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</head> <body class="body template template--en-US" data-template-version="1.35.24" data-canonical-name="CPE-PT17831" lang="en-US" align="center" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <div id="preheader" style="color: transparent; display: none; font-size: 1px; line-height: 1px; max-height: 0px; max-width: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden;"><span data-entity-ref="preheader">Monthly news summary from the MWRD</span></div> <div id="tracking-image" style="color: transparent; display: none; font-size: 1px; line-height: 1px; max-height: 0px; max-width: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden;"><img src="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/on.jsp?ca=e3c6d76e-64e3-4ca5-abd9-6d266e1059e5&a=1118263053783&c=58697c1a-33f6-11ea-a856-d4ae529cddd3&ch=586b8e42-33f6-11ea-a856-d4ae529cddd3" / alt=""></div> <div class="shell" lang="en-US" dir="ltr" style="background-color: #258d23;"> <!--[if gte mso 9]> <v:background xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" fill="t"> <v:fill type="tile" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/backgrounds/dotgrid.png" color="#258d23"/> </v:background> <![endif]--> <table class="shell_panel-row" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background: url('https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/backgrounds/dotgrid.png') repeat left top;" background="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/backgrounds/dotgrid.png"> <tr class=""> <td class="shell_panel-cell" style="" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="shell_width-row scale" style="width: 700px;" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="shell_width-cell" style="padding: 15px 10px;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="shell_content-row" width="100%" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="shell_content-cell" style="background-color: #FFFFFF; padding: 0; border: 0px solid #3E3E3E;" align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <table class="layout layout--2-column" style="background-color: #258d23; table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#258d23"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 50%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="line-height: 1; text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top"><h2 style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Issue 54</span></h2></td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="column column--2 scale stack" style="width: 50%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="line-height: 1; text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px 10px 20px;" align="left" valign="top"><h2 style="text-align: right; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;" align="right"><span style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">March 2025</span></h2></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="background-color: #258d23; table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#258d23"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For the Love Of Water (FLOW) is a monthly summary of news from the </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.</span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="background-color: #258d23; width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g-dqXLWwa2OpKLn0i9fLhCQNNkLvkfksvEudgJjx53keZdFfTu8ObNFtl2w6jsm5_k8-LKlPLNtNGwAyXaI2An5Yco7xwIwG6v-3THD7CfCIgSaaT-k7YbhySgW8V4H9aA==&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="font-size: 12px; color: #ffffff; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Read FLOW on our website</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top"><h2 style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 22px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">March Events</span></h2></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<table class="text text--dataTable text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top" data-purpose="dataTable"><div class="dataTable"> <table class="dataTable_content" style="background-color: #ffffff; width: 100%; min-width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <tr> <td class="dataTable_content-cell" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;" align="left" valign="top"> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">6</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">MWRD Board of Commissioners Meeting</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">10:30 a.m.</span></p> </td> <td class="dataTable_content-cell" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;" align="left" valign="top"> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">12</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Virtual Tour of MWRD properties</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">2 p.m.</span></p> </td> <td class="dataTable_content-cell" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;" align="left" valign="top"> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">20</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">MWRD Board of Commissioners</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">10:30 a.m.</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="dataTable_content-cell" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;" align="left" valign="top"> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">25</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Ribbon-cutting at Lake Katherine</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Noon</span></p> </td> <td class="dataTable_content-cell" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;" align="left" valign="top"> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">27</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">MWRD Celebration of Women's History Month</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Noon</span></p> </td> <td class="dataTable_content-cell" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;" align="left" valign="top"> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">28</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Monitoring and Research Seminar</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">10:30 a.m.</span></p> </td> </tr> </table> </div></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<table class="image image--float-right scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; mso-table-lspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="right" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="390" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/dd90ed0b-6528-48e4-ad37-924f413ccc0a.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <h3 style="font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 17px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: bold;'>MWRD Board of Commissioners' meetings</span></h3>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: bold;'>Thursday, March 6 and 20</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: bold;'>10:30 a.m.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>The MWRD Board of Commissioners will hold its Regular Board Meeting at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 6 and Thursday, March 20. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Public comments may be made at the Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building, 100 E. Erie Street, Chicago, during the Public Comment period. Visit mwrd.org to watch the meeting online. Click on Board of Commissioners in the upper right corner, click on Board calendar. An "In Progress" link under the Video Column will be active when there is a meeting in session. Closed captioning is available. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Virtual Tour </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, March 12 at 2 p.m.</span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--article text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="line-height: 1.2; text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #343332; font-size: 14px; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<table class="image image--float-left scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: left; mso-table-rspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="left" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #343332; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="395" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/faf180e1-3856-45c6-a9f8-eae96b490a6f.jpg?rdr=true" alt="St patricks virtual tour"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-style: italic;'>Embark on a captivating virtual tour with the MWRD.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: black; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Have you ever wondered what happens to the water after it goes down the drain? Follow the flow with the MWRD on a virtual tour of our wastewater treatment process on Wednesday, March 12 at 2 p.m.!</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='color: black; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='color: black; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Join us for an inside look at how we protect our waterways, reduce pollution, and even turn waste into renewable resources—all from the comfort of your home! Whether you're a student, an environmental enthusiast, or just looking for a unique adventure, this tour is packed with fascinating science and sustainable solutions.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='color: black; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='color: black; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Sign up today and get a fresh perspective on water reclamation! Bonus: You’ll learn why it’s important to "Go Green" beyond just wearing it for St. Patrick’s Day.