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At Least our river never caught on fire![1] Most people know that Chicago became what it is today because of the Chicago River and it’s importance in establishing the city as the transportation hub for a growing nation. Most people also know that our city had the audacity to reverse the flow of this river. Fewer people know that in 1955 the American Society of Civil Engineers recognized Chicago for it’s efforts to clean up the river as one of the seven wonders of the civil engineering world. You might think this designation was made for reversing the river. In fact it was for the innovative use of tiny microorganisms in breaking down sewage that Chicago won this designation. SO….we’re off to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago sewage treatment plant at 6001 West Pershing Road. Join us for a group tour at the MWRD Stickney Water Reclamation Plant and presentation by MWRD staff. Stickney is the largest wastewater treatment facility in the world. The Plant serves 2.38 million people in a 260 square mile area. The latter includes Chicago and 43 suburban communities.
The Plant has a design capacity of 1,200 million gallons per day and consists of two plants; the west side portion of the plant placed into service in 1930 and the southwest portion of the plant placed into service in 1939.
Please note that space is limited to 25 attendees and one sign up form per participant with accompanying copy of ID used on the day of the tour must be turned in to MWRD 30 days prior to the tour. Participants must be in 7th grade or older. Deadline for sign up forms and ID copies turned in to Emily Schemper is October 18 - to give Emily enough time to deliver all to MWRD. Application forms will be used by MWRD for background checks of all attendees. Forms and ID copies can be scanned and e-mailed to Emily if preferred.
[1] Of course, Cleveland Rocks, so we’re not making fun of them…even though their river did catch on fire. We are, however, reporting that our Chicago River was the cause of Typhoid and Cholera outbreaks from 1849-1855 and again in 1885. The river was reversed so as not to pollute the source of the city’s drinking water. The reported toll of 80,000-90,000 in the 1895 episode is now considered an urban legend. However, up to 3% of the population did perish in the early epidemics.
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