Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
@mwrdgc.bsky.social
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Protecting public health and the environment by treating wastewater and managing stormwater for Chicago & 128 suburban communities. Learn more at mwrd.org.

☎️ Report waterways issues by calling the MWRD Citizen’s Incident Reporting System at 800-332-3867.
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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago @mwrdgc.bsky.social · 7h
The #MWRD will hold its Board of Commissioners' meeting in person.

🗓️ 10:30am, Thursday, January 8, 2026

📍100 E. Erie Street, #Chicago

Public comments may be made during the Public Comment period. Closed captioned.

Livestream: mwrd.legistar.com/calendar.aspx

mwrd.org/news/mwrd-bo...
A graphic with a blue swirls background symbolizing water, featuring portrait photos of the nine members of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's (MWRD) Board of Commissioners. The headline at the top in white text reads, "MWRD Board of Commissioners Meeting." Beneath each photo, the commissioners' names and titles are listed in three rows from left to right with the following text: “Kari K. Steele, President; Patricia Theresa Flynn, Vice President; Marcelino Garcia, Chairman of Finance; Precious Brady-Davis, Commissioner; Yumeka Brown, Commissioner; Cameron Davis, Commissioner; Beth McElroy Kirkwood, Commissioner; Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda, Commissioner; Sharon Waller, Commissioner.”
mwrdgc.bsky.social
The #MWRD will hold its Board of Commissioners' meeting in person.

🗓️ 10:30am, Thursday, January 8, 2026

📍100 E. Erie Street, #Chicago

Public comments may be made during the Public Comment period. Closed captioned.

Livestream: mwrd.legistar.com/calendar.aspx

mwrd.org/news/mwrd-bo...
A graphic with a blue swirls background symbolizing water, featuring portrait photos of the nine members of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's (MWRD) Board of Commissioners. The headline at the top in white text reads, "MWRD Board of Commissioners Meeting." Beneath each photo, the commissioners' names and titles are listed in three rows from left to right with the following text: “Kari K. Steele, President; Patricia Theresa Flynn, Vice President; Marcelino Garcia, Chairman of Finance; Precious Brady-Davis, Commissioner; Yumeka Brown, Commissioner; Cameron Davis, Commissioner; Beth McElroy Kirkwood, Commissioner; Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda, Commissioner; Sharon Waller, Commissioner.”
January 6, 2026 at 1:56 PM
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📷 A view of an elevator shaft during construction of a section of the North Side Intercepting Sewer on June 29, 1925.

📣 Join our next virtual tour on Wednesday, January 14, from 2-3:15 p.m. ⬇️
https://mwrd.org/education/tours/virtual-tours
🏗💧💩🧪🧫🔬🌊🌞
An interior view of an elevator shaft during construction of a section of the North Side Intercepting Sewer on June 29, 1925. Two men are seen on the railroad tracks in the distance.
January 6, 2026 at 1:00 PM
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In 2025, we collected approximately 400 pounds of medications through our medication disposal program.

You can help keep medications from entering our waterways, too. Use one of our safe drug collection boxes.

Find locations:
mwrd.org/community-ac...

#MWRD #Chicago
MWRD Chairman of Finance Marcelino Garcia, wearing a red patterned sweater, smiles while depositing unused medications into a blue MedSafe disposal drop box located indoors at the MWRD's Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building, 100 E. Erie St., Chicago. He holds blister packs and a small clear bag of pills, demonstrating medication disposal. The MedSafe unit is labeled “Unused Medication Disposal” with instructions visible on the front. Graphic from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago promoting safe medication disposal. The design shows a blue medication disposal drop box with pills illustrated above it. Text reads, “Think Inside the Box. Never flush medications down the toilet or a drain. Instead, use one of our safe collection sites.” The MWRD logo appears at the top, and the graphic directs viewers to visit mwrd.org for a list of disposal sites throughout Cook County. Social media logos are at the bottom, indciating where the MWRD has social media profiles.
January 5, 2026 at 7:30 PM
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📣 Check out the January 2026 edition of FLOW for the latest news and event information from the MWRD.

FLOW: For the Love of Water 🌊
mwrd.org/news/mwrd-fl...

