities, and Works on Water
• Emmanuel Pratt, Executive Director, Sweet Water Foundation
• Debra Shore, Commissioner, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
• Andrew Simon, Acting Director of Content, Grist
• Michael Singer, Artist and Principal Designer, Michael Singer Studio
• Ashley Sparks, Artist

This partnership will build upon a new ArtPlace report released earlier this week, Farther, Faster, Together: How Arts and Culture Can Accelerate Environmental Progress, as well as signature publications by the US Water Alliance, including One Water Roadmap: The Sustainable Management of Life's Most Essential Resource and An Equitable Water Future.

For more information about this project, please visit:
http://uswateralliance.org/initiatives/arts-and-culture

“MWRD celebrates Black History Month at Leland Elementary early,” Chicago Crusader

Eighth grade students from Leland Elementary School display their certificates after participating in a Lunch and Learn seminar presented by Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Vice President Barbara McGowan (seated center) and the MWRD Diversity Department. In anticipation of African American History month in February, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) held two Lunch and Learn seminars featuring internationally acclaimed scholar, educator and activist Dr. Conrad Worrill. On January 16, the renowned professor spoke about African American history in the context of the Reconstruction Era to the 1930s. On January 23, Dr. Worrill discussed 1966 to present day. The seminar, coordinated by MWRD Vice President Barbara McGowan and the MWRD Diversity Department, was presented to MWRD staff in addition to eighth grade students from Leland Elementary School. Chicago Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward) also participated. Leland Elementary School is a Space to Grow partner, along with Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Department of Water Management, Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands. Space to Grow transforms Chicago’s schoolyards into vibrant outdoor community spaces for physical activity, outdoor learning, environmental literacy and engagement with art, while addressing neighborhood flooding issues. The partnership has led to educational opportunities in the classroom and at the MWRD, where staff share their expertise on water management and conservation in addition to other important subjects with the students and teachers. “I strongly believe it is important to educate our students so they have an appreciation and better understanding of the tribulations faced by those who preceded them,” said Vice President McGowan. “The Leland students and our staff were captivated by both of Dr. Worrill’s presentations.” “I was thrilled to be asked to participate in this program,” said Alderman Taliaferro. “The students asked very insightful questions and learned a great deal about our African American history.” These two sessions were held in anticipation of the MWRD’s African American History Month celebration to take place on Feb. 21, the theme of which is “Ascent to the national stage: An overview of Illinois elected officials’ rise from a local to a national arena.
https://chicagocrusader.com/mwrd-celebrates-black-history-month-at-leland-elementary-early/

“Ask Geoffrey: Do you know the history about these sewer covers? It’s at 4500 North Broadway,” WTTW

Above is the photo our viewer sent. It’s a storm drain cover, and we think what caught our viewer’s curiosity were the fish molded into it. You often spot these in parking lots in many places around the country. We’ve actually got one in the parking lot right here at WTTW. So to understand the fishes on the drain cover, you have to understand what storm drains do and what makes these different. In the best of all worlds, we wouldn’t need storm drains at all. Rainwater would just soak into the soil, but in a city where a lot of the soil has been covered up with hard surfaces like pavement and rooftops, storm drains prevent streets and buildings from flooding in heavy rains.

Chicago and many suburbs have what’s called a combined sewer system, which means that most storm drains feed rainwater into the same sewers that carry wastewater from homes and businesses. The combined flow goes to wastewater treatment plants and is cleaned before being released into the Chicago River. But these storm drains our viewer asked about are different. Instead of draining into the sewer system they send stormwater directly into a nearby body of water without passing through a wastewater treatment plant. That’s why the drain cover has a picture of little fish on it and a message that reads “dump no waste – drains to waterways.” So if you’re tempted to pour off the old motor oil that’s been sitting in your garage for ages into one of these drains – think of those poor fish and don’t do it! Actually you shouldn’t pour that into ANY sewer because even sewage treatment plants can’t remove oil, paint and other toxins from wastewater according to Friends of the Chicago River. Storm drains like the one our viewer asked about help solve the inherent problem of a combined sewer system. A heavy rain can simply overwhelm wastewater treatment plants creating what’s called a CSO – combined sewer overflow. All that water that can’t be handled is released untreated into the river and sometimes even the lake, which is obviously a bad thing for everyone. So these days when you go to the city for a permit to build a parking lot or something with a big roof you’ll be encouraged to install storm drains that don’t add to the combined sewers. According to Richard Lanyan, retired president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. But there’s a footnote. The drain cover our viewer asked about is on Broadway, nowhere near the river. And WTTW’s Building Manager told us that our drain just empties into the regular Chicago sewer system. So it seems at least some new sewer covers are being installed with the fish image because that’s just what was available, or maybe to remind us to think carefully about what we’re putting down the drain.
https://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2018/02/07/ask-geoffrey-what-happened-world-s-greatest-newspaper

