Ribbon cutting at MWRD’s Addison Creek Reservoir marks milestone in flood relief and kick off to next phase of work

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2,200 properties protected in six towns, 1,700 removed from flood plain

The first of two major stormwater management projects were formally placed into service to protect six communities from flooding as the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and its partners unveiled the new Addison Creek Reservoir and kicked off another project to im-prove the Addison Creek Channel.

The MWRD and partners cut the ribbon on the first of two major projects that will provide flood relief benefits for communities along Addison Creek, including Bellwood, Northlake, Stone Park, Melrose Park, Westchester and Broad- view. The 600-acre-foot Addison Creek Reservoir in Bellwood will hold 195 million gallons of storage capacity and connect with the Addison Creek Channel, where additional improve- ments will reduce overbank flooding to approximately 2,200 structures, including an estimated 1,700 structures that will be removed from the flood plain. To watch the ribbon cutting ceremony, visit the MWRD’s YouTube channel at youtu.be/RCeI-8FdAM7c.

“This is a great day,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele.“Thanks to the continued collaboration between the MWRD, six communities, and multiple funding partners, we are stand-ing above a future reservoir that will capture excess stormwater and mitigate flooding for our partners in these municipalities. This investment leads to improved local quality of life and fosters new peace of mind the next time it rains.”

The $81 million reservoir at 2795 Washington Blvd. in Bellwood will provide $116 million in flood benefits. Construction includes a control structure, inlet structure, spillway and pumping station. This project is partially funded through $5 million in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Cook County.

“I am truly honored to be here for the culmination of one project and the start of another. There is nothing better than being in my hometown in Bellwood where we have been talking about flooding since I was a little kid,” said Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (7th Dist.). “I am so proud of the commissioners at the MWRD for listening and acting. This reservoir will ensure that our communities are safe and help mitigate the risk of floods; it will also help erosion and benefit our local ecosystems, which means we are doing our part to also take care of the planet. These projects will help replenish ground water, create habitats for wildlife, improve  agricultural productivity and improve water quality.” The $77 million channel improvements project will take place over a three-mile stretch of the creek. The MWRD will lower, widen and stabilize the existing Addison Creek Channel to allow for a higher flow of water to pass through during a flooding event, and protect neighboring residents (

MWRD commissioners, state and federal leaders, project supporters and local mayors formally unveiled the new Addison Creek Reservoir to take on overbank flooding from the connecting Addison Creek Channel. Ribbon cutting at MWRD’s Addison Creek Reservoir marks  milestone, cont. and businesses. Improvements include a mix of natural deign, gabion baskets, soldier pile walls, concrete, riprap, articulated concrete blocks, vegetation clearing and removal of three bridges. The Channel Improvement project received a $9.9 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) through the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security.

“This project is a prominent example of breaking the cycle of disaster damage, and FEMA is proud to support this important work,” said FEMA Region 5 Regional Administrator Tom Sivak. “FEMA has been prioritizing the movement of unprecedented amounts of mitigation funding into the hands of communities and local partners, like MWRD, who are acting on their commitment to make this nation safer for future generations.” HMGP provides funding to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures following a presidentially declared disaster. “The outstanding partnerships with FEMA through HMGP funding will help reduce the flood hazards in the Addison Creek Watershed and keep everyone safe,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “This program will strengthen Addison Creek and greatly reduce the flood dangers and haz-
ards in the six communities in Cook County Illinois.”

In addition to providing flood control benefits, the reservoir will serve as compensatory storage for the channel improvement project. The MWRD will operate and maintain the control and inlet structures, spillway, piping and pump station, while Bellwood will maintain the grounds including landscaping, fencing, and access roadways. The MWRD first identified the Addison Creek stormwater management projects in 2011 in the agency’s Lower DesPlaines River Detailed Watershed Plan, which sought solutions to regional flooding issues.
“Thank you to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for their work and commitment to Bellwood,

Broadview, Melrose Park, North Lake, Stone Park, Westchester and Proviso Township homeowners,” said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (4th Dist.), who initially passed a measure in Springfield that established the Addison Creek Restoration Committee to provide $400,000 in funding for environmental work, engineering, planning and community outreach. “I am grateful to see this project come to fruition. It reminds us that when we come together as a team, through federal, state, county, local and city governments, we can deliver major projects like the Addison Creek Reservoir and Channel Improvements for our communities.”