Sign up to keep up to date with the latest news and resources related to the MWRD.
📲 mwrd.org/form/join-our-email-list

#MWRD #Chicago
January 5, 2026 at 4:24 PM
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📷 Interior of the pump house during construction of the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant on March 28, 1929.

📣 Learn how the #MWRD protects the environment on our January 14 virtual tour. Register: https://mwrd.org/education/tours/virtual-tours
Interior of the pump house during construction of the West Side Sewage Treatment Works facility on March 28, 1929. Two workers are focused on a pipe near a wall. The West Side plant was placed in service in 1930 and the adjoining Southwest Plant was placed in service in 1939. The two MWRD facilities are now combined and named the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant.
January 5, 2026 at 1:00 PM
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📷 Construction of the 95th Street Pumping station located on Baltimore Avenue just south of 95th Street in Chicago on May 25, 1924.

📣 Learn how the #MWRD protects public health on our January 14 virtual tour. Register: https://mwrd.org/education/tours/virtual-tours
View of a deep excavation site featuring steel reinforcements and workers preparing concrete forms for the 95th Street Pumping Station that went into service in 1925. The pumping station is located on Baltimore Avenue just south of 95th Street in Chicago.
January 4, 2026 at 1:00 PM
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📷 A concrete mixing station for construction of the Cal-Sag Channel and railway bridges near Lemont, Illinois, on November 30, 1916.

📣 Join our next virtual tour on Wednesday, January 14 ⬇️
https://mwrd.org/education/tours/virtual-tours
🏗💧💩🧪🧫🔬🌊🌞
A concrete mixing station for construction of the Cal-Sag Channel and railway bridges near Lemont, Illinois, on November 30, 1916. The construction site features a tall, complex wooden scaffold and mechanical equipment with laborers working below.
January 3, 2026 at 1:00 PM
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📣 We are accepting applications for “Director of Maintenance and Operations” until January 16, 2026. Apply to join a leading organization committed to protecting the environment in #CookCounty ⬇️
https://jobapscloud.com/mwrd/

#mwrd #careers #jobs #employment #JoinOurTeam #CookCounty
Aerial view of the Chicago skyline with numerous boats anchored in the water and a call to join a team overlayed in bold text.
January 2, 2026 at 3:48 PM
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Historical Photo of the Day: A view of the Lawrence Avenue Pumping Station on June 29, 1922. The pumping station was built by the City of Chicago in 1906 and the MWRD took over its operation in 1910. Learn about the work of the #MWRD 📽⬇️
https://youtu.be/__yXMrBYek4
A brick wastewater pumping station with large windows and a smokestack, surrounded by early 20th-century cars and street lamps.
January 2, 2026 at 1:00 PM
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📷 A view of the outfall structure and the North Shore Channel during construction of the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie on July 9, 1926.

📣 Join our virtual tour on Wednesday, January 14, from 2-3:15 p.m. ⬇️
https://mwrd.org/education/tours/virtual-tours
🏗💧💩🧪🧫🔬🌊🌞
A busy construction scene showing an incomplete concrete arch outfall over the North Shore Channel with automobiles, cranes, trains and derricks nearby.
January 1, 2026 at 1:00 PM
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📣 Review the latest invitations to bid on #MWRD contracts! Register as a vendor to provide goods and services to the MWRD and help protect our water environment ⬇️
https://mwrd.org/doing-business/procurement-and-materials-management
Illustration of two people holding puzzle pieces under text inviting vendors to register with the MWRD in English and Spanish.
December 31, 2025 at 10:00 PM
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Welcome 2026! ✨ The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago wishes everyone a happy new year and looks ahead to a new year of progress, innovation, and continued commitment to protecting our water resources and communities.

