Category: Water Quality

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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Security for Fulton County Farm Site

9/25/2025

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

Board Action:

Item #20, 25-0689 accepted a contract for D & S Private Detective, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $259,999.80 to provide security for Fulton County Prairie Plan site. This site was a strip mine that is now being used to store bio-solids and also for research on phosphorus use. Tours are available for the public to see this site.
Item #22, 25-0693 promotes a 401(a) plan as an investment plan for employees to help with their pension.

Deferred or Deleted Agenda Items

Item #19, 25-0679 for a flood control project on Central Road was deleted.

New Business

Discussion and promotion for the conference WEF Tech that is coming to the McCormick Center. The Water Environment Federation Conference will have people from around the world attend and discuss the future of water and it’s use in our lives. This conference goes from 9/27 to 10/1.
Staff were commended on their drafting HB 2391 to harmonize MWRD’s authority for water reuse with the Illinois EPA.

All Commissioners in Attendance. No Executive Session Meeting Time: 50 minutes

Observer: Peggy Kell

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MWRD Thanked for Helping to Make the Chicago River Clean Enough for Swimming

9/12/2025

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
August 14, 2025

In opening public comments, Tessa Murray of the Friends of the Chicago River announced the first annual Chicago River Open Water Swim, slated for September 21, and sponsored by the Friends. She thanked the Board for the vision and investment of the MWRD for making the river clean enough for human contact, saying even a decade ago such an event would have been unthinkable at a time when people considered the River an extension of the sewer system. She credited new EPA water quality standards enacted in 2018 and the MWRD’s compliance as instrumental in creating conditions allowing the first Chicago River swimming event in more than a century. She said access to swimmable rivers enhances recreation opportunities for all urban residents. In addition to swimming, the cleaner river now boasts 77 different species of fish.

Agenda Items Discussed

Commissioner Davis pulled agenda item 2. 25-0631 asking for a roll call vote and saying he intended to vote no on a motion to hire David Ormsby, Inc as public relations consultant for an additional year at a cost not to exceed $48,000. In discussion Commissioner Davis and Commissioner Waller said they thought the District would benefit from someone with different skills in this position. Commissioner Flynn countered, saying the firm was qualified. The motion passed, with Davis the only Commissioner to vote no.
Commissioner Davis also pulled agenda item 14. 25-0621 which authorized paying annual membership dues of $35,000 to the Chicago Area Waterways Chloride Workgroup. The Commissioner understood this was to be a temporary working group, and asked when it’s work, and the need for dues, would end. Staff explained the importance of the MWRD’s lead working with municipalities reducing salt impacts on waterways, and acting Executive Director Murray said he expected to group to continue indefinitely. The item was returned to the agenda and approved.
Commissioner Garcia pulled item 39. 25-647-11, a $1.2 million dollar boiler service contract without discussion, and asked for its deferral. The deferral passed in a roll call vote.

Items approved without discussion:
Stormwater Management

Item 17. 25-0590 The Board agreed to seek bids to purchase Rain Barrels at an estimated cost of $450,000.
Item 40. 25-0578 The Board awarded a $2.2 million contract to construct a Green Schoolyard Pilot project at Burnham Elementary School to Foundation Mechanics LLC and other partners. The project, which combines stormwater management with a new playground in Burham, was approved to go out for bid at the October 17, 2024 Board meeting.
Item 18. 25-0593 The Board agreed to seek bids to rehabilitate the Upper Des Plaines Intercepting Sewer at a cost between $16.1 and 19.5 million dollars.

Pollution Control-Phosphorus Removal

Item 48. 25-0609 The Board agreed to increase the amount of a previously contract award to IHC Construction Companies LLC to modify phosphorus removal equipment at Battery D of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant, to $15.5 million from the previous $15.4 million; an increase of $117,170,72.

New Business

President Steele announced three ribbon-cutting events celebrating MWRD project completions, including a dam removal at Salt Creek in DuPage County; completion of a new levy providing flood relief to 29 structures in Glenwood; and green alley stormwater management projects in Markham.

Observer: Laurie Morse No Executive Session Held All 9 commissioners in attendance

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MWRD Board Meeting Showcased Pride Month and Puerto Rican Pride Day

6/20/2025

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD)
Board Meeting
June 5, 2025

Agenda Items:

#1 (25-0416) The text of the Pride Month statement was read into the record. Commissioner Precious-Brady Davis spoke recalling the history of Stone Wall and thanked the Chicago Parks Foundation for the installation of an AIDS Garden. Commissioner Garcia added his thanks to the director of the Chicago Parks Foundation.
#3-(25-0442) Commissioner Garcia spoke to the celebration of Puerto Rican Pride Day and reminded the audience that there are 250,000 Puerto Ricans in Chicago.
#5(25-0404) Results of the 2024 Annual Comprehensive financial Report of the MWRD of Greater Chicago and of the MWRD Retiree HealthCare Trust audits were presented by Adelfia. The financial information was deemed reliable and no issues arose in the process.
#24-(25-0440) Commissioner Flynn questioned why there was an annual $5000 fee for the Blue Island Fire Department’s use of one acre of land for training purposes. It is currently a parking lot. Answer: public access is the key. The use will no longer allow public access and thus, a fee must be assessed.
#27-(25-0445) Resolution: Commissioner Davis stated that building the ecological health of waterways is not just for recreation. We need a clean river from the bottom up. He thanked the Friends of Chicago River and many other organizations involved in advancing Chicago Area Waterway System Ecological Health.

