Global water leaders convene at MWRD’s Stickney Water Reclamation Plant

October 7, 2024

A delegation of water leaders and experts from throughout the world descended on Chicago and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's (MWRD's) Stickney Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) to share ideas and advance strategies to address the many issues and trends facing the water industry.

Members of the Global Water Research Coalition (GWRC) held its Board of Directors meetings from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, bringing talented water officials from over five continents to discuss ongoing research and share knowledge in international efforts to protect the world's water environment. In addition to the board meeting, members of the GWRC toured the Stickney WRP and listened to several presentations on the latest water research on several topics that addressed managing emerging contaminants in water. MWRD staff presented alongside researchers from universities, water utilities and leading engineering firms.

The Global Water Research Coalition's Board of Directors gather with MWRD President Kari K. Steele and Executive Director Brian Perkovich to kick off meetings at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant.

"Water, as we know, is a resource that transcends borders and binds us all together. No matter where we are in the world, we all rely on clean and accessible water for life, health, and the environment," said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. "We are excited to contribute to and learn from the global body of knowledge that organizations like the Global Water Research Coalition represent. There is so much we can gain from each other's experiences, and it is this shared learning that drives progress."

Founded in 2002 by 12 leading research organizations, the GWRC is a non-profit organization that serves as a collaborative mechanism for water research. The GWRC strives to maintain strong partnerships with leading water research organizations that generate, exchange and communicate knowledge through research collaborations to support safe and sustainable water supply and sanitation for the protection of public health and the aquatic environment.

MWRD President Kari K. Steele (right) provided welcoming remarks to the Global Water Research Coalition's Board of Directors as MWRD Executive Director Brian Perkovich looks on.

"The Global Water Research Coalition is honored to hold our meeting at the MWRD Stickney WRP-one of the world's leading water reclamation plants," said Dr. Peter Grevatt, CEO of The Water Research Foundation and chair of the GWRC. "By collaborating with MWRD and other leading water utilities across the globe, our water research organizations can deliver critical solutions that will help utilities to meet the needs of the communities they serve in the 21st century and beyond."

Recognizing the impact of globalization, increased population and pollution, climate change, a pandemic and the aging of the water and wastewater infrastructure, the GWRC has supported international collaboration to address the major challenges confronting the water industry across the world. At Stickney, water experts came from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, England, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, and the United States, including the Water Research Foundation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. MWRD staff led the group on a tour of Stickney facilities.

"The challenges we face today in protecting our water environment are interconnected on a global scale," said MWRD Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn. "By establishing this forum with the Global Water Research Coalition and strengthening these partnerships, we and other water utilities around the world can better position ourselves for the challenges that face our environment in the 21st century."

The Stickney WRP is one of the largest wastewater treatment facilities in the world. The Stickney WRP currently serves over 2.3 million people and cleans an average of 700 million gallons of wastewater per day and has the capacity to treat 1.4 billion gallons per day. The Stickney WRP serves residents in Chicago as well as 46 other communities within a 260-square-mile-area. The Stickney WRP consists of two plants; the original West Side Plant which was placed in service in 1930 and the Southwest Plant which was placed in service in 1939.

The Stickney WRP also houses the MWRD's Monitoring and Research (M&R) Department, conducting monitoring and applied research to improve MWRD operations and area water quality. The M&R Department oversees the MWRD's industrial waste program and provides monitoring and surveillance, analytical data, technical support, long-term planning and research to protect and improve MWRD facilities, operations and the environment. The M&R Department administers the MWRD's Pretreatment, Resource Recovery and User Charge Programs in compliance with federal regulations and monitors the water quality of area rivers, canals and groundwater. They monitor liquid and solids processes for operational control, regulatory compliance and odor emissions. M&R staff also analyze groundwater, and both wastewater entering the WRPs (influent) and clean water discharged from the WRPs (effluent).

Water quality analysis reports