</span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="background-color: #258d23; width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2gw3Jnof4T3XHnAgWtPfjEnQklNvdj7LHdvxLxEOvKhhcc0Qjt2HNQAiEiX4H4t53rajZ-VSD9i9P7ZcfRe4ts_IiFiViYNyXSE6229t5xx38Zxv48Q32U0hGXMCwllR8-rdQAYp90o88&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Register for the virtual tour</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="background-color: #000000; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 17px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Lake Katherine Permeable Paver Commuter Parking Lot ribbon-cutting set for March 25</span></p></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<table class="image image--float-left scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: left; mso-table-rspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="left" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="239" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/023e41cf-2b94-4678-ab8b-05baa37a7b38.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Join us for a Ribbon-Cutting ceremony at Lake Katherine Nature Center & Botanic Gardens</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">📅 Tuesday, March 25, 2025</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">🕛 Noon</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">📍 7402 W. Lake Katherine Dr, Palos Heights</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>You are invited to a ribbon cutting event for the permeable paver commuter parking lot at the Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens on March 25 at noon. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>  </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>The MWRD contributed $184,000 towards the $1.13 million project that included the installation of the permeable pavers and bioswales at the Nature Center. The project is designed to capture 120,000 gallons of stormwater each time it rains, helping to mitigate flooding in the area and demonstrating the benefits of green infrastructure to neighbors and visitors. Learn more </span><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4P4m_FdNKTY3bpLY9vRiCbV8SMNa6FObVliXpGmaoO3cbheF-Io4LR0nUh85hlPtA6Q3mJOhWDDqpk80wmVxvyyg-LelXI7s4WuvW1nYAL-7YT2PK2uy8s7HSSGj5e0_G6BAneV1_OTuyzQVFvnAYY=&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(40, 79, 161); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;'>here</a><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>. </span></p>
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<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="background-color: #000000; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 17px; color: rgb(202, 99, 173); font-weight: bold;">MWRD to host Women's History Month Celebration March 27</span></p></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<table class="image image--float-right scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; mso-table-lspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="right" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="250" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/c0707d78-ad43-41a4-89f6-db40b762e828.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(8, 8, 9); font-weight: bold;">Join the MWRD as we celebrate Women's History Month</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(8, 8, 9); font-weight: bold;">When:</span><span style="color: rgb(8, 8, 9);"> Thursday, March 27 at noon to 1 p.m.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(8, 8, 9); font-weight: bold;">Where:</span><span style="color: rgb(8, 8, 9);"> Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building, 100 E. Erie St., Chicago, IL</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The MWRD will celebrate Women’s History Month with a special event on March 27 from noon to 1 p.m. focused on the theme “Women Protecting Women.” This event will feature speakers addressing </span><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>everyday personal care and protection as well as the broader implications of cybersecurity for women.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Join the MWRD in recognizing the vital role women play in fostering security and resilience within our communities.</span></p>
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<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 17px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Monitoring and Research Seminar</span></p></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: bold;'>10:30 a.m.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: bold;'></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><a href="#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">On Friday, March 28 at 10:30 a.m., </a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Brian Ohsowski, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Loyola University Chicago, will give a presentation titled "Converting Invasive Hybrid Cattails (Typha x glauca) into Biochar and its Impact on Water Quality."</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Ohsowski teaches courses focused on restoration ecology and conservation biology. He delivers course content necessary to understand the current state of human impacted systems by emphasizing approaches and challenges in applied ecology. He is interested in contemporary threats to biodiversity, including habitat fragmentation, the spread of invasive species, and global climate change. In addition, he is actively engaged in the future career success of his students. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Registration information</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">In person: </span><span style="color: black;">R.S.V.P. by emailing Dr. Heng Zhang at </span><a href="mailto:zhangH@mwrd.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(40, 79, 161); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">zhangH@mwrd.org</a><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77); font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: black;">or calling (708) 588-4264. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">Virtual: </span><span style="color: black;">Visit </span><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4tIzU-lhIjSemoQvwzxq8F-rHdj1yljRwsDPN144ZROuhsgz9GSDGwimpO96vvFq00eMZu9QbMdrMzj4zKBw-lN6DEExhhab8ih7ePayRmBMmaUiG1vhRlATGLo3p8TBryfG1gekib5cBW2qM5zn1FnVMH-ghyGYw==&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(40, 79, 161); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">here</a><span style="color: rgb(5, 5, 5);"> </span><span style="color: black;">on March 28 for the seminar link. Professional Development Credits/CEUs are available. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Save the Date</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Tour the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant at an open house on May 10</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="font-size: 14px; color: black;">The MWRD will host an open house and tours at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant, 400 E. 130th Street, Chicago in conjunction with Chicago Water Week on Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Stop by to learn how we are recovering resources and transforming water. All ages are welcome. Please wear closed-toe shoes. </span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> <table class="image image--padding-vertical image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="image_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="555" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/6963347f-73ac-41d0-baa8-85c90c12cd70.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<table class="image image--float-right scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; mso-table-lspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="right" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="273" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/9dd37c1f-156a-4aec-9b10-4bed26ae9a85.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">MWRD's 2025 Small Business Summit scheduled for Sept. 9</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Sign up today to be among the first to receive important summit updates. Don’t miss your chance to participate in what promises to be one of 2025's top vendor outreach events. Mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at Malcolm X College,</span><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px;'> </span><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>1900 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL. Click the button to pre-register.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-style: italic;'>In the photo: MWRD President Kari K. Steele (center) and the MWRD Diversity Section welcomed visitors to the 2024 Diverse Business Summit at Malcolm X College on the West Side.</span></p>
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<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="padding-bottom: 11px; background-color: #258d23; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top"><h2 style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 21px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: bold;'>MWRD in the News</span></h2></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<h1 style="font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 20px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Chicago Sun Times Op-ed: "Chicago River's reversal in 1900 was an 'engineering triumph' that transformed our city" </span></h1>
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<h2 style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">