“President Spyropoulos speaks to Mother McAuley High School,” Beverly Review

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) President Mariyana Spyropoulos (center) visited Mother McAuley High School on Jan. 30 to talk to senior science students about the wastewater treatment process. The class, led by teachers Dr. Roz Iasillo and Lane Vail, is participating in a competition through Lewis University to come up with systems that can be used to clean wastewater. Spyropoulos described how the MWRD treats 1.5 billion gallons of wastewater a day for Cook County residents and businesses. Spyropoulos is a graduate of Mother McAuley.
http://www.beverlyreview.net/news/school_news/article_860de1f6-0b62-11e8-92d4-b39e9665add8.html

“NACWA welcomes David St. Pierre as President,” NACWA
In late December, NACWA said farewell to sitting President Cathy Gerali, District Manager of Denver's Metro Wastewater Reclamation District – and welcomed David St. Pierre, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District as its new leader. Cathy Gerali retired from the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District on December 21, marking the conclusion of a thirty-five-year career distinguished by significant contributions to not only the District, but also to the water sector nationwide. In her six years of service on NACWA's Board of Directors – and her six months as President – Gerali was instrumental in positioning the Association for future success and heightening the organization's engagement in issues impacting arid states. The Association is grateful to President Gerali for her many contributions and wishes her well in the future.  As NACWA Vice President, David St. Pierre succeeded Cathy Gerali as President, as provided in the Association's Bylaws. With nearly 30 years and counting in the water sector, St. Pierre has served the sector in leadership roles in Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, and several other cities. St. Pierre was elected to NACWA's Board of Directors in 2011 – shortly after his unanimous appointment as MWRD's Executive Director. He has previously served as the Association's Secretary, Treasurer, and most recently, Vice President.  David St. Pierre will be officially welcomed as NACWA President at the Association's 2018 Winter Conference, Exploring Net Environmental Benefit: Balancing Science & Cost, in Napa, California. NACWA's Board of Directors will formally elect a full slate of new officers at its February 6 meeting.

“MWRD Commissioner Steele judges at Future City Competition,” Chicago Crusader

MWRD Commissioner Kari K. Steele reviewed the St. Mary of the Woods’ Future City exhibit and many more during her visit.

The Chicago regionals of the Future City Competition which introduces 6th, 7th and 8th grade students to en­gineering with SimCity™ software was held at the Uni­versity of Illinois at Chicago campus last weekend. The Future City Competition gives students from across the country the opportunity to design cities with simula­tion software, build scale models, write essays and give oral presentations on their city’s design. Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commission­er Kari K. Steele and five MWRD employees partici­pated in the weekend’s events. Terence Maiellaro, Senior Mechanical Engineer; Michael Zigulich, Associate Civil Engineer; and Lou Storino, Principal Civil Engineer, participated as preliminary round judges. Their role is to serve as a preliminary model and presentation judge for students’ diorama model and presentation on the day of the competition. They also have an opportunity to serve as an Essay and Computer Model Judge prior to the event where they review and score essays and Sim City computer models. As a former judge for the Future City Competition, Commissioner Steele was excited to see the creative and innovative ideas of all the students. “Participating in the Future City Competition is just one example of the many ways that MWRD staff con­tribute to support youth and other community projects throughout the year. It is important to engage and en­courage students who are interested in science, technol­ogy, engineering and math at a young age so that they have a better understanding of the career opportunities that are available,” said Commissioner Kari K. Steele. Michael Tom, Senior Architect, mentored Immaculate Conception School, assisting the team to build their model and preparing for the competition. Aruch Poonsapaya, AETPO II, coordinated Essay and Computer Model Judging and worked behind the scenes checking in judg­es and tabulating scores during competition. This was the 26th annual international competition, and this year’s theme was “The Age-Friendly City.” Participants were tasked with envisioning an urban en­vironment that keeps older adults active, engaged and independent. Working in a team with an educator and STEM mentor, students present their vision of the future through a virtual city design; write a 1,500 word essay; build a scale model of their city with recycled materials; and present a short presentation to a panel of STEM professionals. U.S. regional winners will face off at the finals in Washington, DC in February, where they are joined by a growing roster of international teams, includ­ing those from Canada, Egypt and China. “As an agency that relies on the skills and expertise of employees who have studied STEM curricula, we are proud to have the opportunity to support Future City,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. In the U.S., over 40,000 students, representing 1,350 schools, take part in the Future City Competition. One of the nation’s leading engineering education programs and among the most popular, Future City has received national recognition and acclaim for its role in encour­aging middle school students to develop their interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Major funding for Future City comes from the Bechtel Corporation, Bentley Systems, Inc., Shell Oil Compa­ny, and DiscoverE. For more information about Future City, visit https://futurecity.org/region/chicago-regional-competition-day-information.
https://chicagocrusader.com/mwrd-commissioner-steele-judges-at-future-city-competition/