MWRD.org
Graphic reading “Welcome 2026 – Happy New Year” in large white lettering on a blue, winter-themed background with circular light rings, stars, and snowflakes. Along the bottom is the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago seal and a text panel listing the Board of Commissioners: Kari K. Steele, President; Patricia Theresa Flynn, Vice President; Marcelino Garcia, Chairman of Finance; Precious Brady-Davis; Yumeka Brown; Cameron Davis; Beth McElroy Kirkwood; Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda; and Sharon Waller.
December 31, 2025 at 6:01 PM
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Historical Photo of the Day: A view to the south from Carroll Avenue near Canal Street in Chicago during work on a section of the West Side Intercepting Sewer on August 28, 1934. Learn about the work of the #MWRD on our YouTube channel 📽⬇️
https://youtu.be/__yXMrBYek4
🏗💧💩🧪🧫🔬🌊🌞
Historic steam engine resting on railway tracks amid a cityscape featuring multi-story buildings and warehouses. A train is seen "speeding" past in the background.
December 31, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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Tasked with treating wastewater, protecting area waterways and Lake Michigan, and managing stormwater, it was another year of progress and protection in 2025 for the MWRD.

Check out MWRD by the numbers at MWRD.org/News:

mwrd.org/news/numbers...

#MWRD #CookCounty #Chicago
Nighttime photo of the Merchandise Mart, a large downtown Chicago building, illuminated in blue and pink lights along the Chicago River, with several kayakers paddling in the foreground. Below the photo is a headline reading, “By the numbers in 2025: MWRD wraps up another successful year protecting water environment across Cook County.” Supporting text explains that in 2025 the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago treated wastewater, protected waterways and Lake Michigan, and managed stormwater while serving approximately 5.19 million people across Chicago and 128 suburban communities within an 882.1-square-mile service area. The MWRD seal appears near the bottom with a line reading, “Learn more at MWRD.org/News.” Full-page informational graphic from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago listing some of its accomplishments achieved during the year. On a blue background transparency over an image from the Chicago riverfront, the graphic lists key accomplishments for 2025, including treating approximately 359 billion gallons of water; opening seven new permeable schoolyards with Space to Grow partners; capturing over 14 billion gallons of combined stormwater and sewage using the TARP system; performing nearly 398,000 laboratory tests; engaging more than 391,000 people through tours and community events; delivering 7,632 rain barrels; distributing over 17,000 native wildflower seed packets; providing 11,500 native tree saplings; collecting more than 390 pounds of medications for safe disposal; removing thousands of cubic yards of debris from streams and rivers; conducting 22 fish surveys involving more than 8,000 fish; and completing more than 686,000 hourly water quality measurements across 20 locations.
December 30, 2025 at 7:09 PM
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📣 ICYMI: “This amazing investment in sustainable building and environmental protection has been made possible through a partnership with Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.”

➡️ railslibraries.org/libraries/ne...

▶️ youtu.be/taB2E-igV00?...

#MWRD #BlueIsland #garden #rooftop #library
December 30, 2025 at 4:22 PM
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📷 Interior of a section of the Oak Park sewer near the intersection of Oak Park and Chicago Avenues during construction on December 13, 1921.

📣 Join our virtual tour on Wednesday, January 14, from 2-3:15 p.m. ⬇️
https://mwrd.org/education/tours/virtual-tours
🏗💧💩🧪🧫🔬🌊🌞
Group of early 20th-century workers sitting and standing in a narrow, timber-reinforced sewer tunnel.
December 30, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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📰 Cook County mayors and local leaders strengthen communication and coordination on flood preparedness at Government to Government Workshop

Learn more at MWRD.org/News:
mwrd.org/news/cook-co...

#MWRD #CookCounty #Chicago
Informational graphic titled “Cook County mayors and local leaders strengthen communication and coordination on flood preparedness at Government to Government Workshop.” The top section features logos for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association. Below, a portrait of MWRD Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn appears on the left. To the right is text explaining that more than 100 mayors, trustees, municipal representatives, and commissioners gathered at Hazel Crest Village Hall for a Government-to-Government Workshop hosted by MWRD, IDNR, and SSMMA. Additional text notes plans to continue intergovernmental events, including Watershed Planning Council meetings, to improve regional stormwater coordination and management. A quote reads, “This workshop showed how much stronger we are when every agency and municipality works together.”
December 29, 2025 at 4:25 PM
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Historical Photo of the Day: Construction of a 15-foot-tall section of the North Side Intercepting Sewer in an area along the North Shore Channel and McCormick Boulevard on September 20, 1924. Learn how the #MWRD protects water quality ⬇️
https://mwrd.org/what-we-do/protecting-water-quality
Workers operating in a curved, timber-framed sewer tunnel, transferring extracted material into a rail cart for transport.
December 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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Historical Photo of the Day: Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on August 30, 1926. Request an in-person tour for your community or school group ⬇️
https://mwrd.org/education/tours
🏗💧💩🧪🧫🔬🌊🌞
A vast outdoor area with rows of long, rectangular tanks and scattered construction materials under a hazy sky.
December 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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📷 Excavation for foundation of the Santa Fe Railroad viaduct over Stephen Street in Lemont on September 6, 1899, with the Santa Fe railroad bridge visible in the background.