<span style='font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;'>In recent years, the Chicago River itself has undergone a renaissance, from a lifeless industrial waterway into a vibrant public asset, the head of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District writes</span><span style='font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;'>.</span>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>By </span><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4P4m_FdNKTYODW3YwCs27bNFJPXEEf1j_16X4-c-fxwmlt_TojoXbVWo82alR5D5ClyX0bxdqOvRWS-34QCQV4CqZsksxtcie56b23bJv1bsFtoorkZl0H_ypXiR8jQlg==&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;'>Kari K. Steele</a></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>In this photo (below) from Sept. 22, 1904, laborers take a break during the construction of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal extension. When the Sanitary and Ship Canal was first completed, it ended at the Controlling Works near Lockport. The Sanitary District of Chicago (now the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District) built the extension to Joliet to allow for complete navigation from Lake Michigan to the Des Plaines River. Provided/MWRD</span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> <table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<table class="image image--float-left scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: left; mso-table-rspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="left" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="405" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/4df62917-234e-43ef-8776-f5346ea57069.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Chicago just celebrated the 125th anniversary of a remarkable feat of engineering that forever changed the trajectory of the city and set a global precedent for innovation in water management: the reversal of the Chicago River.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>In 1900, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), then known as the Sanitary District of Chicago, completed a project that not only altered the course of a river but also redefined how cities safeguard public health and protect vital water resources.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>At the close of the 19th century, Chicago’s rapid population growth and industrial expansion were outpacing its infrastructure. When it rained, the banks of our waterways would flood and momentarily return Chicago to its marshland past. More alarming, the Chicago River, which naturally flowed into Lake Michigan, carried human and industrial waste from the city directly into the lake—the same lake that served as the source of Chicago’s drinking water.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Once the Sanitary District of Chicago was established in 1889 by the Illinois General Assembly, its first assignment was clear: reverse the flow of the Chicago River, redirecting it away from Lake Michigan to protect the region’s water resources.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>The solution was as bold as it was unprecedented.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><br></h2>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Achieving this mammoth project required the construction of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, a 28-mile waterway that remains one of the largest earth-moving projects ever undertaken globally. The reversal was officially completed on Jan. 2, 1900, and its impact was immediate and transformative. The water discharged to the Des Plaines River where it could be diluted as it flowed into the Illinois River and eventually the Mississippi River.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>The canal was named one of the “Seven Wonders of American Engineering” by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1955. Our chief engineer at the time, Isham Randolph, used this experience to help build the Panama Canal.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'><span class="ql-cursor"></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>The river’s reversal assured the protection of Chicago’s drinking water supply, enabling the city to continue its ascent as a global metropolis.</span></p>
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<h3 style="font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>‘Bold, innovative thinking’ needed on environmental challenges</span></h3>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Today, the Chicago River reversal is recognized as an engineering triumph and landmark achievement in environmental stewardship. It demonstrated the power of proactive, large-scale public works projects to address urgent challenges, laying the groundwork for modern water management practices worldwide.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>As we reflect on this historical milestone, let us make it a call to action.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>We must confront the pressing water challenges of our time. Climate change, aging infrastructure, and contaminants such as microplastics, PFAS “forever chemicals,” and pharmaceuticals demand the same bold, innovative thinking and investment that defined the Chicago River reversal.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>The MWRD remains committed to leading this charge.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Our work has evolved significantly since 1900, yet our mission remains the same: to protect the region’s water resources and the health of its residents. Over the past century, we have pioneered initiatives to improve water quality, manage stormwater, and combat flooding. Our investments in the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, nutrient management and renewable energy position us as a leader in sustainable water management and support our recognition by international water experts as a “Utility of the Future.”</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>In recent years, the Chicago River itself has undergone a renaissance. Once dismissed as a lifeless industrial waterway, it has been revitalized into a vibrant public asset. The river now supports thriving ecosystems, recreational activities, and economic development, reflecting the enduring value of the MWRD’s work. None of this would have been possible without the foundational achievement of reversing the river’s flow 125 years ago.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>The reversal of the Chicago River exemplified achievements in engineering, public health and environmental protection and reflected America’s “can do” spirit.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-style: italic;'>Kari K. Steele is president of the MWRD Board of Commissioners.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-weight: bold; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;'>Sun Times letter to the editor: "A case for following the science"</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-weight: bold; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;'><span class="ql-cursor"></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0 0 0 3em;" class="indent-1" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;'>I enjoyed reading the recent op-ed by Kari Steele, “Chicago River’s reversal in 1900 was an ‘engineering triumph’ that transformed our city.” Humans have been working together to improve their environment for millennia. The two key factors were the willingness to cooperate with one another for the common good and to understand the underlying science and engineering (which is applied science) sufficiently so that their ideas would work on paper via research.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0 0 0 3em;" class="indent-1" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;'> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0 0 0 3em;" class="indent-1" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;'>Today, we are beset by many domestic problems related to pollution, overpopulation (food and water scarcity), pandemics and climate change. Similarly to what happened 125 years ago, we can solve these problems together, but we all have to support scientific research and work together to succeed.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p class="indent-1" style="margin: 0 0 0 3em;"><span style='font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;'> Michael Pravica, Ph.D, Henderson, Nevada</span></p>
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<table class="image image--float-left scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: left; mso-table-rspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="left" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="240" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/2d0b4777-20f6-4a2e-a502-23569a31ba94.png?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">“Here's why some water departments prepare for Super Bowl halftime toilet flushes," </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Snopes</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><span class="ql-cursor"></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Snopes is a fact-checking website. They asked us if Chicago-area sewers and/or wastewater treatment facilities see a surge in volume on Super Bowl Sunday, and specifically during the halftime show. Ultimately, Super Bowl Sunday is just a normal day for the MWRD. The MWRD’s seven water reclamation plants do not typically see a huge spike in our treatment volumes on Super Bowl Sunday because our basins are so large, and there is no fixed travel time that would result in increased flow. Also, many people are still glued to their televisions because they watch the halftime show. On the average day, these seven plants treat an average of 1.2 billion gallons of water with a maximum capacity of over 2 billion gallons.</span></p>
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<table class="image image--float-right scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; mso-table-lspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="right" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="259" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/a3debc19-942d-4af3-8665-756073aa4d05.png?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: black; font-weight: bold;">“MWRD, Forest Preserves partner in flood control study focused on southeast suburbs,” </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: black; font-style: italic;">Daily Southtown</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: black;"><span class="ql-cursor"></span>The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Forest Preserves of Cook County are partnering in a flood relief study in the southeast suburbs that could bring a new reservoir.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: black;">The two agencies announced a 20-month study to assess the potential for the district and forest preserves coordinating and sharing costs for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of a Deer Creek-Third Creek Reservoir.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: black;">If feasible, the system would provide naturalized stormwater storage for flood-prone communities in Glenwood, Ford Heights, Lansing, Thornton, South Holland, Calumet City, Dolton and unincorporated areas.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: black;">The proposed project could cover nearly a square mile area along Deer Creek and Third Creek within the Little Calumet River Watershed near Glenwood and Ford Heights, where stormwater storage can help mitigate increasing flooding concerns, according to the MWRD and forest preserve district.</span></p>