“The Federation of Indian Associations Chicago (FIA) celebrates India’s 69th Republic Day with Health and Wellness Camp,” Naperville Sun

Posted by Suresh Bodiwala, Community Contributor
Dignitaries and the FIA Board members
Dignitaries and the FIA Board members (Posted by Suresh Bodiwala, Community Contributor)

The Federation of Indian Associations Chicago (FIA) celebrated India's 69th Republic Day by holding a Community Event at Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Itasca Illinois on Sunday, Jan 28 2018. The event comprised of a blood Donation drive, a Health and Wellness Camp, Information on Medicare and Medicaid benefits, Information and advice on Taxation, College counselling, and Passport and Visa help. The event attracted more than one thousand people from the community who took advantage of the various services offered. The Blood Collection Drive was conducted by Heartland Blood Centers. The Health and Wellness Camp saw more than 25 doctors in attendance comprising of dentists, Internal Medicine, Orthopedic, Optometric, Cardiologist, Chiropractors, Urologists, Physiotherapists and Podiatrist taking care of people, around 325 people had their blood and other vitals checked, and more than 55 had an on the spot EKG taken for their heart issues, while others went on to see other doctors with their general and specific health issues starting rom dental issues, general and specific health issues, orthopedic issues, heart issues not to forget muscle and joint issues. There were booths with experts and counselors giving people advice on Medicare and Medicaid, in home help for seniors, taxation advice, and college admission counseling and passport and visa advice booth with officers from the Indian Consulate in Chicago. The event began with the American National Anthem sung by Ashika Sachdev followed by the Indian National anthem sung by Geetanjali Maru. Sunil Shah, Founder President, in his speech welcomed the dignitaries to the event and appreciated volunteers who gave their valuable time for this event. Onkar Singh Sanga and Mukesh Shah (Past President) in their speeches welcomed and thanked the volunteers for showing up in large numbers for this community event, spending their valuable time to serve the community and welcomed all the dignitaries and the FIA Board on the stage. "This type of event would be the ongoing theme for the FIA. We are opening of non-emergency FIA Toll Free number 1 (833) FIA CARE. I thank all the supporters, doctors and volunteers and dignitaries for joining us in an overwhelming majority at this event, said Neil Khot, the current FIA president. Mayor McLeod and Senator Tom Cullerton handed over the proclamation to the FIA. The event was well attended by dignitaries, elected officials, politicians and respected people from all walks of life. The dignitaries were led by Ms. Neeta Bhushan, Consulate General of Chicago, Mr. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman, Mr. Michael Frerichs, Illinois Treasurer, Ms. Michelle Mussman, Illinois State Rep, Senator Tom Cullerton, Senator Laura Murphy, Christina Castro, State Rep, Frank Avila, MWRD Commissioner, Bill Mc Leod Mayor Hoffman Estates, Rodney Craig Mayor Hanover Park, Tom Dailly Trustee Schaumburg, Khaja Moinuddin Trustee Hanover Township. The traditional lamp lighting ceremony was performed once the dignitaries and the FIA board were on the stage. The dignitaries in their brief speeches extolled and praised the development India has seen since independence and the India USA collaboration in various fields and the friendship between the leaders of both the democracies. The FIA was praised by all the dignitaries for its growth over the last eight odd years. A progress that had put FIA in the forefront among Indian community organizations. Some even put FIA as the best organization amongst all other Indian community organizations. This was followed by a patriotic song by Geetanjali Maru. Then all the volunteers were presented with appreciation plaques on behalf of the FIA. A vote of thanks was given on behalf of the FIA by Mr. Hitesh Gandhi Executive Vice President.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/community/chi-ugc-article-the-federation-of-indian-associations-chicago-2018-02-01-story.html

