[Communications] MWRD FLOW - December 2022

[Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago]

Monthly news summary from the MWRD  December 2022 | Issue 27 For the Love Of Water (FLOW) is a summary of news from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.  Click here to view FLOW on our website In this edition Upcoming Events December 1 - MWRD Board of Commissioners meeting, 10:30 a.m.; Public Hearing on the 2023 Budget, 2 p.m. December 6 - Annual Meeting and MWRD Board Installation, 2 p.m. December 7 - Stormwater webinar for Cook County government organizations, 1:30 p.m. December 8 - Naming of the Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building, 2 p.m. December 12 - Developers, engineers, and landowners can learn about StormStore, noon December 14 - Monthly Virtual Tour of MWRD properties, 2 p.m. December 15 - MWRD Board of Commissioners meeting, 10:30 a.m. Latest News MWRD Vice President Barbara J. McGowan retires from Board of Commissioners Josina Morita departs for Cook County Board of Commissioners Construction and Professional Services Vendor Outreach Fair held Tunnel and Reservoir Plan featured on WBEZ Resources Go Easy on the Salt What are Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)? Household hazardous waste collection MWRD Employment Center Doing Business with the MWRD Report Waterway Blockages, Suspicious Dumping and Odors Extras  Historical Photo of the Month December 2022 Calendar Upcoming Events Board of Commissioners to meet Dec. 1 and Dec. 15; Annual Meeting and Board installation is set for Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. The MWRD Board of Commissioners will hold its Regular Board Meeting at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 1 and Thursday, December 15. Public comments may be made in person at 100 E. Erie Street during the Public Comment period. The MWRD Annual Meeting and Board installation is set for Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. To view the meetings, visit https://mwrd.legistar.com/calendar.aspx. Click the "In Progress" link under the Video Column. This link will be active when there is a meeting in session. MWRD to provide funding to local government partners to manage stormwater Final webinar set for Wed., December 7 at 1:30 p.m. Register here for 12/7 We're looking for local governments in Cook County to join us in investing in stormwater management projects and strategic partnerships. Applications for assistance through the MWRD Stormwater Partnership Program are available through Jan. 13, 2023. Government entities, including municipalities, townships, county agencies, park districts, school districts and other local government organizations can apply for assistance in addressing local flooding through the MWRD’s Stormwater Partnership Program. To learn more and apply, visit this link. In addition, the MWRD is also accepting applications for assistance in acquiring flood prone properties. Applications can be found at mwrd.org/flood-prone-property-acquisition. To learn more about both programs, the MWRD recorded an informational webinar here. Read the press release here. Developers, engineers, and landowners can learn about StormStore on Dec. 12 The MWRD has a pilot study in progress focusing on the use of offsite detention and volume control as ways to meet requirements of the Watershed Management Ordinance.  The Nature Conservancy and Metropolitan Planning Council, who are stakeholders in this pilot study, have created a website that illustrates the process for creating offsite detention and volume control supply as well as the process for utilizing offsite facilities. Learn more about the website during a Monday, December 12 webinar at noon. Monthly MWRD Virtual Tour to be held Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.  Register at https://mwrd.org/facility-and-virtual-tours. On Wed., Dec. 14 at 2 p.m., join us for another fascinating virtual tour. Go underwater at the world's largest water reclamation facility, explore the Deep Tunnel system, meet the dancing water bear and see electrofishing in action. Latest News MWRD Vice President Barbara J. McGowan retires from Board of Commissioners A voice of reason, a defender of the water environment, equal opportunity advocate, promoter of diversity and pillar on the MWRD Board of Commissioners for over 24 years, MWRD Vice President Barbara J. McGowan participated in her last Board of Commissioners’ meeting on Nov. 17 as she prepares for retirement and the celebration of naming the MWRD’s downtown office building at 100 E. Erie Street, Chicago, as the “Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building” on Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. She was the first African American Vice President at the MWRD; she served as the first interim African American female President in December 2012 and December 2014; and she is the third longest serving Commissioner in the MWRD’s history. She was thea backbone on the Board of Commissioners, working to provide guidance and financial oversight and establish policies and procedures in meeting the MWRD’s objective of protecting the regional water environment for more than 5 million residents from Chicago and 128 surrounding municipalities. Read more here. Josina Morita departs MWRD Board for Cook County Board of Commissioners Commissioner Josina Morita departed the MWRD Board of Commissioners to serve as Cook County Commissioner of the 13th District. November 17 was her last MWRD meeting, and she was sworn in to serve as Cook County Commissioner on November 20. During her tenure at the MWRD, Commissioner Morita led the celebration of Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month to express support of the Asian American community and honor Asian American elected officials. She educated students about the MWRD, distributing “Where Does IT Go?” storybooks in both English and Chinese regarding the wastewater treatment process and careers in water. She also worked to restore the urban canopy by distributing a countless number of MWRD oak saplings. Read more here. MWRD Construction and Professional Services Vendor Outreach Fair held The MWRD's construction and professional services vendor outreach fair held November 29 at the University of Illinois at Chicago welcomed dozens of vendors and prospective vendors looking to expand and maximize business opportunities for local Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women Business Enterprises (WBE), Small Business Enterprises (SBE) and Veteran Business Enterprises (VBE).   