MWRD Board Observer Reports

Board Approves Additional $9.5M Investment in Kirie Water Treatment Plant

3/4/2026

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
February 19, 2026

This Board meeting began and ended with Commissioners recognizing the contributions of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. to the City and its people, with Commissioners Brady-Davis and Steele giving especially moving accounts of the Rev. Jackson’s impact on their lives and careers.

Finance: The MWRD had cash disbursements of $70 million in January.

Projects:

Item #13 26-0120 After approving $27 million in electrical upgrades for the DesPlaines-based Kirie Water Treatment Plant at the February 5th Board Meeting, Commissioners approved without discussion at this meeting a $10 million contract with John Burns Construction Company, LLC for rehabilitation of portions of a service tunnel at the Kirie plant.

Industrial Waste:

Item #21 26-0134. Authority to settle lawsuit in Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago v. Electronic Plating Co., Case No. 2025L006657, seeking an injunction to keep sewer plugged and to impose additional civil penalties for violations of a final Board order entered in prior Show Cause proceedings, and to collect other amounts owed by Electronic Plating pursuant to the District’s ordinances
This item was flagged by Commissioner Davis. In extensive discussion it was noted that Electronic Plating Company had been a serial industrial polluter since at least 2019 and various fines, other civil penalties and court orders had not stopped discharges exceeding MWRD clean water standards. MWRD attorneys confirmed the Company had violated a final Board order and said the company’s sewers were plugged on June 6, 2025. It was noted the company had essentially ceased doing business.
After an initial deferral and discussion, Commission Davis agreed to return this item to the agenda, where the settlement agreement was approved.

Recreation and Community:

Item #25 26-0132. President Steele deferred this item without discussion.
Village of Crestwood Mayor Ken Klein made an impassioned plea to the Board in public comments, saying the Village was depending on revenue from gaming to pull the community out of a money-losing situation at the Crestwood Golf Course on it’s MWRD leasehold south of the Cal-Sag Channel and west of Cicero Ave. He was distressed the item had been pulled from the meeting agenda on short notice, despite prior conversations with staff and two commissioners. The Mayor said MWRD staff had agreed to a partial assignment of lease from the Village of Crestwood, to the Village of Crestwood and 4Crestwood LLC as co-tenants. The partial lease assignment would all allow the sale and consumption of alcohol and video gaming.

Meeting Length: 55 minutes Executive Session: None

Observer: Laurie Morse

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MWRD Board approves $27 million contract to upgrade Kirie Water Treatment Plant

2/22/2026

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation Board (MWRD)
Board of Commissioners Meeting
February 5, 2026

Board Action:

Item 13: #26-0074. Authority to award Sollitt/Broadway Joint Venture a contract for electric power distribution and phosphorus removal improvements at Kirie Water Reclamation Plant (KWRP), for a total amount not to exceed $27 million. Commissioner Sharon Waller pulled this item from the agenda for discussion. She asked Executive Director Murray what the public might expect to receive for this $27 million. The KWRP, located in Desplaines, is one of the newer (built 1980) and smaller of the District’s seven treatment plants. Executive Director Murray responded that the KWRP needed extensive electrical upgrades; and biological processes at the plant need to be amended to meet new phosphorous removal requirements. The item was returned to the agenda and approved.
Industrial Waste: Item 2. #IW26-001A. The Board approved without discussion amendments to sections of the MWRD’s Sewage and Waste Control Ordinance that address industrial polluters. The amendments included new regulations requiring certain industrial companies not currently licensed to discharge into the MWRD’s systems to certify annually that they have not done so.The hearing process for industrial polluters was also streamlined, making the Director of Monitoring and Research primary hearing authority, rather than the District’s Executive Director.
Tax abatement:Item 3. Ordinance #O26-00. The Board approved without discussion an Ordinance directing the County Clerk to reduce 2025 property taxes by $10 million for payments on capital improvement bonds that were alternately funded through the District’s Bond and Interest fund, making taxpayer funding redundant.
Projects: Item 16. #26-0073. The Board received a year-end 2025 engineering report on the Addison Creek Channel improvement project. The project, which was scheduled to be complete in August 2026, has experienced delays and cost overruns. The work is now expected to be complete in June of 2027 and was about $1.5 million over budget as of December.
Recreation and Community: Item 17. #26-0075. Commissioners gave permission for Friends of the Chicago River to access District real estate at 25 locations along the North Branch of the Chicago River, North Shore Channel, Main Channel, and Cal-Sag Channel for its annual Chicago River Day cleanup event on May 9, 2026. Annette Anderson, Friends of the Chicago River Program Manager, spoke in support of the permit at the start of the Board meeting.

