The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is a government agency created in 1889 to protect the water quality of Lake Michigan, the major drinking water supply for the Chicago, Illinois area. This article is about the largest city of Illinois. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Other U.S. States Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Official languages American English (as oppossed to Englands English) Area 149,998 km² (25th)  - Land 143,968 km²  - Water 6,030 km² (4. ...

The MWRDGC is a government agency created by the Illinois Legislature in 1889 to protect the water quality of Lake Michigan. The District is a separate government agency — neither a part of the City of Chicago nor Cook County government. A staff of 2,300 men and women work under the direction of nine elected commissioners to carry out this mission.

The District serves an equivalent population of 10.1 million people; 5.1 million real people, a commercial and industrial equivalent of 4.5 million people, and a combined sewer overflow equivalent of .5 million people. The District serves an area of 872 square miles which includes the City of Chicago and 124 suburban communities. The District's 547 miles of intercepting sewers (large pipes underground) range in size from 12 inches to 27 feet in diameter, and are fed by approximately 10,000 local sewer system connections.

The District's major responsibilities and activities include:

Wastewater Reclamation
The District owns and operates one of the world's largest water reclamation plants, in addition to six other plants and 24 pumping stations. The District treats an average of 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater each day. The District's total wastewater treatment capacity is over 2.0 billion gallons per day.

Biosolids Disposal and the Prairie Plan
The water reclamation processes produce a by-product known as biosolids. Biosolids consist of solids that are removed from the wastewater and are processed by various methods to produce a stabilized, nuisance-free product suitable for disposal.

Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP)
The District's TARP project is one of the country's largest public works projects for pollution and Flood Control. 93.4 miles of tunnels, 9 to 33 feet in diameter and 150 to 300 ft. underground, have already been constructed and are in operation. 8.1 miles of tunnels are under construction at present. The last 7.7 miles of the planned 109 miles are in the final design stage. (See Map)

Waterways Control
The District controls approximately 76 miles of navigable waterways which are part of a national system connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes with the Gulf of Mexico.

Sidestream Elevated Pool Aeration (SEPA) Stations
These stations add oxygen to the waterways by lifting the water and allowing it to cascade over a series of waterfalls. These "urban waterfalls" increase the dissolved oxygen in the water, thereby improving the quality, aesthetics, and aquatic environment of these waterways.

Industrial Waste Program
Industrial Wastewater must undergo a local pretreatment process before it is discharged into the sewer system if it is of such a strength or contains toxics that might be dangerous to the collection system or treatment plant. This article is about the largest city of Illinois. ... Organized with approximately 100 residents in 1831, Cook County is a county located in the state of Illinois. ... This article is about the largest city of Illinois. ...