Best practices were shared by successful participants, and MWRD’s executive staff and Commissioners provided detailed information on contracting. If you missed it or would like additional information, please email mwrddiversity at mwrd.org. Tunnel and Reservoir Plan featured on WBEZ The MWRD is responsible for stormwater and wastewater management throughout Cook County. One of its largest projects has been the so-called “Deep Tunnel,” an expansive underground system built to store billions of gallons of water during heavy rainfall. But as extreme precipitation driven by climate change becomes more common – like the supercell rainstorm that hit Chicago in September – officials are thinking about how these systems might need to adapt. Hear from MWRD Asst. Director of Engineering Kevin Fitzpatrick as he discusses the role of the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan and green infrastructure to fight climate change and manage stormwater. Resources What are Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of manmade fluorinated compounds that are designed to be stable and have been in commercial use since the 1940s. The stability of the chemicals makes them difficult to degrade which is why they are often called “forever chemicals.” PFAS are in countless commercial, consumer, and industrial products and are acknowledged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be widely present in the environment. Like other water utilities across the U.S., the MWRD is addressing how best to manage PFAS in the water environment. The MWRD’s seven water reclamation plants (WRPs) do not produce nor use PFAS but are passive receivers of these chemicals discharged to local sewers. Wastewater can contain trace amounts of these chemicals from industrial, commercial and household sources. The MWRD’s WRPs were not designed to remove these chemicals during the treatment process. The use of nonstick cookware, cosmetics and sunscreens, washing clothes, and putting out fires with certain foams can all introduce PFAS into the environment. The MWRD is closely following and proceeding based on the developing science on the potential impacts of PFAS. The key to pollution prevention is addressing the source of PFAS. The MWRD is working to identify and reduce industrial discharges of PFAS, learning how the discharge from these sources can be reduced and encouraging federal and state regulators to focus on stopping these chemicals at the source. The MWRD’s pretreatment program regulates industrial discharges to protect the treatment process and valuable resources the MWRD recovers. Read the complete fact sheet here. Household Hazardous Waste Collection Dispose of your household chemicals responsibly and recycle your old computers by dropping them off at the City of Chicago's permanent Household Chemicals & Computer Recycling Facility at 1150 N. North Branch Street (two blocks east of the Kennedy Expressway at Division Street). Household chemicals and computers often contain hazardous substances, such as lead, mercury, and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) which can contaminate our air, soil and water. Through proper disposal methods or recycling, these hazardous substances are reprocessed and reused in an environmentally-responsible manner. The Household Chemical and Computer Recycling Facility accepts a range of items, including household cleaners, oil-based paints, solvents, cell phones, compact fluorescent light bulbs, computers and related equipment to name a few. It does not accept business/commercial sector wastes, explosives, fireworks or latex paint.  During business hours, an attendant will be ready to help unload your vehicle and accept your materials. Materials should not be left outside the facility unattended. Scheduled business hours are: Tuesdays, 7 a.m. - Noon Thursdays, 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. The first Saturday of every month 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. See which items will be accepted by visiting this link. MWRD Employment Center Are you seeking a new career or looking for a new job? If so, please visit our online employment center at this link to register, apply and learn more about jobs and the selection process at the MWRD. We also enjoy participating in job fairs throughout the county so stop by our table if you are in attendance! Doing Business with the MWRD Want to learn how to do business with the MWRD? Visit this link to get started. You'll find many resources, including videos presented by our Director of Procurement and Materials Management, Director of Engineering, and Diversity Administrator. The Department of Procurement and Materials Management procures materials and services required for operations in compliance with the Purchasing Act. The mission of the Diversity Section is to ensure that minority owned (MBE), women owned (WBE), small (SBE), and veteran owned (VBE) business enterprises are given equal opportunities to participate in the MWRD’s construction program and professional service contracts in excess of $100,000. Our procurement process is designed to ensure the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars, so we encourage you to register to become a vendor. Sign up to receive a weekly email listing new contract announcements by emailing forea at mwrd.org. Be a reporter! There are three ways the public can report waterway blockages, illegal or suspicious dumping to waterways or sewers, or odors. Call 800-332-DUMP (3867) or, in Spanish, 855-323-4801, on our website https://gispub.mwrd.org/incidentreporting/ and through our iOS app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mwrd-citizen-incident-reporting/id914049460?ls=1 Extras Historical Photo: Excavation for the North Shore Channel in an area near Green Bay Road and the Chicago and North Western Railroad bridge in Evanston, Illinois, on June 6, 1910. Construction of the eight-mile channel began in 1907 and was completed in 1910. Learn more about the history of the Chicago Area Waterway System at https://mwrd.org/chicago-area-waterway-system December 2022 Calendar  Caption: A migratory killdeer makes its home atop a green parking lot at the MWRD's Egan Water Reclamation Plant in Schaumburg. The permeable lot improves area water quality, groundwater recharge and delays discharge of stormwater to local waterways. The MWRD also installed driveways, walkways, a bio-retention basin, trees, landscaping, sewers, drainage structures and lighting. Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago | mwrd.org Missed an edition of FLOW? Find past issues on our website under the "News" tab. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago | 100 E. Erie Street, Chicago, IL 60611 Unsubscribe communications at chicagocommunitygardens.org Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by public.affairs at mwrd.org powered by Try email marketing for free today!
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