The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) will offer public tours of their six water reclamation plants on Saturday, May 20 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The facilities are:
Calumet Water Reclamation Plant, 400 E. 130th St., Chicago
Egan Water Reclamation Plant, 550 S. Meacham Rd., Schaumburg, IL
Hanover Park Water Reclamation Plant, 1220 Sycamore Ave., Hanover Park, IL
Kirie Water Reclamation Plant, 701 Oakton St., Des Plaines, IL
O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant, 3500 Howard Street, Skokie, IL
Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, 6001 W. Pershing Road, Cicero, IL
If you have ever been curious about what happens to the water after you flush a toilet, take a shower or wash dishes, a chance to quell that curiosity is just ahead. The MWRD’s Stickney Water Reclamation Plant serves Riverside and treats more than 1.4 billion gallons of water per day. It has the capacity to treat more than 2 billion gallons per day and is one of the largest such facilities in the world. The MWRD serves 10.35 million people in an 883.6-square-mile area of Cook County, which includes Chicago and 128 suburban communities.
Besides offering visitors an exclusive look at its plant operations, the MWRD is promoting regional stormwater management by giving away potted oak tree saplings to restore the region’s depleted canopy and help reduce flooding. Tree distributions also occur every Wednesday at MWRD plants. For more information about obtaining free tree saplings, visit www.mwrd.org.
Private facility tours are offered year round for groups of up to 25, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All tours must be scheduled at least one month in advance to accommodate background checks and are open to adults and students in seventh grade or higher. Please contact the MWRD Office of Public Affairs for more information at (312) 751-6633 or email public.affairs@mwrd.org.