"McCook Reservoir to Benefit East Wilmette," Daily NorthShore
While Wilmette village officials ponder a new local stormwater protection plan for areas of the village west of Ridge Road, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) announced the opening of the McCook Reservoir, which it claims will help protect east Wilmette’s combined sewer system from flooding. The McCook Reservoir — located in Bedford Park — recently opened Stage I earlier in January as part of MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), which aims to reduce flooding and improve water quality in Chicago-area waterways caused by combined sewer overflows. According to MWRD, TARP, also known as the “Deep Tunnel,” is a system of deep large diameter tunnels and reservoirs, McCook being the third reservoir to open. TARP captures and stores combined stormwater and sewage that would otherwise flow into waterways during large rain events. “The McCook Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) system serves an area of 375 square miles of combined collection systems consisting of Chicago and 51 suburbs, including Wilmette and Kenilworth which both rely on a combination of combined and separate sewer systems,” Allison Fore, Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Office for MWRD, told DailyNorthShore.com in an email dated January 19. Stage I of the McCook Reservoir can hold 3.5 billion gallons of water, according to a MWRD press release. Wilmette has two sewer systems that are separated by Ridge Road. Neighborhoods east of Ridge Road are served by a combined sewer system, meaning the stormwater flows into sewers and is combined with sewage from homes that eventually drains to MWRD’s O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant where it is treated.  Alternatively, west Wilmette has separate sanitary and stormwater pipes. The stormwater moves to a pumping facility that is then pumped into the North Branch of the Chicago River. Because Wilmette is connected to the Deep Tunnel, the east Side should see fewer combined sewer overflows during larger storms with the opening of the McCook Reservoir, Brigitte Berger-Raish, engineering and public works director for Wilmette, said. But don’t expect it to be the perfect solution. “This won’t solve all of Wilmette’s problems,” Berger-Raish cautioned. While a portion of west Wilmette’s separate sanitary pipes is also connect to TARP, and will experience some indirect benefits to the sanitary system with the opening of McCook, the stormwater plan the village is currently considering is solely focused on the west side’s stormwater system, which is unrelated to TARP, Berger-Raish explained. With the opening of McCook Reservoir, and a potential new village project that should solve some of west Wilmette’s flooding problems, 2018 could mark a significant year for addressing the village’s stormwater woes. At this point, MWRD is tracking the overall reduction in combined sewer overflows, but is unable to measure local flooding improvements, according to Fore. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers predicts that TARP will prevent an average of $114 million per year of damage.

https://jwcdaily.com/2018/01/26/mccook-reservoir-to-benefit-east-wilmette/

“Waste experts visit Olive-Mary Stitt Ecology Club,” Daily Herald

http://www.dailyherald.com/submitted/20180112/olive-mary-stitts-ecology-club-gains-knowledge-from-experts

“Programmable Logic Controllers Offer Automation Solution for Water Utilities,” Water Online
Water utilities are on the lookout for ways to increase automation at treatment plants but some experts say they are lagging behind other industries in how they incorporate new solutions. Just ask David St. Pierre, who went from a career around oil refineries to one in water utilities in 1986. St. Pierre is executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and vice president of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). “The difference between making gasoline and controlling water is night and day. It was like taking a step back in time,” he told Automation World. “We have to figure out how to implement true automation in water,” St. Pierre said late last year. “In each city that I go into, they really aren’t applying normal control strategies, which have been tried and true for ages. I see programmers that are starting from scratch on a blank sheet of paper, trying to recreate control systems that already exist in the systems that they’re buying.” One new product available in this space claims it increases automation while also cutting costs and energy requirements at water treatment plants. The product, from Pleasant Mount Welding, is a custom programmable logic controller. "The systems can link to probes to actively monitor pollutant levels and other water quality factors and easily generate reports for regulatory agencies,” The Scranton Times-Tribune reported. “The company plans to market it in conjunction with sequencing batch reactors, which engineer David Klepadlo described as an advanced treatment system that uses bacteria to consume contaminants in one tank. The system is cheaper to build and maintain than traditional plants that use a similar process in multiple tanks.” "For example, building a traditional 400,000-gallon-per-day plant would cost $4 million, compared to $2 million for a new sequencing batch reactor plant and $1 million to retrofit an older plant, the company estimates,” the report continued. “The system can also cut energy costs in half and is designed to help facilities comply with newer environmental regulations, such as the push to reduce nitrogen levels prior to discharge into waterways." Company President Bob Non spoke to the Times-Tribune about the product. “In the old days, it was mechanical timers that you used,” he said. “Now you’re dealing with automation. We can log in from our office here and see what’s going on remotely. If there’s any issues that come up, we get texts. We get email alerts. We get all that information. These plants basically can run on their own.” Security concerns are a major reason why some water utility managers are hesitant to pursue greater levels of automation, according to a report on the state of the water industry by engineering company Black & Veatch. "In some cases, the question of cost is joined by concern over the perceived encroachment of automation technology. Some utilities are unwilling to embrace cloud computing — where analytics can really flex its muscle by quickly collating, processing and presenting massive amounts of data — because of security concerns. Managers may also fear that data analytics and other automation technology could ultimately reduce the labor force and at least partly remove human intuitive decision-making from the operational equation," the report said.
https://www.wateronline.com/doc/programmable-controllers-automation-solution-water-utilities-0001