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<table class="image image--float-left scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: left; mso-table-rspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="left" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="298" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/4f1e85fb-1e9b-4520-851f-557ea9869996.png?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">MWRD staff publish research in </span><span style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Water Research Magazine</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>MWRD Managing Engineer Jonathan Grabowy and Principal Environmental Scientist Joseph Kozak participated in a research project titled “Making waves: Rethinking our mission for N₂O emissions at WRRFs” that was recently published by </span><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-style: italic;'>Water Research Magazine</span><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 273 times that of CO</span><sub style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>2</sub><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>, and it is a significant contributor to ozone depletion. Water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) have been identified as a major source of N₂O emissions, leading to significant research and policy efforts to mitigate these emissions. As WRRFs undertake these N</span><sub style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>2</sub><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>O mitigation efforts, important questions remain regarding the impact of more intensive nitrogen removal for pollution prevention and public health protection and how reactive nitrogen discharges are emitted as N₂O in receiving waterways. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>To answer these questions, this perspective highlights the importance of balancing facility-scale emission factors to estimate N₂O emissions from wastewater while considering the impacts of nitrogen if discharged to receiving water bodies. By considering the overall impact of nitrogen from wastewater on N₂O emissions from both WRRFs and receiving water bodies, WRRFs can reduce their impact on the environment while maintaining their important role in removing nitrogen from wastewater.</span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; background-color: #2dab2b; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#2dab2b"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4P4m_FdNKTYk4qaM44JfpneSKDgg5YLEaUfrf0RNf1cgHNvW5qRn4VsUoRaKGfARQC5_-aPG03AfKC4906Rj-J1VqbjMKVLOIAyoVx_6Ds1DCRN-ooX0IaA1QMpQI0Nz37Belu4Tm1zIjqy99GntmMrZdfczrWcr6K17IKdOfdY&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #FFFFFF; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Read the study</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<table class="image image--float-right scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; mso-table-lspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="right" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="240" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/68d71026-bc78-4149-b9f6-042ca7e413b5.png?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">MWRD receives Honor award from the American Council of Engineering Companies</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: black;">The MWRD received an Honor award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) for the Addison Creek Reservoir. ACEC is a federation of 51 state and metropolitan Member Organizations that advocate for America’s engineering companies and promote their essential value to society. Honor Awards are given for projects which are recognized for exceptional engineering that meet the needs of the client and benefit the public welfare.</span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> <table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Black history is American history: Flag raisings, celebration of labor mark Black History Month and commitment to diversity at the MWRD</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>The MWRD celebrated Black History Month with a flag raisings on February 3 and special evening event on February 20 to highlight this year’s theme, “African Americans and Labor.” This event honored the invaluable contributions of Black Americans in the workforce, underscoring the vital role labor has played in shaping their experiences and advancing progress throughout history. Watch the program </span><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4P4m_FdNKTY37bGzDUxTQ1gRRUSMx5w0HaOYw9_QUxSa7o5n2K3vk-bAizJfOmVWm_HGNXRDBcZk7YeEj3vGZ1leEyLddu3lwnmvrr1D-p4&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(40, 79, 161); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;'>here</a><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Dr. David A. Peterson Jr., president and executive director, A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, served as the keynote speaker and shared insights on the legacy of African American labor movements, particularly the influence of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and their role in civil rights activism. He emphasized the importance of preserving and learning from Black labor history. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>“The sacrifices and struggles of Black labor pioneers laid the foundation for many of the rights and protections workers enjoy today. It is our duty to honor their legacy by ensuring continued progress in workforce equity and economic justice,” said Dr. Peterson.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>This year’s celebration also featured a panel of union leaders who provided insightful discussions on labor, diversity, and economic empowerment within Black communities:</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify;"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Irma Holloway, Chief Operating Officer, Phoenix CCI, and Executive Director for Black Contractors Owners and Executives, served as emcee and discussed the importance of creating pathways for Black entrepreneurs in construction and infrastructure industries.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify;"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Fletcher J. Holmes, Jr., Business Agent/Political Director, Ironworkers Local 63, who addressed the challenges and opportunities for Black workers in skilled trades and the importance of union representation.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify;"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Jonathan Jones, Director of Diversity, Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, who spoke on diversity initiatives and programs aimed at increasing Black representation in carpentry and related fields.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify;"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Marcus Jordan, DEIA Outreach Coordinator for Operating Engineers Local 150 and the Indiana Illinois Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting, who provided insights into workforce development and the role of unions in fostering equitable employment opportunities.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify;"><span style='font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Joe Wells, DE&I Business Representative, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 134, who emphasized the significance of apprenticeship programs and training opportunities for underrepresented groups.</span></li>
</ul>
</td> </tr> </table> <table class="image image--padding-vertical image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="image_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="596" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/36f365d6-8c3b-4e94-95a6-530f2ec07e95.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'>In the photo: MWRD commissioners honored speakers at the MWRD’s annual Black History Month event.</span><span style='font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'>  </span><span style='font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'>Front row (L-R): Irma Holloway, MWRD Commissioner Beth McElroy Kirkwood, Fletcher J. Holmes, Jr., MWRD President Kari K. Steele, Marcus Jordan, MWRD Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis, and Dr. David A. Peterson, Jr. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-style: italic; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'>Back row (L-R): MWRD Commissioner Yumeka Brown, Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn, Jonathan Jones, MWRD Commissioner Sharon Waller and Joseph K. Wells.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout-margin" style="" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="layout-margin_cell" style="padding: 0px 40px;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="layout layout--2-column layout--divided" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column-border column--1 scale stack" style="width: 50%; border: 1px solid #258d23;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="image image--padding-vertical image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="image_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 20px;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="248" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/860bd773-31b6-416e-a86f-06eb54474866.