Information request: Commissioner Sharon Waller asked Executive Director Murray to investigate monetizing phosphorus savings associated with the use of treated wastewater for irrigation at MWRD facilities.

Observer: Laurie Morse Meeting Length: 53 minutes Executive Session: None

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MWRD Approves Improvements at Calumet Treatment Plant

1/28/2026

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
January 22, 2026

Board Action:

The MWRD Board approved item 26-0037, contract # 26-822-31 for $24,255,000 to $29,325,000 for TARP (Tunnel and Reservoir Plan) mechanical equipment improvements at the Calumet Water Treatment Plant, including work on the sewage pump’s suction valves dating from 1985, integrating the auxiliary chillers, and other work. There was some discussion of this item, to clarify its purpose and the expected useful life of the improvements, as it was the largest dollar item on the agenda.
The Board approved item IW 26-001, Amended Sewage and Waste Control Ordinance. Along with minor streamlining and clarification, it brings sections of the ordinance into congruence with USEPA reporting requirements on dental amalgam, streamlines processes for appeals and for serving notice, prohibiting interference with District monitoring activities, and classifying non-discharging categorical industrial users and requiring that they certify annually to the District that they have not discharged anything regulated. There was some discussion of this item, with questions to attorney John Murray on the purpose of the proposed changes, especially the new requirement for self-certification of the new category of industry, with the requirement allowing the District to have a means of contacting these industries and to track if they begin discharging regulated amounts.
Item 26-038 to go to bid for 14-year lease on a 2.5 acre parcel in Lemont for a minimum of $75,000, was approved.
There were no Deferred or Deleted Agenda Items

Stormwater Management

Item 26-0035, a 5-year permit to the U.S. Geological Survey to continue to operate the stream gauge at Summit was approved.

New Business

While the official minutes record no items, there were several items discussed. President Steele invited all to the Black History Month Pan African flag raising on Feb. 2. Commissioner Waller noted that the U.S. EPA will no longer include human health factors in its cost-benefit analyses, and drew attention to several portions of the District’s mission involving protection of health, and Commissioner Flynn seconded these remarks. Commissioner Brady-Davis thanked the Executive Director for having the live-stream of the reservoirs fixed.

Time of the meeting approximately one and a half hours including a five-minute break after the Committee of the Whole. There were no items for Executive Session.

Observer - Deborah Stone

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MWRD Adopts 2026 Illinois Legislative Priorities

1/13/2026

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
January 8, 2026

The Board adopted the 2026 Illinois Legislative Priorities and all other items on the agenda unanimously with little discussion.

