The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), originally known as the Sanitary District of Chicago, is a special-purpose district chartered to operate in Cook County, Illinois, since 1889. Although its name may imply otherwise, it is not a part of the City of Chicago's local government and, as with all other local agencies, is created by Illinois state government with an elected Board of Commissioners. The MWRD's main purposes are the reclamation and treatment of wastewater and flood water abatement in Cook County to protect the health and safety of citizens and of area waterways. In 1900, the District notably reversed the flow of the Chicago River, and it is currently involved in the large multi-decade construction of the "Deep Tunnel", Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP).

Organization and administration The MWRD is governed by a nine-member Board of Commissioners elected at large from throughout Cook County, Illinois for six-year terms. Terms are staggered so that three commission chairs are open every two years. Bi-annually the board elects from its members a President, Vice President, and Chairman of Finance. All of the commissioners receive $70,000 per year, except the Vice President and Chairman of Finance receive $75,000, and the President receives $80,000.

Commissioners act as the MWRD's legislative branch establishing policies and procedures for meeting the goals of the District.

Board of Commissioners Current members +NamePartyStartEnd (President)Democratic20122030 (Vice President)Democratic20222028 (Finance Chair)Democratic20182030Democratic20232030Democratic20222028Democratic20202026Democratic20242030Democratic20202026Democratic20242030

Presidents of the board Individuals who served as board presidents with the dates of their tenure listed: Murray Nelson (Feb. 1, 1890–Dec. 2, 1890) Richard Prendergast (Dec. 2, 1890–Dec. 8, 1891) Frank Wenter (Dec. 8, 1891–Dec. 3, 1895) Bernard A. Eckhart (Dec. 3, 1895–Dec. 8, 1896) Thomas Kelly (Dec. 8, 1896–Dec. 8, 1897) William Boldenweck (Dec. 7, 1897–Dec 4, 1900) Alexander J. Jones (Dec. 4., 1900–Dec. 3, 1901) Thomas A. Smyth first tenure (Dec. 3, 1901–Dec. 8, 1903) Zina R. Carter (Dec. 8, 1903–Dec. 4, 1905) Robert R. McCormick (Dec. 4, 1905–Dec. 6, 1910) Thomas A. Smyth second tenure (Dec. 6, 1910–Dec. 5, 1916) Charles H. Sergel (Dec. 5, 1916–Apr. 16, 1920) William J. Healy first tenure (Apr. 16, 1920–Dec 30, 1920) Lawrence F. King first tenure (Dec. 30, 1920–May 10, 1921) William J. Healy second tenure (May 10, 1921–Jul 7, 1921) Lawrence F. King second tenure (Jul. 7, 1921–Dec. 7, 1922) William J. Healy third tenure (Dec. 7, 1922–Sep. 2, 1924) Lawrence F. King third tenure (Sep. 11, 1924–Dec. 7, 1926) Timothy J. Crowe (Dec. 7, 1926–Dec. 7, 1928) Howard W. Elmore (Dec. 6, 1928–Dec. 2, 1930) Thomas J. Boweler (Dec. 2, 1930–Dec. 4, 1934) Ross A. Woodhull (Dec. 4, 1936–May 26, 1944) James M. Whalen (Jun 29, 1944–Dec. 2, 1926) A. F. Maciejewski (Dec. 2, 1946–Dec. 2, 1948) J. L. Friedman (Dec 7, 1948–Dec. 5, 1950) Anthony A. Olis (Dec. 5, 1950–Jun 3, 1958) William F. Patterson (Jun. 12, 1958–Dec. 2, 1958) Frank W. Chesrow (Dec. 2, 1958–Dec. 6, 1966) John E. Egan (Dec. 6, 1966–Dec. 3, 1974) Nicholas J. Melas (Jan. 2, 1975–Dec. 8, 1992) Thomas S. Fuller (Jan. 7, 1993–Dec. 3, 1996) Kathleen Therese Meaney first tenure (Dec. 3, 1996–Jan. 9, 1997) Terrence J. O'Brien (Jan. 9, 1997–Nov. 30, 2012) Barbara J. McGowan first tenure (acting president Nov. 30, 2012–Jan 3, 2013) Kathleen Therese Meany second tenure (Jan. 2, 2013–Nov. 30, 2014) Barbara J. McGowan second tenure (acting president Nov. 30, 2014–Jan 8, 2015) Mariyana T. Spyropoulos (Jan. 8, 2015–Jan. 10, 2019) Kari K. Steele (Jan 10, 2019–present)