“Water Unleashed Into Greater Chicago’s McCook Reservoir for First Time,” Working Pressure Magazine

January rains set reservoir into service to mitigate flooding and protect waterways from pollution

For the first time, water came gushing into the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s (MWRD) McCook Reservoir Thursday, demonstrating a fully functioning system designed to prevent polluted water from entering local waterways and mitigate area flooding. The reservoir started to take on water at approximately 9:30 a.m. from the Mainstream Tunnel System just minutes after the gates were opened from the tunnel. The initial inflow of water entering the reservoir was 263 million gallons of water, accounting for mainly rain water and snowmelt. With forecasts calling for additional rain, more water was expected throughout the day. The reservoir will contain water that formerly flowed directly into area waterways before it could be treated and cleaned. This stored water in the reservoir will be pumped from the reservoir to the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant to be cleaned and released when the treatment plant has capacity to treat the water after significant rain events. “Yesterday’s initial flow of water may only climb up a small portion of the sprawling 300-foot walls of the reservoir, but this first fill reveals a working system that will protect our waterways from untreated water and our streets and basements from flooding,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos.

https://www.workingpressuremag.com/water-unleashed-greater-chicago-mccook-reservoir-first-time/

“McCook Reservoir Receives First Rainfall,” Storm Water Solutions

The newest Chicagoland reservoir, the McCook Reservoir located in Bedford Park, Ill., proved its merit for storm water detention and flood control after a successful first rainfall. On Jan. 11, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s (MWRD) McCook Reservoir received its first rainfall since Stage I of the project was completed in early December. According to a release issued by the MWRD, the initial inflow was recorded at 263 million gallons of a combination of storm water and snowmelt. With a storage capacity of 3.5 billion gallons at Stage I, this initial flow just scratched the surface of the McCook Reservoir’s storm water detention capacity. Additionally, storm water captured in the reservoir will be treated at the nearby Stickney Water Reclamation Plant located in Cicero, Ill. Officials consider the first rainfall proof that the system is in working order. “This first fill reveals a working system that will protect our waterways from untreated water and our streets and basements from flooding,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos in a press release. Upon completion of Stage II, the reservoir will have a total of 10 billion gal of storage capacity and deliver an estimated total of $143 million per year in flood reduction benefits.

Photos courtesy of MWRD

https://www.estormwater.com/mccook-reservoir-receives-first-rainfall

“Commissioner Steele promotes Innovation Studio at Museum of Science and Industry,” Chicago Crusader