The reservoir and channel improvements have created hundreds of construction jobs and operate in compliance with the MWRD’s Affirmative Action Ordinance, ensuring representation of minority business enterprises (MBEs), women business enterprises (WBEs) and small business enterprises (SBEs). The projects also call for a multi-project labor agreement (MPLA) that provides working opportunities for carpenters, iron work ers, laborers, operating engineers, electricians, and truck drivers. The two projects will improve quality of life further by enhancing green space, including new walking paths and other recreation improvements the MWRD is coordinating with the local communities.

“Congratulations to our engineers, partners and contractors for reaching this stage,” said MWRD Commissioner Daniel Pogorzelski. “It has taken major efforts to remediate the site, relocate utilities,excavate the reservoir, work through a pandemic and tunnel below the railroad tracks and channel to complete this project. Now we look forward to breaking ground on the Addison Creek Channel improvements to provide more protection against flooding.”

Construction on the Addison Creek Channel is expected to be completed by 2026. Full flood reduction benefits will be fully achieved when both projects are completed. When the channel improvements project is completed, the MWRD will submit a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Upon approval of the LOMR, some property owners may be eligible to obtain lower cost premiums on their flood insurance policies.

MWRD Offering Tours of McCook Reservoir

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The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) will host public tours of the first phase of the McCook Reservoir, set for completion in late 2017.

Tours are set for Sundays, Aug. 27, Sept. 17 and 24, and Oct. 1 and 15 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The MWRD will offer tours of the Mainstream Pumping Station and then bus visitors to the McCook Reservoir, the last and largest of three reservoirs being constructed as part of the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP). The tours will give visitors an overview of the TARP system and how it is designed to improve local water quality and mitigate flooding throughout Cook County.

Tours start at the Mainstream Pumping Station, 6100 S. River Road, Hodgkins. Visitors can view interactive displays and watch videos of TARP construction. Buses will transport visitors for a guided tour of the McCook Reservoir, which is located west of the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) between the Des Plaines River and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Each tour takes about two hours. Participants are advised to wear sturdy footwear; no sandals, high heels, shorts or dresses allowed. A limited number of spaces are available for taxpayers who use wheelchairs, MWRD officials said.

To reserve space on the tour, call (312) 751-6632 or email tours@mwrd.org. When completed, the reservoir will have a total capacity of 10 billion gallons, beginning with the first phase to be finished this year that will provide 3.5 billion gallons of storage. Phase 2 will be completed in 2029 and provide 6.5 billion gallons of storage. The McCook Reservoir will provide an average of $143 million per year in flood damage reduction benefits to 3,100,000 people in Chicago and 36 other communities.

TARP is the country’s largest public works project for pollution and flood control, covering a 375-mile area that includes Chicago and 51 suburbs relying on a combined collection system. The 109-mile network of tunnel systems, which capture 2.3 billion gallons of water 150 to 300 feet below ground, was completed in 2006. The Majewski Reservoir was completed in 1998 and the Thornton  Reservoir in 2015. When complete, the McCook Reservoir will replace Thornton as the largest reservoir of its kind in the world.

Cook County Safe Disposal of Pharmaceuticals Ordinance

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Serving Our Community, Protecting the Environment

The Cook County Sheriff’s Prescription Drug Take Back Program is a free service for Cook County residents to collect their unused and expired prescription and nonprescription drugs.

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This free service is provided by authorization of the Cook County Board of Commissioners to reduce access to unused and expired prescription and non-prescription drugs in order to prevent misuse that can lead to poisoning or death.

Please dispose of unused and expired prescription or non-prescription drugs responsibly.