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" align="left" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 13px; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'>Emcee Irma Hollway lead a discussion with panelists Fletcher Holmes, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jordan and Joe Wells. Panelists represented Chicago-based unions, and they discussed the impact of African Americans on their organizations.</span></p></td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="column-divider scale stack" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px;" width="20" align="center" valign="top"> <img alt="" width="20" height="20" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif"> </td> <td class="column column-border column--2 scale stack" style="width: 50%; border: 1px solid #258d23;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="image image--padding-vertical image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="image_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 20px;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="248" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/6676a059-7aee-4617-b891-201551e62516.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" align="left" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 13px; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'>The Shea Butta Band featuring Dawn Walker, vocalist, Davaughn Nicholas, and Marlen Bass performed the Black National Anthem to kick off the program.</span></p></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Images from the MWRD's Black History Month flag raising ceremonies on February 3, 2025</span></p></td> </tr> </table> <table class="image image--padding-vertical image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="image_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="534" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/ea9128ef-bd7e-48aa-ab80-ceb59a25541a.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; background-color: #2dab2b; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#2dab2b"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4P4m_FdNKTYFB2yUSdoRNLIOF2D9cAo8uY2ZNhJMQMyNceHeielQl5ikRny_NJMNG3ioyXJNbMfQmeTVPBoiWTfBLJx80OEBgOeyGItSE-p&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #FFFFFF; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Watch the flag raising ceremony at the Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<table class="image image--float-left scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: left; mso-table-rspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="left" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="324" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/d3f649e1-5e13-45b1-b7a4-e6c13404171b.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style='font-size: 16px; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'>Commissioners, staff give update to Lyons Township officials</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);'> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>MWRD Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn, Commissioner Beth McElroy Kirkwood, and MWRD engineers joined Lyons Township leadership for an annual lunch and learn at the Township of Lyons offices in Countryside Feb. 19. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>The event allows District staff and leadership to present an overview about the District’s roles, responsibilities and latest initiatives to government area representatives. Other participants included Lyons Township Supervisor Chris Getty, Assessor Patrick Hynes, Clerk Elyse Hoffenberg, Highway Commissioner Sean McDermott, U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (6th Dist.) and town representatives. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Lyons Township is home to approximately 112,732. Its population is comprised of people living in 18 communities: Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Brookfield, Burr Ridge, Countryside, Hickory Hills, Hinsdale, Hodgkins, Indian Head Park, Justice, La Grange, La Grange Highlands, Lyons, McCook, Riverside, Summit, Western Springs and Willow Springs. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style='color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>The District gave updates on TARP, stormwater management projects and Master Planning, Watershed Management Ordinance, rain barrels, Restore the Canopy trees, and other topics. </span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top"><h2 style="text-align: left; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;" align="left"><span style="font-size: 22px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35);">Resources</span></h2></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="padding-bottom: 11px; background-color: #258d23; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<table class="image image--float-left scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: left; mso-table-rspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="left" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="127" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/eaefda13-fc89-42ba-94cb-5670deaaea05.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;"><span class="ql-cursor"></span>Sign up for Overflow Action Day Alert text messages</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sign up to receive Overflow Action Day Alert text messages at the </span><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4P4m_FdNKTYWJhSJQl8v-7BOUpEQ7-tUxK1wBF1TOlSGyTEe0pKKqcRjjUczJOMkXIScCpwSoXQI1Q4EO8Sk0r0zlxJj-Mu7M2yz3iqqDPV4Z3WnogeVA-yiamBiypYdviQB9bqLohImz8WbQ72T_AOFcxOUfZldg5g5To1Y9xDLQgLbbDTY-1MVEaFwhgLa0KahSqvILt4xSW-fZDT1R9GPVlgBcyU3EGzeyIYvE23B2y1idC6Dq81M_wRetoXpKmkRL0gpvuOUVbAirHx8vZXeAHA6WOoZdQaaziuPJZs&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">link</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> below. When we announce an Overflow Action Day Alert, you will be reminded to reduce your use of water before, during and after a storm to help prevent excess water from entering local sewers.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="background-color: #258d23; width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; padding: 10px 14px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4P4m_FdNKTYWJhSJQl8v-7BOUpEQ7-tUxK1wBF1TOlSGyTEe0pKKqcRjjUczJOMkXIScCpwSoXQI1Q4EO8Sk0r0zlxJj-Mu7M2yz3iqqDPV4Z3WnogeVA-yiamBiypYdviQB9bqLohImz8WbQ72T_AOFcxOUfZldg5g5To1Y9xDLQgLbbDTY-1MVEaFwhgLa0KahSqvILt4xSW-fZDT1R9GPVlgBcyU3EGzeyIYvE23B2y1idC6Dq81M_wRetoXpKmkRL0gpvuOUVbAirHx8vZXeAHA6WOoZdQaaziuPJZs&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Sign up for text alerts</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top"><div class="spacer" style="line-height: 10px; height: 10px;"> </div></td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="background-color: #ffffff; table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<h2 style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">
<span style="font-size: 20px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35);">Join Our Team!</span><span style='color: rgb(202, 99, 173); font-size: 20px; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'> </span>
</h2>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<h3 style="font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Are you looking for a new job?</span></h3>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If so, visit our online employment center at the link below to register, apply and learn more about jobs and the selection process at the MWRD. We also participate in job fairs throughout the county so stop by our table if you are in attendance! </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Staff in a variety of job classifications were interviewed to discuss their background and work that they do. These videos can be found on the</span> <a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g3Md4_qwtT6sCmE71YFJrRNsZmD53Q8es5zL5cUn4Z4ksFIyoGBxCFiW2_fQv28x4KITHDizjiMjj64uXcFDde-aq7MJpV3BLMYQAddWGXFVqsOhqPgsi1s3djot6HmVJA==&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-weight: bold; color: #396694; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">MWRD YouTube page</a>.</p>
</td> </tr> </table> <table class="image image--padding-vertical image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="image_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="600" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/8dd55b3a-6073-467f-8997-f13271eaddff.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="background-color: #ffffff; table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="background-color: #258d23; width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g7x3b1zcwZlrqSO25aDVCUfJOCOb8kaL99xl40i2MwbOtqL_HjzfLS6HT9sMQihVIZo0NGEYWmeKf2E1sjX-pZamzeE61mboHGuwpDA4OZF7&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Employment Center</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<table class="image image--float-right scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; mso-table-lspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="right" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="350" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/1437fc38-1c49-4664-8af0-a8929a526a64.png?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 20px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Final seasonal reminder to Salt Smart</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">As the Chicago area looks to the end of its winter season, road salt used prudently continues to provide a stable, safer path along sidewalks, walkways, and streets. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Road salt can provide safety, but it also has unwanted ramifications for the water environment. Rock salt (sodium chloride) and salt runoff can be harmful to pets, bodies of water and soil along roadways and sidewalks. In addition, excessive road salt can impact vegetation, as well as contaminate groundwater and drinking water.