2026 Legislative Priorities (Agenda #23, File No. 25-0968)

Seek amendment of the District Act pertaining to the industrial waste program, known as the Sewage & Waste Control Ordinance, to increase the civil penalty ranges for administrative show cause enforcements and for circuit court enforcements, and provide that civil penalties are also available for “per-pollutant” violations and regulatory multiple day violations. The goal is to incentivize industrial users to improve their pretreatment systems and comply with the Ordinance.
Seek amendment of the District Act to authorize pay raises for the Board (no mention of by how much) if the Board acts before January 1, 2027 and approves the raise by a 2/3 vote.
Seek to amend the District Pension Code to change the 4.19 statutory multiplier to the Actuarially Determined Contribution; raise the taxable wage base on which employee contributions are made to satisfy the Social Security “Safe Harbor’; and allow the District to use any lawfully available revenue source to make its statutory contributions to the Retirement Fund.
Seek to amend the District Act to allow those participating and completing the apprentice program to take the civil service exam right away. Because of the delay in people being able to take the exam, a number of these former apprentices cannot wait and take jobs elsewhere.
Seek to repeal Section 19 of the District Act pertaining to potential District liability for rain-induced flooding. This section dates to 1907 and was enacted to address issues related to construction of the Sanitary & Ship Canal. However, some plaintiffs have sought to utilize it for current and different situations. While the District has been successful in defending that this Section is not applicable, deletion of the Section would save the District time and money.
Identify opportunities to support legislation pertaining to water re-use and PFAS. Points to HB 2955, the PFAS Wastewater Citizen Protection Act which passed the House and will be picked up by the Senate in the 2026 Spring Session. Specific bills will be brought to the Board for a determination of support.

Other approved items deferred from December 18 meeting:

The agreement with the Cook County Sheriff for the Prescription Drug Take-Back Program for 2026 at a cost to the MWRD of up to $80,000. Comm. Davis thanked his Board colleagues for the 3 prior deferrals which allowed time for more review and consideration. Comm. Waller asked that the funding amount include funding for community events. President Steele asked that Comm. Waller provide an email explaining exactly what she wants. (Agenda #21, File No. 25-0885)
Awarding a contract for SEPA 3 Paver Walkway Improvement for up to $191,525. (Agenda #16, File No. 25-0962)

New Business

Vice President Flynn touted the enactment of the PFAS Reduction Act in Illinois which will phase in elimination of PFAS from firefighting equipment.

Time of meeting: 1 hour, including a break and Executive Session between the Committee of the Whole portion and reconvening as the Board to vote on all the items.

Observer: Priscilla Mims

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Board Votes on Several Resolutions and Again Defers the Drug Takeback Program with the Cook County Sheriff

1/7/2026

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
December 18, 2025

Agenda Items Approved:

After a month of deliberations and a public hearing, the board approved annual tax levies and adopted a 2026 final budget of $1.8B that includes investing in public infrastructure, stormwater and flood management, and with new consideration of the long-term environmental and financial implications of permit compliance. Soon to be available is an online interactive budget dashboard* The 2025 budget was just under $1.7B. Ordinance 025-0004A
They also adopted an Ordinance establishing the minimum qualifications and duties for the MWRD Inspector General and are convening search and selection committees for appointing an IG to replace the current interim, Patrick Blanchard, whose contract was extended thru June 2026 at the December 4, 2025 board meeting. 025-012
Previously twice deferred by Commissioner Sepulveda, the board approved a $250,000 contract with Web-based Compliance Software. Commissioner Sepulveda asked that in the future RFPs include a “no charge” provision to allow business to upload redundant information from other submissions. #22 25-0848

Agenda Items Deferred/Deleted:

For the 3rd time, Commission Davis asked that the Intergovernmental Agreement with the CC Sheriff’s Office for the Prescription Drug Take-Back Program in the amount of $80,000 be deferred so that his team can digest the responses received from MWRD staff. The board agreed to the deferral but voiced several strong supporting comments including those reported in the November and then again at the December 4 meeting. Brady-Davis said she understands that the issue isn’t the value of the program but who pays. Garcia strongly supports and wants more boxes in communities in 2027. Sepulveda asked that staff develop a strategy for getting the pharmaceutical association(s) more involved in 2027. #43 25-0885
Commissioner Flynn deferred a $191,525,00 landscaping contract for a Paver Walkway Improvement. No reason was given. #35 25-0962
President Steele deferred with no discussion the Recommendations for the State of Illinois 2026 Legislative Program. Expect to see it on the January 8, 2026 agenda. #45 25-0968