Do not leave them lying around unattended.

Do not throw them in the trash or down the sink.

Do not flush them down the toilet.

Please bring any unused or expired prescription or non-prescription drugs to any one of dozens of collection boxes located in public safety buildings and other locations throughout Cook County.

This free service is not available for use by retail businesses or other companies that handle prescription drugs.

On October 28, 2016, the Cook County Board of Commissioners authorized the Cook County Sheriff’s Prescription Drug Take Back Program to implement a comprehensive pharmaceutical drug collection and disposal program to assist residents throughout Cook County with properly disposing of unused and unexpired prescription drugs. Phase I went into effect on January 23, 2017 with the establishment of a Producer Registry. Under the current phase of implementation a toll-free hotline with information for accessing pharmaceutical drug collection sites has been established for Cook County residents with pre-recorded messages in seven different languages (English, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and Korean) along with program information displayed on our webpage in the seven languages.

Tips for dropping off your medications:

Always call before dropping off medications. You may want to:

  • Confirm the days and hours of operation

  • Ask if the program accepts controlled and non-controlled substances

  • Ask if the program accepts sharps

  • If planning to drop off medications at a site in a municipality other than where you live, ask if the program is available to non-residents

  • Ask if the program does NOT accept any kinds of medications (e.g., liquids, ointments, cancer treatment drugs, etc.)

  • Ask if there are any other requirements for dropping off medications

Additional tips for dropping off medications:

  • Unless otherwise specified, use original prescription containers and use permanent marker to mark out your name and personal information.

  • Take medications to the collection site ONLY during the drop-off site’s open hours of operation.

  • Please follow direction at the drop-off site carefully. Only give medications to personnel at the drop-off site.

  • These are NOT share or reuse opportunities. All medications received will be destroyed in an environmentally responsible manner.

Commissioner K. Steele and Future City Competition

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This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Future City Competition and preparations are underway for the 2017 Future City Competition on Saturday January 7, 2017.  The competition needs judges for both the Remote Essay & Computer Model Judging and the Competition Preliminary Judging.

Volunteers sign up to help judge either or both activities.  Please feel free to contact me with any question about the Future City Competition or volunteering opportunities.  All judges will need to register online on the Future City Website.

For 2017 the “Pre-Judging” will done remotely.  Essays and computer models (along with a free copy of SimCity) will be emailed to volunteer judges in the weeks before the competition.  Judges can score the essays and computer models at their leisure and return them by deadline.  We expect to send out essays and computer models for judging in early December 2016.

The competition date is again early in January 2017.  The Chicago Region Future City Competition will be held on Saturday January 7th, 2017 on the UIC Campus at the Student Center West Facility on Wolcott Ave.  There the presentations and physical models will be judged.

This year’s theme is the “The Power of Public Spaces”, and challenges teams to design a network of innovative, multi-use public spaces throughout their city that serves their city’s diverse population.

For those not familiar with program, The Future City Competition is a national, project-based learning experience where students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades imagine, design, and build cities of the future. Students work as a team with an educator and engineer mentor to plan cities using SimCity™ software; research and write solutions to an engineering problem; build tabletop scale models with recycled materials; and present their ideas before judges at Regional Competitions in January. Regional winners represent their region at the National Finals during Engineer’s Week in Washington, DC in February.

Please feel free to pass this on to any friends and co-workers that may be interested and have them contact me with any questions. Additional info can be found on the national website at www.futurecity.org or the Chicago region website at futurecity.org/illinois-chicago or http://futurecity.org/region/chicago-regional-volunteer-opportunities

Space to Grow – $1.5 million Green Infrastructure Transforms Chicago Schoolyard

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Renovations to a Chicago elementary school campus totaling $1.5 million will allow the space to retain more than 492,103 L (130,000 gal) of stormwater. The schoolyard’s transformation will promote physical activity, accommodate STEM-focused experiential learning, reduce runoff pollution, and demonstrate the benefits of green infrastructure construction as well as reduce flood risks.

