July 2, 2015 -- The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) was recently recognized with seven prestigious awards from the National Association for Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) for its record in meeting compliance for water treatment.
MWRD has received five Platinum Peak Performance Awards, which are given annually for facilities that meet 100-percent compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits over a consecutive five-year period. The District's five water reclamation plants (WRP) have been lauded for this honor for multiple years, while two additional plants were recognized with gold awards for avoiding permit violations for an entire calendar year.
The Calumet WRP received the platinum award for 23 years of 100-percent compliance; followed by the Lemont WRP for 18 years; James C. Kirie WRP in Des Plaines for 10 years; Terrence J. O'Brien in Skokie for nine years; and Hanover Park WRP for seven years. The Egan WRP in Schaumburg and Stickney WRP in Cicero also earned the gold award.
Receiving an NACWA award is impressive because it shows how these facilities are prepared to meet the demands of wet weather, unexpected industrial loads or any kind of process that is difficult to control. A major part of this is maintaining equipment and operating under all weather conditions when water treatment facilities are taxed to capacity.
The Calumet WRP is the oldest of the seven WRP facilities, treating water from a 300-square-mile area in Chicago and the south suburbs. The plant provides both primary and secondary treatment, which removes more than 90 percent of the contaminants. The Lemont WRP is the smallest of the seven WRPs and began operations in 1961.
All treatment facilities eligible for the NACWA awards must be publicly owned by a current NACWA member agency and be in operation for at least one month or more during a calendar year. Treatment facilities must provide, at minimum, secondary treatment or advanced primary treatment with a 301(h) waiver.
See also:
"MWRD now accepting applications for Sustainable Landscaping and Biosolids User Awards"
"MWRD to replace Egan WRP parking lot with green infrastructure"
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