Other Interesting Items:

Authorization was given for payment to the Water Research Foundation for the 2026 Annual Research Commitment not to exceed $190,663. Commissioner Waller now serves on a new committee covering IT Data Centers: Understanding Economic Considerations and Opportunities for Water and Wastewater Utilities #20 25-0941

No Executive Session; All commissioners present; Length of meeting: 70 minutes

Observer - Diane Edmundson

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MWRD Board Holds 3 Meetings on Dec. 4

12/14/2025

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meetings
December 4, 2025

The Board held

The Annual Meeting at which President Steele presented her Annual Message which can be found HERE by clicking on the link “President’s Message 2025” (item 25-0893).
The regular Board meeting, with information provided below.
The public hearing on the proposed 2026 budget for the public to provide any comments, but no one spoke.

At the regular Board meeting, all items were approved, except for Agenda Items 20, 33, and 34, which were deleted by the Executive Director; and Agenda Items 9 and 32, which were deferred.

Commissioner Sepulveda requested a second deferment of an authority to advertise a contract to furnish, deliver and install web-based compliance software at an estimated cost of $250,000. (See the observer report for the November 20 meeting.) Since this was the second deferment, a vote had to be taken and the deferment was approved. There were no comments or questions about this Item 25-0848 (agenda item #9).
Commissioner Davis deferred Item 25-0885 (agenda item #32), the proposal to amend and extend the intergovernmental agreement with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office for its prescription drug take-back program at a cost of up to $80,000 for 2026. Comm. Davis said that he continued to have problems (also raised last year) with using taxpayer money for the take-back program which, now under law, the drug companies are required to pay for. Comm. Flynn and President Steele both expressed support for the MWRD continuing in the program, with President Steele saying that the MWRD contribution allows for receptacles and drug pick-up in communities where there otherwise would be none.

Also discussed:

Authority to advertise a contract to create in Harvey a 23-acre stormwater detention basin to provide flood storage and installation of storm sewer to convey the stormwater to the basin and allow discharge into the Wood Street storm sewer system. Cost is estimated to be between $11.4 M and $13.8 M. This project is expected to provide flood reduction for 209 structures. Comm. Davis asked about the annual maintenance costs for these facilities should Harvey not perform its duties to maintain. Exec. Director Murray said that they would be nominal. In response to a question from Comm. Sepulveda, Exec. Director Murray said that the MWRD had the sole authority to pick the vendors for the construction, with Harvey playing no role. (Agenda item 10, Item 25-0897)
Comm. Garcia thanked the Board members who back in 2007 created the Other Postemployment Benefits Fund, which is used to cover the costs of the MWRD providing medical and prescription drug benefits to qualifying employees and their eligible spouses and dependents. Under the existing policy, $5 M was to be provided to the Fund in 2026. However, the Fund is above 100% of its funding goal. So no payment will be made in 2026 and the Policy for the Fund has now been amended to provide that funds will only be deposited in the future to maintain the 100% funding goal. (Agenda item #1, Item 25-0908)

During public comments, Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita, a former MWRD Commissioner, presented a resolution from herself and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle congratulating John Murray on his appointment as the MWRD Executive Director.

Length of regular Board meeting: 55 minutes

Observer: Priscilla Mims

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<<Previous

Board Approves Additional $9.5M Investment in Kirie Water Treatment Plant

MWRD Board approves $27 million contract to upgrade Kirie Water Treatment Plant

MWRD Approves Improvements at Calumet Treatment Plant

MWRD Adopts 2026 Illinois Legislative Priorities

Board Votes on Several Resolutions and Again Defers the Drug Takeback Program with the Cook County Sheriff

MWRD Board Holds 3 Meetings on Dec. 4

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