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">According to the </span><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g96moewkMCtjivHcS0t1lcI1OHIz9z_XD01OApi_OPldJ2AC596f27PS2ZLTHl6MZqrQ_KlDrRV3wbBXOXvm2ksxYarNMifoQg==&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(40, 79, 161); text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal;">Salt Smart Collaborative</a>, <span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">chloride levels in northeastern Illinois rivers, lakes and wetlands have been on the rise for decades. The challenge with protecting Lake Michigan and the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) is that road salt use increases with urban development, and the more development, the more miles of roads and walkways that need winter deicing. All that salt eventually makes its way to area waterways, and MWRD water reclamation plants cannot always filter it out before releasing it as clean water into the CAWS. </span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<table class="image image--float-right scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; mso-table-lspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="right" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="428" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/81c34b2b-7b8d-49ef-9826-f0ad7cf048bb.png?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Follow these guidelines to protect the environment:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal;">Shovel first.</span><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Salt should only be used after the snow is removed and only in areas needed for safety.</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Size up. More salt does not mean more melting. A 12-ounce coffee mug of salt should be enough for a 20-foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares (250 square feet).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Spread. Distribute salt evenly, not in clumps. Clumped salt is wasted salt.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sweep. If there is leftover salt on the ground after the ice melts, then too much salt was used. Sweep up leftover salt to keep it out of local rivers and streams.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Switch. Untreated salt stops working if the temperature is below 15 degrees. When temperatures drop that low, switch to sand for traction or choose a different deicer formulated for colder temperatures.</span></li>
</ol>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Watch as</span> <a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4P4m_FdNKTYFm2P3bpKJM2LP4REMDXFJOP3YG3LHDC8hnh7pDX2LbeeTHfTjjkdF63JIEPy5UPBBVBnvDhQqgnC4ANEqZ0qRbihXSNvzt6tt7fUhNZIZkk0k6nxo_dav3JdFJrOGR4uYwM0lW09q6QdLh1kKi-8254bgeOP-xJIsq4-evfFUQDR6fBtOA1Xbw==&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(40, 79, 161); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">NBC 5 Chicago</a><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g6N3zemjTOLlELeMwU5PmVPuypX0L6uxhONihhCjKcqU-19nMnk5TVDTvUotF3SB1fLxccnpkde4dmWhJXjzePCINkOO7LT4w0vEviYHCeBiBNekG-BuiJ9JKz9j9qZNZEINZYQE9p2vtoPepNQVb0L6FuW7kSKLX0kU68te2SvbMocF9R8Gl1W8i8yf76fRnZI24aV9mPZc_vV3a0LLKPI_ENcumGIqnWir_88hHMm2JupgXQxlF9IMZYKHPUwNe0qUpfo7B9FdqEqMlg_73h6dyzm_Mxt8nQ==&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;"> </a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">shares this message, and watch the video by the </span><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4P4m_FdNKTYAru7e_vapoD45MGGYTI33N75b5M5C1049K1Gw61WSHfa4LxtK28Ik4XGufGUNiB_9cZSYbA69_0qiUVI82oVZrsdJhpKabK5qFLcWmVfHCkzevSg9axEDNhZ6DZtjDS2gEjSIEyI8gE=&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(40, 79, 161); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">Conservation Foundation.</a></p>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="background-color: #258d23; width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g6N3zemjTOLla4MDvXzy4hoeOHTKsFKqQ9yiaZN2gcMtorYY0PY01LGLQWP8YA1-20x3__aVPTwKOmcF0WRw9511GzRaLcs0eZLVmDhmlfHZCrJw28of4N43Wk9nevH0djrgPc3xIBSUIxNKwTha2fTBFfrMERnQYCP_kONvHyxS3lH1ERuAKX4=&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #FFFFFF; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Learn more about road salt</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="line-height: 1.2; text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<table class="image image--float-right scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; mso-table-lspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="right" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="281" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/0d1362e4-3241-415c-9d50-dbc7935ea3a6.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <h2 style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 19px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>Keep medications out of our water environment</span></h2>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Medications, whether they are prescribed or not, can end up in waterways. This includes pet medications too! </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">These drugs can pass through our water reclamation plants (WRPs) and enter rivers and streams. This can harm fish, plant life and our waterways. Controlling what goes down the drain is an easy and effective way to protect the environment.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<h2 style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style='font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;'>How you can help</span></h2>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You can help keep medications from entering our waterways by disposing of unwanted medicine properly. Never flush unused medications down the drain or toss expired medicines in the garbage. </span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Take unused and expired medications to </span><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4P4m_FdNKTYl5JTXpljFCQSCEfPsBOr9Vd7jkrKR4yfZ_3vzx8jzVbYKp3C0bM8QFajI3S2fbCHR11EwMqzEB2_Olaqum5B_E60uiANhsYNWO3hQ80gKL0yej1kdszpabZyCgufAteplNKHm1RPLnsEHvkW6kaCrOMJtkOnGFKMDq0Dk2r8GoZ6A3WpaAzAKuGIja4PjuIk-3F4xqwtLL0=&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(40, 79, 161); text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal;">Cook County Prescription Drug Take Back Network locations</a><span style="color: rgb(40, 79, 161);">.</span>
</li>
<li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For over-the-counter products, monitor your supply. Store them in one spot in your home to avoid accidentally buying extras. Never flush them down the toilet and never sell them to others. </span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The MWRD is proud to play a role in collecting unwanted medicine and keeping our drains medicines free. Our boxes are located near the entrances at the Stickney, Calumet and O'Brien WRPs and in the lobby of the Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building in Chicago. Do not leave medication outside the box. If a box is locked, please return during hours of operation or visit another location. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">MWRD drug collection box locations</span></h3>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--2-column layout--divided" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 50%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" align="left" valign="top">
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">McGowan Main Office Building Lobby</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">100 E. Erie St., Chicago</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Monday–Friday, 9 am–6 pm</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Calumet WRP entrance</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">400 E. 130th St., Chicago</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Open 7 days a week, 9 am–6 pm</span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="column-divider column-divider--verticalDivider scale stack" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; background-color: #000000;" width="1" align="center" valign="top" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif"> </td> <td class="column column--2 scale stack" style="width: 50%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" align="left" valign="top">
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">O’Brien WRP entrance</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">3500 Howard St., Skokie </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Open 7 days a week, 9 am–6 pm</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Stickney WRP entrance</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">6001 W. Pershing Road, Cicero </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Open 7 days a week, 9 am–6 pm</span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; background-color: #2dab2b; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#2dab2b"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4P4m_FdNKTY2Q8rNgq1ZInH6xpBddflQp3Nd2_enTHDR0_zEINr1FOMzEI_NWM7sXGAEr5OOz6xDRMSgChQ0S6VkbFsIN2oFZHrk0s-WO6FGrbwAZLYdle6LErtZqLnoTMMev87VTcTRIg2HWWmFJKhfzbcAvQjmhIG0FWMgw3uEd6GmMGKq_CqTyWHZ1WBGmmY7PRGdezvfTEvMzWn-YKK01-YaqFUQYLQvatESrBc&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #FFFFFF; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Find drug takeback locations</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--2-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 50%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 20px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">What is the key to pollution prevention when it comes to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">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. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The stability of the chemicals makes them difficult to degrade which is why they are called “forever chemicals.” PFAS are in commercial, consumer, and industrial products and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they are widely present in the environment; nonstick cookware, cosmetics, sunscreens, washing clothes, and fire-fighting foams can introduce PFAS into the environment.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Like other water utilities across the U.S., the MWRD is addressing how best to manage PFAS in the water environment. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The MWRD’s seven water reclamation plants do not produce nor use PFAS but are passive receivers of these chemicals after they are discharged to local sewers. As a result, 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. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The key to pollution prevention is addressing the source of PFAS.</span><span style="color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-size: 16px;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The MWRD is closely following and proceeding based on the developing science on the potential impacts of PFAS. The MWRD is also 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.</span></p>