Vice presidents of the board Individuals who served as board vice-presidents with the dates of their tenure listed: William H. Baker (Dec. 4, 1900–Dec. 3, 1901) Frank X. Cloidt (Dec. 3, 1901–Dec. 8, 1903) William Legner (Dec. 8, 1903–Dec. 4, 1905) Casimer Griglik (Dec. 7, 1948–Dec. 3, 1859) Micael J. Rudnick (Dec. 5, 1950–May 17, 1954) William S. Nordberg (Jun. 12, 1958–Dec. 2, 1958) William F. Patterson (May 19, 1955–Jun. 12, 1958) John A. Cullerton (Dec. 3, 1959–Aug. 27, 1961) Vincent D. Garrrity (Sept. 7, 1961–Dec. 6, 1966) Earl E. Strayhorn (Dec. 6, 1966–Dec. 8, 1970) Nicholas J. Melas (Jan. 7, 1971–Jan. 2, 1975) Valentine Janicki (Jan. 2, 1975–Dec. 7, 1976) William A. Jaskula (Jan. 6, 1977–Jun. 17, 1983) Richard J. Troy (Jul. 15, 1983–Dec. 6, 1988) Nancy Drew Sheen (Jan 5, 1989–Jan 7, 1993) Frank E. Gardner (Jan 7, 1993–Jan. 5, 1995) Kathleen Therese Meany (Jan. 5, 1995–Jan. 6, 2011) Barbara J. McGowan (Jan. 6, 2011–Nov 30, 2022) Kimberly du Buclet (Jan. 5, 2023–May 13, 2023) Patricia Flynn (June 15, 2023 – present)

Executive leadership The Treasurer is the MWRD's chief financial officer and reports directly to the Board. The Treasurer is charged with maximizing investment interest, issuing bonds to meet capital requirements, managing any debts, and providing general financial management.

The Executive Director also reports directly to the Board and manages the MWRD's day-to-day operations. There are eight departments: Engineering, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Law, Maintenance and Operations, Monitoring and Research, and Procurement and Materials Management. Heads of these departments report to the Executive Director as do the staff and support units of Administrative Services which includes the Diversity, Environmental Justice, Management and Budget, and Public Affairs sections.

The Executive Director is Brian A. Perkovich.

Public participation Public meetings are held twice per month (except during July and August) in the board room at 100 E. Erie Street, Chicago, IL. An electronic copy of the agenda is available via the MWRD's website about three days prior to each meeting.

At least one public hearing is held between 10 and 20 days after new tentative budgets are made available to the public.

History Originally established as the Sanitary District of Chicago, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) has played a vital role in the history and health of the city of Chicago and 125 surrounding suburbs of Cook County, Illinois. The Sanitary District Enabling Act of May 29, 1889, established the District with the purpose of managing water supply and wastewater issues. Two important early projects included the reversal of the Chicago River, designed to carry wastewater away from Lake Michigan, and the construction of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in 1900 which aided in the flow of water away from Lake Michigan, the source of the region's drinking water. The Sanitary and Ship Canal was so successful that two more canals were built. In 1910, the North Shore Channel was completed to provide drainage for the marshy areas north of the city and to direct lake water into the North Branch of the Chicago River for dilution. The Cal-Sag Channel was ready for operation in 1922, which also was the year the first treatment plant of the Sanitary District of Chicago was completed. The Cal-Sag Channel reversed the flow of the Calumet Rivers.