18 0120_Chicago Crusader_Steele

“City to Acquire Church Street Site of Former Shore School,” Evanston RoundTable
City Council voted on Jan. 8 to enter into a 50-year lease for the former Shore School property, at 2525 Church St. from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Rent totals only $10 per year, but the lease requires the City to spend up to $400,000 to demolish the existing school building within five years. The lease also limits the use of the property to recreational uses and requires a stormwater management plan, which, according to a report by City staff, is expected to be a rain garden. In anticipation of an agreement’s being reached, Council voted to include $400,000 in the 2018 capital improvement budget, said Alderman Peter Braithwaite, 2nd Ward. Capital improvements are generally paid for using funds obtained through general obligation bonds payable primarily through property taxes. “Staff will seek grants, future [Capital Improvement Plan] funding and other funding sources to assist with the costs related to restoring the property to green space and adding recreational amenities over the course of time,” wrote staff in the memo accompanying the agenda item. Plans for possible recreational uses have not been finalized, but the staff report contemplates a soccer field and splash pad, along with a parking lot on Church Street to serve the new park, which in fact will be a southward expansion of Beck Park. Plans also include a projected extension of the Beck Park bike path through to Church Street. Alderman Robin Rue Simmons, whose Fifth Ward includes the McCormick-Church site, asked for suspension of the rules so the matter could be voted on immediately. Under normal rules, an ordinance requires a reading at one meeting then debate and vote at the next. Council regularly suspends those rules, however, to read and vote on an ordinance at a single meeting. Suspension of the rules requires the unanimous vote of Council, and aldermen voted 7-0 to suspend the rules to approve the lease. “Staff worked very hard with MWRD to get this,” said Ald. Rue Simmons at the Administration and Public Works Committee meeting, held earlier that evening. “Hopefully we can work long-term toward building something very exciting there – like, super exciting.” “Sounds like a beautiful deal for kids,” said resident James Engelman during citizen comment. “I think kids will enjoy this.” The matter passed at full Council on the consent agenda without discussion.
http://evanstonroundtable.com/main.asp?SectionID=15&SubSectionID=26&ArticleID=14552

“MWRD prioritizes green infrastructure projects in 2018,” South Suburban Mayors and Managers Assoc.

Parks, forest preserves, municipalities, a university, a nature center, and several alleys and parking lots across Cook County will benefit from Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) funding in 2018. All of these projects will feature Green infrastructure (GI) enhancements to better manage stormwater. Projects selected for funding met several criteria: they are in flood-prone areas; they are in areas new to MWRD GI funding; they have a high rate of ground infiltration in which stormwater is prevented from entering the local sewer system; they provide educational opportunities for residents to learn about GI practices; the applicant demonstrated the ability to operate and maintain the GI practices; and they showed an appropriate cost-benefit ratio. Please click here to read MWRD’s press release.

Selected Southland projects include:
Village of Calumet Park – introducing a detention pond, bioswales, permeable pavement and rain gardens as part of the Winchester Avenue improvements.
Village of Midlothian – installing permeable pavement, bioswales and a rain garden at the Midlothian parking lot, as part of a GI demonstration project.
Village of Orland Park Village Hall – building a green roof on the Orland Park Village Hall.
Village of Orland Park Nature Center – installing permeable pavers, a limestone trail, naturalized plantings, and detention/wetland improvements.
Village of Posen – installing a rain garden and permeable parking lot as part of Posen Goes Green.
http://ssmma.org/mwrd-prioritizes-green-infrastructure-projects-in-2018/

“Fighting the War Against Phosphorous,” Medill Reports Chicago
Summary: It’s common knowledge amongst environmentalists that phosphorus is a harmful nutrient in bodies of water, making them uninhabitable for marine life by spurring algae growth and choking oxygen levels. It’s particularly destructive in waterways that flow out of cities, where highly polluted effluent spreads downstream, contaminating tributaries and entering larger bodies of water. Chicago sits nearly 800 miles away from the Gulf of Mexico, yet phosphorus from the Chicago River has a damaging reach and historically has been the single largest contributor to what scientists call the “dead zone,” an area in the Gulf roughly the size of New Jersey where fish can’t survive. And closer to home, phosphorous has been detrimental to the water quality of the lower Des Plaines and Illinois rivers. That’s why in January 2017, after six years of litigation between local environmental groups and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), a settlement was reached to prioritize the determination of what constitutes a healthy phosphorus level in the Chicago River. Now a year after the agreement was brokered, the process of redefining permit levels is proving to be slow, but the groups involved remain hopeful they are finally on the right track. As part of the settlement a Nutrient Oversight Committee will be established in 2018, comprising members of MWRD, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and a representative from the environmental groups. The committee will then hire a consultant to determine the exact levels of nutrient discharge required and make suggestions to the Illinois EPA, which will use the findings to mandate statewide permit limits. The initiative’s ultimate goal is to get phosphorus levels, which are measured in milligrams per liter, to a point in which they will not degrade the quality of the water that flows out of the city. While the MWRD has been operating under a self-imposed permit limit of 1 milligram per liter, Ann Alexander said scientists agree that number needs to be closer to — if not under — 0.1 milligram per liter. Alexander is senior attorney for the Lands and Wildlife Program of the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC). An interim backstop goal of 0.5 milligram per liter by the year 2030 was written into the settlement, ensuring the process could move forward. This aligns with the city’s plans to complete its Deep Tunnel project by 2029, which will manage Chicago’s stormwater runoff and make it easier to monitor the river’s water quality. Prior to the agreement, the MWRD already employed technologies in its water treatment process to recover phosphorus from raw sewage and stormwater runoff, before it hits the river. The most productive system being utilized locally is from Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies. Installed at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, the Ostara equipment is capable of recovering phosphorus that is already dissolved in water. ”It’s allowed the largest plant in the world to achieve very low discharge numbers in terms of phosphorus,” said MWRD Executive Director David St. Pierre. And because of the Ostara process, the MWRD claims the Stickney plant is ahead of schedule, already recovering enough phosphorus to drop its discharge to 0.5 milligrams per liter. The Ostara technology turns the recovered phosphorus into non-water soluble fertilizer pellets, which are then sold as a product called Crystal Green. “What’s nice about this product is that the nutrient value gets to the plants and it doesn’t dissolve in the water and runoff into the waterways,” St. Pierre said. Other nutrient-recovery processes would be pricey, at a factor of ten times the current cost, according to St. Pierre. “For the taxpayers it’s an excellent way to get to the type of numbers that we need to be responsible,” he said.
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/fighting-the-war-against-phosphorous/