Space to Grow transforms Chicago schoolyards into vibrant spaces to play, learn and be outside. As a funding and engineering partner of the program, the MWRD was excited to help document the schoolyard transformation at Wadsworth Elementary with a time-lapse camera. The schoolyard opened in November and our video is complete! This final version shows more than three months of construction work in less than three minutes! Learn more about Space to Grow at http://www.spacetogrowchicago.org/.

The improvements to James Wadsworth Elementary School, nestled within the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago, enable more than 50% of the schoolyard’s previously impervious grounds able to absorb stormwater effectively. Underground, an aggregate-filled storage area will release captured stormwater gradually into the city’s combined sewer system.

Unveiled on Nov. 29, 2016, Wadsworth’s 3530-m2– (38,000-ft2-) outdoor play area and 223-m2– (2400-ft2-) playground was replaced with an artificially turfed athletic field, a running track, a basketball court, a playground with a rubberized surface, and vegetable gardens donated by The Kitchen Community (Boulder, Colo.). A newly installed cistern and rain garden will help to curb runoff from the school’s roof and new running track, respectively. In addition, landscapers planted 33 trees, 42 shrubs, and 1788 perennial flowers on the premises.

 

Sustainable schools

Wadsworth is the latest beneficiary of investments from “Space to Grow”, an award-winning joint effort between the Healthy Schools Campaign (Chicago), Openlands (Chicago), Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Water Management, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). The stormwater-management-centered program has invested $1.5 million each in nine Chicago schools since 2014, bringing total investments under the program to about $13.5 million.

“Wadsworth is one shining example of the positive impact Space to Grow has on the overall education and quality of life for a community,” said MWRD Commissioner Kari Steele in a release. “By lessening the load on our sewer system, we are reducing flooding and also improving area water quality. We are happy to partner on this program and make a difference in educating students and the community about the value of water.”

Last year, Space to Grow won the National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies’ first place Green Infrastructure award. The group also earned the 2016 Best of Green Schools Award for Collaboration by the Center for Green Schools (Washington, D.C.); the Sustainability award from the Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management (St. Charles); and a New Champions award from the National Physical Activity Plan Alliance (Columbia, S.C.).

School Name Address  City 
2014
Grisson Elementary School 12810 S. Escanada Chicago
Leland Elementary 512 S. Lavergne Ave Chicago
Donald L. Morrill Math & Science Specialty School 6011 S. Rockwell Chicago
Schmid Elementary School 9755 S. Greenwood Chicago
2015
Willa Cather Elementary 2908 W. Washington Chicago
Orozco Elementary 1940 W. 18th St Chicago
2016
James Wadsworth Elementary School 6650 S. Ellis Chicago
Gunsaulus Elementary Scholastic Academy 4420 S. Sacramento Chicago
Daniel J. Corkery Elementary School 2510 S. Kildare Chicago
2017
Fernwood Elementary 10041 S. Union Ave Chicago
Cook Elementary 8150 S. Bishop Chicago
Nathan Davis Elementary School 3014 W. 39th Pl Chicago
Morton School of Excellence 431 N. Troy St. Chicago
Eugene Field Elementary 7019 N. Ashland Ave. Chicago

 

 

Commissioner Kari Steele and Jack Darin, Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter

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You may have heard the latest bad news for the Great Lakes- the President’s proposed budget is expected to include a 97% cut to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a fund that the EPA receives and distributes to groups doing work on the ground to protect and restore our precious freshwater resource and its ecosystems. This morning, we held a press conference with the Alliance for the Great Lakes and other advocates calling on our elected officials to reject these outrageous cuts and invest in our Great Lakes and the communities across our region.

Our Director, Jack Darin, kicked off the morning with an important message to the Administration in response to the proposed cuts: “When you cut the Great Lakes, you cut jobs, you cut our health, you cut the future of an asset for our entire region” and a call to our members of Congress and all of us who depend on the Great Lakes: “Together we can stand up and do what our region has always done to show that protecting the Great Lakes should not be a partisan issue- it should be something that we all rally around and support.”