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<table class="image image--padding-vertical image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="image_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="496" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/d6184241-bc18-4a68-9df8-b0e089bd1497.png?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="background-color: #258d23; width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g7bOYv7TyVBx-Sfq4ZNvPb433G_-MMpDhx37uKd24Ee1gCkPMmPchfWMJTb3fdQxmFSZFML4ElSvLf8Ycw68Mq0u3op8SgLmXVK_IoR7CmLQrqoBpcvQFusOkDDefQssgk56f4dgEhzM1dGuJ9rmC0cFbSEP-n3_Du3g8Dz3FEkT2sBh1ryqAgJ2uaGOLINfBQ==&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">More PFAS Information</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="font-size: 20px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Permanent Household Hazardous Waste Collection</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Tuesdays, 7 a.m. - Noon</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Thursdays, 2 p.m. - 7 p.m.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">The first Saturday of every month 8 a.m. - 3 p.m</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Dispose of your household chemicals responsibly and recycle your old computers.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The public may drop off HHW 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).</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">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.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">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.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">During business hours, an attendant will unload your vehicle and accept your materials. Materials should not be left outside the facility unattended.</span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="background-color: #258d23; width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2gz69Ao5YeAdXStWDZYQ_-X0mXEpOUyDArSUwd4Yrqn3soF2NNl7hma8L5GIhP9jDU_bTloBw7sAL5hbAwm42Ki0Cr5S5jGelO3P272moBNWCdcrI-7K0O-kQaRHy36v9yko_j244jtwZpTLaBkke3sy_ZizJVB5gs9bqAMSFVDKPysE5LvYAsbopr_31A9Lm2HNEQIzkjW22naFfRyw2HNDcYGSspzc9jgFmS8HVV2ZF2JY50VBfLiuNahX-x7YteQrx1trejX3N&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">See accepted items</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<table class="image image--float-left scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: left; mso-table-rspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="left" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="247" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/9bcc2a89-4e38-42dd-9468-0a5053cec3cf.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> </tr> </table> <h3 style="font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 20px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35);">Doing Business with the MWRD</span></h3>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">New! Click</span> <a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g2xHeAivjqiF8H93U7SN87xd4gNAB4jSLvuDSuBKp9b8bmXRgYLjZOUKdoUFz6Gx6dmR8rYx_UeLvUT-LZZmbNuN2I8dVLQ_zO2lLHV0rF2CDKveD67j6JQz9t-MfSoFL38RXKULcYyGT_Rl6me6jb5-jHJG7J9aV0luLS8kt09-unQtyEYpSgpa7432vRhdtYEDr-XTfk3sNuvLkL6KDWuXC1a9coho-u7uGPu4XRvVbMN8IxqCbWI=&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(49, 95, 195); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">here</a> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">to watch a video on how to submit a responsive bid or proposal! </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The MWRD 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.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Our procurement process is designed to ensure the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars, so we encourage you to register to become a vendor at this </span><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4tIzU-lhIjSdi7OHziKUPIDCT_76tFbRqLrMIuReF53fROi5s63VN_NQRuovELAaJr2-EaUP1trFTiI6ilRz61J_jj0x0-vPmEpkyWdPPBu1wEsqqEVHrscNo0IVSmfig==&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(49, 95, 195); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">link</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. </span></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sign up to receive a weekly email listing of new contract announcements by emailing </span><a href="mailto:forea@mwrd.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(49, 95, 195); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">forea@mwrd.org</a>.</p>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="background-color: #258d23; width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g9zaMAejWWupJAFc83CBkrAfP8mWX3rVFr2ZDsD7cpQf8lo3wJpy2e1ui3pkaAD-kNJcYSow_fuAvZyvSCioobuYHBoO54PbDtdTyMJ7z1CQecJkrROWzm6T8jgHnxX1CVnDT2Aa7hIcTnHys3DI5FC8TMKMDm6-IA==&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Get started</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="background-color: #b1d2f9; table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#b1d2f9"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<h2 style="text-align: center; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="color: rgb(40, 79, 161);">Please report waterway blockages, suspicious dumping to waterways or sewers, or odors.</span></h2>
<p style="text-align: center; margin: 0;" align="center"><br></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Call 800-332-DUMP (3867) or in Spanish 855-323-4801</span></h3>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="background-color: #b1d2f9; table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#b1d2f9"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="background-color: #258d23; width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2gw3Jnof4T3XHs2eHkv1S3ECqQqgWgx0EnWLFJmzST5eQOvyWZPyDxbJ0zA6BNXXXJvOVm9n7cT0Thnx8CeEqoPenena1UjeyQJ-M7iO-oNnbAYS_ObDLyrvQxb1xEsx9ndL4CKlHSsFjEeOVC8u11wOeobZROZ-kPmYuAwCzaqzvr_4V1MY_Ng0=&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Learn more</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<table class="image image--float-right scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; mso-table-lspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="right" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="256" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/035cc33a-c1a1-47a2-a704-15648531c8a6.jpg?rdr=true" alt="green neighbor flier"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 20px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Tips to prepare your home for excess rainwater</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 20px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Read our "Green Neighbor Guide"</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">It's not too early to start planning for the Spring! </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Start a list of relatively easy projects that can you can do in the Spring to make your home more resilient to stormwater.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Some actions can be as simple as not over-fertilizing your lawn and garden, installing a rain barrel or planting a native tree. No matter what you choose, the MWRD "Green Neighbor Guide" focuses on stormwater management projects that you can install on your property.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><br></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Detailed instructions are offered for disconnecting downspouts; installing rain barrels or cisterns to capture stormwater for reuse; installing dry wells and rain gardens to allow stormwater to filter into the ground; and replacing asphalt and concrete surfaces with permeable paving to reduce stormwater runoff.</span></p>
</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="background-color: #258d23; width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <a class="button_link" href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2gz69Ao5YeAdXGespnLAEI3DTFue1G4STj9Z7L3jBZR2gzlN2zG4iwxbHDJB7UYsJX_kQLVSIxwC0Hb7X4rUpt_iVT4WqSR9WRDyQ0fJieEa64cXVMneCTtF2RvpH2mZEOEFsD28T6hZU09k2a5w06H_o4K4v9zG2y80185w6WyVXTQk5Fp6dTLc=&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #FFFFFF; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Read our Green Neighbor Guidel</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Rain Barrel discounts currently available</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For a limited time, MWRD rain barrels are available to residents of Cook County at a discounted price of $21.50 and $10.75 for seniors 65 and older. Limit two per residence.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Rain barrels capture rainwater from your roof and save it for later use. Rain barrels can help prevent basement backups, street flooding and sewer overflows by keeping rainwater out of the sewer system.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You can use rain barrel water to water your lawn or garden and clean your work boots, tools and bikes.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Rain barrels can hold up to 55 gallons. The overflow opening lets you connect a hose to direct overflow away from your foundation or to connect several rain barrels. Our rain barrels: </span></p>