📣 Join our virtual tour on Wednesday, January 14, from 2-3:15 p.m. ⬇️
https://mwrd.org/education/tours/virtual-tours
A group of workers around a deep trench at an industrial construction area with equipment and materials scattered.
December 27, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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MWRD earns continued AAA, Aa1, & AA+ Ratings from Fitch, Moody’s and S&P Global

These reaffirmations underscore the rating agencies’ ongoing confidence in the #MWRD’s financial management, operational stability & commitment to maintaining long-term fiscal responsibility.

buff.ly/MX6Uxd4

#Chicago
Aerial view of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s sidestream elevated pool aeration (SEPA) station in Worth along the Cal-Sag Channel. Curved concrete weirs and landscaped islands guide flowing water as it cascades through the aeration system, helping oxygenate the channel. Trees with fall foliage line the riverbanks, and a small boat is visible on the water. Below, a second view shows a calm section of the channel with ducks swimming near the surface, a white fence, and autumn trees in the background. The MWRD seal appears centered between the images. On-screen text reads: “MWRD earns continued AAA, Aa1, and AA+ Ratings from Fitch, Moody’s and S&P Global.” At the bottom, additional text reads: "The MWRD’s sidestream elevated pool aeration (SEPA) station in Worth along the Cal-Sag Channel helps oxygenate the water, keeping it healthy for a diverse species of fish that are monitored by MWRD biologists. These water quality protections and monitoring programs are all made possible by strong MWRD finances."
December 26, 2025 at 5:00 PM
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📷 Exterior and interior views of an electrical substation and transformers at the corner of Mohawk and Menominee Streets in Chicago on April 7, 1916.

📣 Join our next virtual tour on Wednesday, January 14, from 2-3:15 p.m. ⬇️
https://mwrd.org/education/tours/virtual-tours
Historic rectangular brick structure with decorative window lintels, situated at an urban intersection with a lamppost and early 20th-century automobile. Row of large cylindrical industrial transformers lined up inside a spacious facility with metal stair railing in the foreground.
December 26, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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Historical Photo of the Day: The Randolph Street bridge over the South Branch of the Chicago River in Chicago, taken from an elevated railroad platform looking west, on April 24, 1903. Learn about the work of the #MWRD on our YouTube channel 📽⬇️
https://youtu.be/__yXMrBYek4
🏗💧💩🧪🧫🔬🌊🌞
Black and white photo of a busy city street under construction with workers and horse-drawn carts on a bridge in early 1900s.
December 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
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📣 Review the latest invitations to bid on #MWRD contracts! Register as a vendor to provide goods and services to the MWRD and help protect our water environment ⬇️
https://mwrd.org/doing-business/procurement-and-materials-management
Illustration of two people holding puzzle pieces under text inviting vendors to register with the MWRD in English and Spanish.
December 24, 2025 at 10:00 PM
mwrdgc.bsky.social
Warmest wishes and happy holidays from the MWRD 🎁🌲

Thank you for being part of our work to protect water, communities, and the environment throughout the year. We wish you a safe, joyful, and restful holiday season.

MWRD.org
Holiday greeting graphic on a white wood background with cozy winter elements, including a knitted scarf, pinecone, mitten, and wrapped gifts tied with twine. Center text reads, “Warmest wishes and happy holidays from the MWRD.” Along the bottom is a dark banner featuring the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago seal and text listing the Board of Commissioners in this order: Kari K. Steele, President; Patricia Theresa Flynn, Vice President; Marcelino Garcia, Chairman of Finance; Precious Brady-Davis; Yumeka Brown; Cameron Davis; Beth McElroy Kirkwood; Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda; and Sharon Waller. The banner also lists Executive Director John P. Murray.
December 24, 2025 at 6:45 PM