Joel Brammeier, President & CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, spoke of the bipartisan support for the GLRI, which started as a partnership between Republican and Democratic members of Congress and has grown to fund over 2,000 projects with over $2 billion and support from dozens of members from both sides of the aisle. The GLRI has funded projects and programs that have helped clean up the legacy pollution and contamination from the many years of industry in the region, which helped build our country but left many communities in danger. Joel remarked that “full funding for the GLRI is critical.”
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MWRD Commissioner Kari Steele speaks out for the Great Lakes.

Commissioner Kari Steele of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District said that as the agency that treats Chicago’s wastewater and manages flood control, “we 100% understand the importance of clean water.” The Commissioner said she was here to “support the Sierra Club and all the other organizations here today…to support the Great Lakes program and stress the importance of our primary natural resource.”
 Krista Grimm, President of the League of a Women Voters – Lake Michigan Region, spoke of the water issues our region deals with that require funding to resolve- issues like nutrient pollution and resulting algae blooms, invasive species and pollution from combined sewer overflows. These issues are cumulative, are made worse by climate change and will only get more expensive to resolve the longer we wait. Krista stressed that we can’t go back on the progress we’ve made with the GLRI, and we must continue to fix these problems and invest in our drinking water infrastructure to prevent situations like the Flint water crisis.

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Bria Foster speaks of how the GLRI supports jobs like hers

We heard stories about the impact of the GLRI, such as the restoration work it funds in the Cook County Forest Preserves. Bria Foster, a crew member with the Friends of the Forest Preserves, told of the importance of the work she and other young adults are doing with help from the fund. “We are the future and what we do is help protect the future, and that’s the environment. Without clean air and clean water, we have nothing to stand on.” Bria said that funding from the GLRI has helped her be successful in this field and she hopes that success will be shared by others like her.

Natalie Johnson, Executive Director of Save the Dunes, spoke of what the GLRI has meant for the Grand Calumet River system and how far we’ve come since the days when the river used to catch on fire. The 13-mile river system runs through the underserved communities of Hammond, Gary, and East Chicago in northwest Indiana and empties into Lake Michigan. Once plagued by industrial pollution, the GLRI has helped the river system see a total transformation. Today, the region enjoys a cleaner waterway with wildlife in areas that have been remediated and species that had been missing for over 30 years.
 Mila Marshall, a PhD candidate at University of Illinois-Chicago and research associate at their Freshwater Lab, as well as a member of the Alliance for the Great Lakes Young Professionals Council, shared some facts about the importance of Great Lakes water, which serves as 21% of the world’s supply of freshwater, 84% of North America’s surface freshwater and 100% of our drinking water in Chicago.
Mila said that “to reduce the GLRI budget by 97% is an attack on the Great Lakes economy because it would annihilate the progress we’ve made and would paralyze efforts for redeveloping what we like to call the ‘water belt’ region. This is a direct attack on our future.” Mila spoke of how clean, affordable freshwater is our lifeline to an equitable and a sustainable future and how disinvestment of this or any nature will continue to reinforce poverty. She stressed that funding cuts will destabilize the road to environmental reconciliation for current environmental justice communities in cities such as Flint, East Chicago, Gary, Benton Harbor, Detroit and Toledo and further put communities at risk of lead poisoning and other threats. Mila said that “with full funding of the GLRI, this Administration can indeed continue to revitalize the Great Lakes for welcoming industrial allies and for reducing threats to the quality of life for nearly 30 million Americans.”
Michael Mikulka, an EPA Region 5 employee and President of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704, spoke of the potential cuts to EPA funding that would devastate the agency’s important work to protect human health and restore the places where we live, work and play. Michael said that much progress has been made in the Great Lakes to clean up legacy contamination and restore beneficial uses such as fishing and swimming. Budget cuts threaten this progress and the additional work needed to maintain the value of our natural resources.
These speakers gave powerful insights into the impact of the GLRI and what it would mean to lose it. Here in Chicago, we understand what the Great Lakes mean for us- clean drinking water, tourism and economic growth, places for our communities to gather, not to mention a great backdrop to our city’s skyline. But we’re not the only ones who depend on this resource, benefit from its provisions and have an impact on its health. We want to be good water neighbors and work together with our neighbors to protect the resource we all depend on. This includes other states, Canadian provinces and Native American tribes along the lakes. Now more than ever, we must combine forces to maximize our impact and achieve our shared goals.

