Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is a special purpose government agency located in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1889, the organization employs 796 people and generates $1 billion in annual revenue. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is responsible for managing wastewater treatment and stormwater throughout Cook County, Illinois, serving an area of 883 square miles. Its services extend to the City of Chicago and surrounding suburban communities, benefiting an equivalent population of 10.35 million people, including 5.25 million residents, a commercial and industrial equivalent of 4.5 million, and a combined sewer overflow equivalent of 0.6 million. The organization operates a vast network of 554 miles of intercepting sewers and force mains, ranging in size from 12 inches to 27 feet in diameter, connected to approximately 10,000 local sewer system connections. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District's Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) is a major infrastructure project encompassing four tunnel systems totaling 109 miles of tunnels, ranging from 9 to 33 feet in diameter and situated 150 to 300 feet underground. The organization also operates three TARP reservoirs, with construction ongoing on the remaining portion of the McCook Reservoir. The MWRD owns and operates the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, the world's largest, in addition to six other plants and 23 pumping stations. These facilities treat an average of 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater daily, with a total treatment capacity exceeding 2 billion gallons per day. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is committed to sustainability, recycling all biosolids and proactively engaging in outreach programs. For more information, visit their website at mwrd.org.