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Protecting the water quality of Lake Michigan, which serves as a source of drinking water throughout the Chicago greater metropolitan area; |
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Collection of wastewater discharge from a population equivalent of 10.1 million people (domestic use and industrial discharge) through a complex network of intercepting sewers and the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP); |
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Treatment of approximately 530 billion gallons of collected wastewater at the District's seven water reclamation plants;
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Maintenance and operation of the District's collection/treatment facilities, which include: seven water reclamation plants, 554 miles of intercepting sewers with approximately 430 controlled connections, 23 remote pumping stations, 109.4 miles of TARP with approximately 151 controlled connections, 5 Side Stream Elevated Pool Aeration Stations (SEPA), and 32 retention reservoirs;
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Removal, processing, beneficial reuse and environmentally safe utilization of biosolids, which are a product of the water reclamation process;
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Minimize local area flooding and pollution through monitoring and active control of the water levels in 76 miles of rivers and canals, as well as the area's 32 retention reservoirs;
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Improvements in the quality of water in the Chicago area waterways through minimization of pollution load discharged to the waterways, removal of debris in the water and operation of 5 SEPA stations and two Instream Aeration Stations which add a significant amount of oxygen to the water;
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Proactive management of energy costs through innovation, such as: maximization of off-peak pumping, voluntary curtailment of electric use during peak periods, collection/use of methane gas, and use of turbines and micro-turbines to generate electricity at the Stickney WRP to improve operational efficiency and thereby increase the District's direct energy credit received from the utility company.
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