Wastewater from Elk Grove Village is treated by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago (MWRD).  The District’s seven modern water reclamation plants provide excellent treatment for residential and industrial wastewater, meeting permitted discharge limits virtually at all times. The treatment process is protected by a pretreatment program to guard against hazardous substances and toxic chemicals. These are strictly regulated pursuant to federal and state requirements. The District routinely monitors all industries and non-residential sources to assure that waste is disposed of in an environmentally responsible and lawful manner.

Treated wastewater, along with runoff from rainfall, enters local canals, rivers, and streams that serve as headwaters of the Illinois River system. Stormwater in the separate sewered area is controlled to reduce flood damages by a number of stormwater detention reservoirs. In the combined sewer area, the District’s tunnel and reservoir project has significantly reduced basement backup and overflows to local waterways.

Flow within the District’s waterway system and the Lake Michigan discretionary diversion flow are controlled by three inlet structures on Lake Michigan: Wilmette Pumping Station, Chicago River Controlling Works and O’Brien Lock and Dam. The single outlet control structure is the Lockport Powerhouse and Controlling Works.

While exercising no direct control over wastewater collection systems owned and maintained by cities, villages, sewer districts and utilities, the District does control municipal sewer construction by permits outside the city of Chicago. It also owns a network of intercepting sewers to convey wastewater from the local collection systems to the water reclamation plants.

To learn more about MWRD, please visit their website here.