<ul>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Are made from durable high-density polyethylene.</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Come in four colors (black, blue, terra cotta and gray) and may have different shapes depending on the vendor.</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Include instructions, a leaf and mosquito filter screen, a flexible downspout connector, a spigot/tap, and an overflow hose.</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Free delivery.</span></li>
</ul>
</td> </tr> </table> <table class="image image--padding-vertical image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="image_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="600" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/12210a14-0480-450a-b99a-1b99182ab942.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="button button--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="button_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center"> <table class="button_content-row" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="button_content-cell" style="background-color: #258d23; width: inherit; border-radius: 6px; border-spacing: 0; padding: 10px 15px; border-style: none;" align="center" bgcolor="#258d23"> <a class="button_link" href="#" target="_blank" data-trackable="true" style="color: #FFFFFF; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; word-wrap: break-word; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Buy a rain barrel</a> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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<table class="image image--float-left scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: left; mso-table-rspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="left" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="275" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/2238eb6e-ca72-4133-aa27-d15ccf6a5b54.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> </tr> </table> <h1 style="font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35);">Tour an MWRD facility</span></h1>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(37, 141, 35);"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Each year, our seven water reclamation plants process approximately 450 billion gallons of wastewater. With a daily treatment capacity exceeding two billion gallons, the MWRD plays a critical role in protecting our region’s water quality. To learn more about our work, visit our YouTube channel, watch a </span><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2gw3Jnof4T3XHnAgWtPfjEnQklNvdj7LHdvxLxEOvKhhcc0Qjt2HNQAiEiX4H4t53rajZ-VSD9i9P7ZcfRe4ts_IiFiViYNyXSE6229t5xx38Zxv48Q32U0hGXMCwllR8-rdQAYp90o88&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(40, 79, 161); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">virtual tour</a>, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">or schedule an inperson group tour.</span></p>
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<table class="divider" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 1px 40px;" width="100%" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="divider_content-row" style="height: 1px; width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class="divider_content-cell" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; background-color: #000000; border-bottom-width: 0px;" height="1" align="center" bgcolor="#000000"> <img alt="" width="5" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" style="display: block; height: 1px; width: 5px;"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top">
<table class="image image--float-right scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; mso-table-lspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="right" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="292" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/fc17f41b-fbf2-451e-b2e0-97e1a2c9af38.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Schedule a speaker</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal;">MWRD staff appreciate opportunities to share information and resources that can be used to help reduce flooding and improve water quality.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><br></h2>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We offer in-person and virtual presentations for all ages on subjects such as:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<ul>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Overview of the MWRD</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Careers in water</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">History of water in the Chicago region, including reversing the Chicago River</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">How sewers work</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Explanation of the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, also known as the Deep Tunnel</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">How wastewater treatment works</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Recovering resources from wastewater</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Stormwater management flood control </span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Green infrastructure</span></li>
<li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">What you can do to protect water quality and reduce flooding</span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin: 0;"><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Please contact us to </span><a href="https://xody9orab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qHRRB3KvZffNu_3uvnqW10WGJSnXQF1KbYxYk7zxkht_4AXtBvy2g4tIzU-lhIjSCcqcvdJvyvVGBo01IAEcepLxuV3jad8EECjUzg6zsOGJOaQXNs1nuyIf8LW2gsntJFJXZ4iKd5RtiL9Fw1XDdFacbhw0w-LFRDk7u0aqha8KwaoRXvfW6d4E0WDsK8aJ&c=eNVTtkSqHZcVbYOfXyEwJoSvXLTvtoG-7A-hmPpMTp6_ae9w73tbOQ==&ch=Y9lUSJ8QurOw-N0eE5O4WW0jEUbB7bgGxFC7h5G69MDXexbL2QC03A==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; font-style: normal;">request a speaker</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> for your group or class at least three weeks in advance. </span></p>
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<table class="image image--float-left scale image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float: left; mso-table-rspace: 5.75pt;"> <tr> <td class="image_container scale stack" align="left" valign="" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px;"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="243" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/ab96fbfd-2a44-4aec-867f-72dfb72285ac.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td class="image_spacer hide" width="15" height="1" align="center" valign="top" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;"> <img alt="" width="15" height="1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif"> </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin: 0;"><span style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Request a community event representative</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The MWRD actively engages with communities across Cook County throughout the year, participating in events such as back-to-school fairs, environmental expos, farmers markets, municipal gatherings, career days, and STEM-related activities. Our representatives provide engaging materials and interactive activities designed for all ages, offering insights into our work, areas of responsibility, and practical tips on how to enhance local water quality.</span></p>
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<table class="image image--padding-vertical image--mobile-scale image--mobile-center" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="image_container content-padding-horizontal" style="padding: 10px 40px;" align="center" valign="top"> <table class="image_container-caption text" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell" style="text-align: center; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;" align="center"> <img data-image-content class="image_content" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="597" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/7dd0cad5401/a05e2f5e-9e23-4478-b908-629f050b11a8.jpg?rdr=true" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="line-height: 1.2; text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top"><p style="margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(37, 141, 35); font-weight: bold;">Historical Photo: </span><span style="color: rgb(8, 8, 9);">A view to the northeast showing construction of a bridge at State Street over the Chicago River on June 2, 1902. </span></p></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top"><div class="spacer" style="line-height: 10px; height: 10px;"> </div></td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="background-color: #258d23; table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#258d23"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
<table class="text text--padding-vertical" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="table-layout: fixed;"> <tr> <td class="text_content-cell content-padding-horizontal" style="text-align: left; font-family: Open Sans,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; display: block; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 40px;" align="left" valign="top"><h2 style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: #3E3E3E; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">March 2025 Calendar</span></h2></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table class="layout layout--1-column" style="background-color: #ffffff; table-layout: fixed;" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <tr> <td class="column column--1 scale stack" style="width: 100%;" align="center" valign="top">
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