New Business:

Commissioner Waller: reported that HB2516 (PFAS ban on certain products including personal care) was passed in the General Assembly.

Executive Session: None Meeting length: 77 minutes
Observer: Georgia Gebhardt

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Remote Closed Session Attendance Rules Discussed at MWRD Board Meeting

10/17/2021

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
October 7, 2021
Board Members Absent - Cameron Davis and Josina Morita

Board Action:

Commissioners pulled 9 agenda items for discussion. Once discussed, items 18 and 45 were deferred, while remaining items on the consent agenda were approved, including item #38 [21-0801], a lease agreement with Argo Construction that would allow them to expand their operations on 4 acres of MWRD land on the Main Channel in unincorporated Cook County, including barge operations. Mr. Rick Raymos, an Argo executive, spoke in favor of the lease during public comments, citing jobs and economic growth as benefits. This item had been deferred by Commissioner Davis at the September 23 meeting.
Most of the meeting was consumed by a debate among Commissioners about proposed changes to Board rules that might allow, under certain conditions, an absent member to attend executive sessions remotely, after the pandemic emergency has passed. Commissioner Marcelino Garcia pulled the item for discussion, arguing in favor, saying it might be prudent to “allow those not here in person to attend executive sessions in a room not accessible to others,” noting an in-person quorum was still needed. Commissioner Corral Sepulveda agreed, while Commissioner Shore was concerned that the Board could not ensure confidentiality if a board member was attending remotely, and the change could potentially expose the Board to litigation. Commissioner Spyropoulos is in favor of the rule change. However, Commissioner McGowan disagreed saying that she is not in support, and that the pandemic should not be used as an excuse to make their job easier. “I don’t support this at all,” she said, “I can’t see why we all can’t come to work.” With that comment she deferred the item [#45 21-0923] for further study.
Commissioner Eira Corral Sepulveda deferred item #18 [21-0879], permission to advertise a $2 million contract for janitorial services for the MWRD’s headquarters building on Erie Street in downtown Chicago. The Commissioner asked the Executive Director to report back on if the building paid a prevailing wage to janitors.
Executive Director Brian Perkovich deleted item #19 [21-0880], which would have authorized the Agency to advertise for a contract for employee training on workplace behavior. No reason was given.

New Business:

Commissioner Shore “made a proposal to add a new protocol to require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test in the last 48 hours for anyone entering the Board Room to attend the Board meeting”.

Item Of Interest

The Board approved entering into an agreement with the University of Illinois at Chicago, for preliminary review of the potential for Water Reuse in Cook County in an amount not to exceed $100,000. Item #28, 21-0906.

Observer: Laurie Morse Length of Meeting including 85 min. Exec. Session: 3 hours

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MWRD Strategic Plan (2021-2025) Adopted Unanimously

6/5/2021

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
June 3, 2021; 10:30 a.m.
Present: Commissioners Steele, Corral Sepulveda, Du Buclet, Morita, Shore, Spyropoulos, and Davis.
Absent: Commissioner McGowan; Commissioner Garcia (after executive session)
Staff: Executive Director Perkovich

Board Discussion and Action:

21-0501 MWRD Board of Commissioners adopted the Strategic Plan (2021-2025) on a unanimous roll call vote: 7 ayes 0 nays 2 ab. All commissioners made enthusiastic statements in support of the process and praised the work of the team.
21-0502 Three fifths of the public comments urged the Board to support the resolution recognizing water as a basic human right and that water should remain in the public trust. Roll Call: 7 ayes 0 nays 2 ab
21-0494 Deferred by request of Commissioner Garcia.
21-0477 Commissioners discussed purchase of thirteen electric utility vehicles. ED Perkovich reported that the electric vehicles had not done well in our climate in the past, but improvements have been made. Vehicles will be used only in plant. They are initially more expensive, but better for the environment. President Steele said a cost comparison had been done and asked Director Perkovich to circulate that information to the commissioners. Roll Call: 7 ayes 0 nays 2 ab
21-0495 Commissioner Shore questioned the Streambank Stabilization Project on the Calumet Union Drainage Ditch. She noted that the Cal-Union District was not contributing to the expense. Director Perkovich stated the district did not have the resources to contribute and that they do not own the ditch. The MWRD has the right to dissolve these drainage districts. Commissioner Shore stated it would be a public service to dissolve these districts that continue to assess fees to taxpayers. Since the MWRD does the work and has the responsibility, she asked staff to have preliminary conversations on this issue. Roll Call: 7 ayes 0 nays 2 ab

There was an executive session from 11:44 a.m. to 12:21 p.m. Upon return from executive session, the Board passed the remaining agenda items on a roll call vote. 7 ayes 0 nays 2 ab Meeting adjourned at 12:48 p.m.

Observer: Georgia Gebhardt Meeting Length: 2 hours 15 minutes

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MWRD Approves Improvements at Calumet Treatment Plant

Security for Fulton County Farm Site

MWRD Thanked for Helping to Make the Chicago River Clean Enough for Swimming

MWRD Board Meeting Showcased Pride Month and Puerto Rican Pride Day

Remote Closed Session Attendance Rules Discussed at MWRD Board Meeting

MWRD Strategic Plan (2021-2025) Adopted Unanimously

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