On Wednesday, I’ll be heading to DC with some of the advocates who spoke today and many others from all seven Great Lakes states to request the support of our members of Congress in protecting our freshwater resource. We will not let the Great Lakes- which provide drinking water, jobs and recreation to millions of people- be a casualty of this Administration.

MWRD and STEM at the Museum of Science and Industry

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Sixth grade students from Lawndale Elementary Community Academy and Adam Clayton Powell  Jr., Paideia Academy visited MWRD staff at the Museum of Science and Industry’s (MSI’s) Black Creativity Jr. Science Café program designed to expose underserved communities to various Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers. MWRD Commissioner Kari Steele explained her background as a chemist and provided an overview of the purpose of water reclamation and the role of the MWRD in cleaning water. Mi-crobiologist Auralene Toni Glymph and chemist Tiffany Poole gave hands-on demonstrations.

 

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Commissioner Kari Steele Museum of Science and Industry – Jr. Science Cafe

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Black Creativity 2017

Inspire youth what it’s really like to be a scientist, engineer or innovator!  In order to provide exposure for African-American youth to careers, educational pathways and other opportunities in science, technology, engineering medicine and mathematics, the Museum is hosting a series of Jr. Science Cafes in celebration of Black Creativity. We are looking for passionate African-American professionals to inspire youth about cool jobs and hot careers in STEM!

What are Jr. Science Cafés?

Jr. Science Cafés are small, focused sessions that offer youth the exciting opportunity to interact directly with working STEM professionals while exploring scientific topics and discoveries in the world around us. During these conversations, students will challenge their own scientific curiosity and uncover the lives of scientists through active participation. These learning experiences change the traditional perception of a “real” scientist by engaging scientists of diverse ages, backgrounds, interests, and career paths. This program series aims to send the message that anyone can pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, mathematics or medicine!

Who is the audience?

Jr. Science Cafés are intended for middle and high school students 10 to 18 years old; this is a critical age range during which youth make important decisions about post-secondary education and career paths. Jr. Science Cafés are offered to school groups visiting the Museum. Youth primarily come from Chicago PublicSchools as well as public and private schools from the greater Chicago area, northwest Indiana and Wisconsin. The capacity per session is 35 people.

What is the format of a Jr. Science Café?

Each Jr. Science Café is focused on a topic designed to hook youth audiences based on their interests. The topic also relates directly to the specific work of the professional and his/her pathway to the career. Speakers give a brief presentation on the kind of work they do and their education and career path. Speakers are encouraged to lead a demonstration, hands-on exercise, or interactive activity that encourages participation while highlighting the professional’s career and experience. Questions and discussion are encouraged throughout the session to promote comfortable, informal conversations. Jr. Science Cafés are not formal lectures – the Cafés are designed to be casual and dynamic so that youth can have fun while learning about STEM content and careers!

MWRD awards demonstrate excellent financial reporting system

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For yet another year, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) has proven its commitment to accurate and transparent accounting practices. The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) applauded the MWRD commissioners and staff with numerous awards for budgeting and financial reporting for the MWRD and its retirement portfolio.
The GFOA awarded the MWRD with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 2016 Budget and Certificates of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the MWRD, the MWRD Retirement Fund and to the MWRD Retiree Health Care Trust for the Fiscal Year 2015 Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR).
“I would like to thank the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for this honor and thank our staff for their diligence in accurately and transparently reporting our finances,” said MWRD Chairman of Finance Frank Avila.