 “2017: Year in Review,” DesPlaines Valley News
Summary: The McCook Reservoir was formally unveiled in December when the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and project partner, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, joined U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-5th), U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-3rd), municipal leaders and officials with the U.S. EPA and Illinois EPA to celebrate cleaner water and protection from flooding for 3.1 million area residents. Stage I of the McCook Reservoir can hold 3.5 billion gallons of storage capacity and will protect residents of Chicago and 36 suburban communities from flooding. It can provide an estimated $114 million per year in flood reduction benefits, while also capturing untreated water that formerly overflowed into waterways in rainy weather. This stored water will be pumped from the reservoir to water reclamation plants to be cleaned and released when the treatment plant has capacity to treat the water after significant rain events. "We are excited to announce the completion of Stage I of the McCook Reservoir and this immense public works infrastructure that will help millions of people in Cook County,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. "We could not have accomplished this Herculean project on our own and therefore thank our partners, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, U.S. Senator Durbin, our congressional leaders in Washington D.C. as well as the contractors and neighboring communities that were instrumental in helping us complete this project.” Funded by the MWRD and the USACE, McCook Reservoir is located along the Stevenson Expressway between the Des Plaines River and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. It is part of the MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, one of the country’s largest public works projects for pollution and flood control. TARP covers a 375-mile area that includes Chicago and 51 suburbs that rely on a combined collection system that conveys both stormwater and used water.
http://desplainesvalleynews.com/year-in-review-p4198-90.htm

“NACWA Welcomes David St. Pierre as New President,” The Water Voice/NACWA

In late December, NACWA said farewell to sitting President Cathy Gerali, District Manager of Denver’s Metro Wastewater Reclamation District – and welcomed David St. Pierre, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District as its new leader. Cathy Gerali retired from the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District on December 21, marking the conclusion of a thirty-five-year career distinguished by significant contributions to not only the District, but also to the water sector nationwide. In her six years of service on NACWA’s Board of Directors – and her six months as President – Gerali was instrumental in positioning the Association for future success and heightening the organization’s engagement in issues impacting arid states. The Association is grateful to President Gerali for her many contributions and wishes her well in the future. David St. Pierre succeeded Gerali as President, as provided in the Association’s Bylaws. With nearly 30 years of experience in the water sector, St. Pierre has served the sector in leadership roles in Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, and several other cities. He was elected to NACWA’s Board of Directors in 2011 – shortly after his unanimous appointment as MWRD’s Executive Director. St. Pierre has previously served as the Association’s Secretary, Treasurer, and most recently, Vice President. St. Pierre will be officially welcomed as NACWA President at the Association’s 2018 Winter Conference, Exploring Net Environmental Benefit: Balancing Science & Cost, February 6 – 9 in Napa, CA. Outgoing President, Gerali, will also be in attendance, and NACWA’s Board of Directors will formally elect a full slate of new officers at its February 6 meeting.
http://www.nacwa.org/?utm_source=Real%20Magnet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=121105264