Although the District's first assignment in reversing the flow of the river and constructing a vast network of waterways was clear, establishing itself was the first hurdle. There was a sense of urgency creating a sanitary district due to a booming population, the fear of waterborne illness, the quality of the drinking water supply in Lake Michigan and a contaminated river, but two previous attempts at legislation in the Illinois General Assembly had been stalled over concerns of discharging used water downstream. A special commission consisting of Chicago Mayor John Roche, two members of the Illinois House and two members of the Illinois Senate were appointed to gather public opinion and then buy-in for another round of legislation. The committee proposed constructing a canal wide enough to accommodate steamboat traffic, satisfying downstate interests. The chance to promote economic development linking the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico ultimately persuaded the rest of the state to adopt legislation. On May 29, 1889, the General Assembly approved "an Act to Create Sanitary Districts and to Remove Obstructions in the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers." The Enabling Act required a referendum establishing the boundaries of the District, roughly covering 185 square miles from the lakefront west to Harlem Avenue and from Devon Avenue on the north to 87th Street on the south. The District's services were in such demand that the residents living in the proposed area voted in a landslide 70,958 to 242 in favor of its creation.

As the District established a new Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS), new advancements in water treatment technology were made, leading to the creation of treatment plants and interceptor sewers that conveyed water from local collection systems to the plants for treatment. The MWRD constructed 560 miles of intercepting sewers and force mains ranging in size from 6 inches to 27 feet in diameter. The intercepting sewers are fed by approximately 10,000 local sewer system connections and are critical in managing stormwater and preserving the waterways.

From 1955 through 1988, the District was called The Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago. In order to provide a more accurate perception of the District's current functions and responsibilities, the name was changed effective, January 1, 1989, to Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater ChicagoJoseph T. Zurad, The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago: Our Second Century of Meeting Challenges and Achieving Success, ASCE, 1996 by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act.Illinois General Assembly. Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. 70 ILCS 2605. Archives of the construction and repair of Chicago's sewers are stored both physically and digitally as the Chicago Sewers Collection at the Harold Washington Library Center.

Lockport Powerhouse The Lockport Powerhouse, located on the Main Channel Extension, Lockport, Illinois, was built in 1907 and marks the southwestern extent of the MWRD-managed Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS). The Powerhouse is located right before the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal connects with the Des Plaines River. The facility is an integral part of the MWRD's task of managing the CAWS and reducing the risk of flooding throughout the MWRD service area.  The Lockport Powerhouse enables the MWRD to control the levels of the canal. In addition to its role in managing the waterways, the Lockport Powerhouse also provides financial benefits from hydroelectric power generation.  The water flowing through the facility is harnessed by 2 turbines to provide a safe and environmentally friendly hydroelectric energy source that is sold back to Commonwealth Edison. Lockport generates over $1 million worth of electricity annually. Annual power generation (in kilowatt hours) and revenue amounts for the Lockport Powerhouse by year: 202221,929,152 kWh$836,182.59202132,499,834 kWh$779,450.48202037,608,633 kWh$868,630.58201941,131,268 kWh$1,093,794.89201842,004,233 kWh$1,135,079.84 201737,583,707 kWh$1,041,780.24201635,595,896 kWh$990,097.68201541,595,703 kWh$1,299,793.17201441,518,650 kWh$1,390,418.00201333,070,255 kWh$1,012,462.00201223,589,171 kWh$ 686,081.00*201142,412,425 kWh$1,341,578.13201036,333,757 kWh$1,093,103.26200950,638,344 kWh$1,978,605.23200849,021,024 kWh$2,728,545.44200744,586,717 kWh$1,759,241.20200640,946,609 kWh$1,742,566.04200538,014,571 kWh$1,741,079,14200438,677,031 kWh$1,769,698.61200336,352,051 kWh$1,658,073.69200242,389,222 kWh$1,949,350.25 *No recorded rainfall in 2012.

Responsibilities and programs