(Update: I deleted some of my stuff that was wrong. If you can't find what you are looking for, it may be in the archive copy.)
Location information (maps and historical aerial photos) can be found here.
It is the oldest MWRD plant, but it was extensively upgraded in 2013. [wwdmag]
10 workers were injured by a methane gas explosion during maintenance activity.
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| safe_image for MWRD monitoring for COVID-19 [paycount of 5] MWRD's Report Dennis DeBruler: The photo is of which plant? Hi Dennis , this is our Calumet Water Reclamation Plant that has been in operation since 1922. This plant serves residents and businesses in the southern portion of Cook County. At the time of its opening, the 16-mile Calumet-Sag Channel had just become operational. By 1928, the plant served a population of 155,000. At present the plant’s service population is over one million people in an area of about 300 square miles. Learn more here  |
The communities downstream of Chicago were not happy with Chicago reversing the flow of the river and dumping their sewage and stock yard wastes into their source of drinking water, including St. Louis. MWRD's predecessor finally decided to stop paying for lawyers and to start paying for concrete. Years ago I read that the sanitation district helped pioneer large scale water reclamation. In fact, the Stickney Plant is still the worlds largest. (History1, History2) (It is interesting how the terminology has been "cleaned up" over the decades. When I was a kid, it was "sewage treatment," then it was "waste water treatment," now it is "water reclamation.")
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| MWRD posted Workers inside a section of sewer tunnel near the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on April 11, 1921. MWRD posted with the same comment |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant looking west at rail tracks and a tower for movement of materials on April 29, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on April 29, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted onstruction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 16, 1921, on the south side of Chicago. |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 19, 2022 A view of construction at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Chicago, Illinois, on July 20, 1921. The Calumet WRP is the oldest of the MWRD’s seven WRPs and has been in operation since 1922, serving residents and businesses in the southern portion of Cook County. At the time of its opening, the 16-mile Cal-Sag Channel had just become operational. By 1928, the plant served a population of 155,000. At present the plant’s service population is over one million people in an area of about 300 square miles. Learn more about each of our 7 WRPs here |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on July 20, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted on Sep 2, 2022 "Disassembling towers from west to east" is the photographer's original description in the field notes for this image taken towards the end of construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Chicago on January 16, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted on Apr 22, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 16, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted on Aug 20, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on April 29, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on May 2, 1922. |
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| This photo has been moved to Calumet Pumping Station. |
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| MWRD posted on Jan 17, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on July 20, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted on Jan 17, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on July 20, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on August 9, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted on Apr 3, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Chicago, Illinois, on September 29, 1921. MWRD posted again |
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| MWRD posted on Nov 29, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on September 29, 1921. MWRD posted Rex Fermier: What are those leaning wooden towers for? What's going on in this photo? |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Rex's comment I'm not an expert, but I think I understand what is happening. The leaning towers are backstays for tall towers like the two square ones in the background. That is, they are helping to support towers that are out-of-frame. Here is another MWRD photo that provides a closeup of the square towers. Note that they are supporting derrick booms. Back then derricks were used because big cranes had not yet been developed. Look how small the crane is in the background of the posted photo. We can see part of the derrick boom of the tower that is out-of-frame to the left. The background tower in the attached photo shows how they delivered concrete back then. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Rex's comment The tall towers are also used for cableways. I highlighted with a red rectangle a load suspended from a cable that runs between the tower that is out-of-frame to the left and the left background tower. |
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| MWRD posted on Sep 21, 2022 Workers moving concrete during construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on September 29, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted on Oct 1, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on September 29, 1921, about one year before the plant went into operation. MWRD posted |
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| MWrD posted on May 8, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on September 29, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted on Nov 27, 2021 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 16, 1921. |
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MWRD posted
Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on September 29, 1921. The Calumet WRP is the oldest of the MWRD’s seven WRPs and has been in operation since 1922, serving residents and businesses in the southern portion of Cook County. At the time of its opening, the 16-mile Calumet-Saganashkee (Cal-Sag) Channel had just become operational. By 1928, the plant served a population of 155,000. At present the plant’s service population is over one million people in an area of about 300 square miles.
MWRD posted
[same comment]
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| MWRD Workers use a crane to hoist and position steel forms during construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on December 20, 1921. MWRD posted Oct 15, 2022 |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the effluent conduit at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago, Illinois, on March 24, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the effluent conduit at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on March 24, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the effluent conduit at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on March 24, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the effluent conduit at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on March 24, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 11, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on May 2, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago on May 2, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted on Dec 21, 2021 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 2, 1922. MWRD posted again |
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| MWRD posted on Mar 23, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Chicago, Illinois, on June 2, 1922. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 28, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 2, 1922, on the south side of Chicago. MWRD posted again |
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| MWRD posted on Mar 13, 2022 Construction of the machinery building for the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Chicago, Illinois, on July 27, 1922. |
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin noted that Chicago was the last major city in the U.S. to disinfect its treated wastewater.Note the implication that Chicago has been uncivilized until the 21st century. So Chicago was one of the first metropolitan areas to build sewage treatment plants, but one of the last to kill the bacteria in its water output.
"This disinfection facility now brings Chicago into the civilized world when it comes to the treatment of sewage and the discharge," Durbin said. (Tribune)
Update: this plant uses the old technique of adding chlorine then removing the chlorine. The O'Brian Plant uses a new technique of ultraviolet radiation.
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Chicago, Illinois, on May 2, 1922. The Calumet WRP is the oldest of the MWRD’s seven WRPs which serves residents and businesses in the southern portion of Cook County. At the time of its opening, the 16-mile Calumet-Sag Channel had just become operational. By 1928, the plant served a population of 155,000. At present the plant’s service population is over one million people in an area of about 300 square miles. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of Imhoff tanks at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 16, 1921. The Calumet WRP is located on the south side of Chicago and has been treating wastewater for residents and businesses in the southern portion of Cook County since 1922. MWRD posted MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Chicago, Illinois, on November 25, 1921. The Calumet WRP is the oldest of the seven MWRD water treatment facilities. In operation since 1922, it serves residents and businesses in the southern portion of Cook County. At the time of its opening, the 16-mile Calumet-Sag Channel had just become operational. By 1928, CWRP served a population of 155,000. At present, CWRP's service population is more than 1 million people in an area of about 300 square miles. |
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| MWRD posted Construction at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Chicago on August 24, 1921, seen in this panoramic combination of two images. The Calumet WRP went into service in 1922 and currently cleans over 350 million gallons of wastewater per day and serves over 1M people within 300 square miles in southern Cook County, Illinois. Learn more about our 7 WRPs here https://mwrd.org/water-reclamation-plants |
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MWRD posted Nov 2018
Historical photo of the week: An elevating grader removes topsoil during the beginning of excavation for the MWRD Calumet treatment plant in Chicago near 123rd St. on the north side of the facility site on Nov. 18, 1920.
[See Grain Elevator for location information.]
MWRD posted Jun 2020 An elevating grader is seen removing topsoil during the beginning of excavation for our Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) near 123rd Street in Chicago on the north side of the facility site on November 18, 1920. In operation since 1922, the Calumet WRP is the oldest of our seven WRPs and currently serves a population of more than one million people in an area of about 300 square miles. |
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| MWRD posted An elevating grader is seen removing topsoil during the beginning of excavation for the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant near 123rd Street on the north side of the facility site on November 18, 1920. MWRD posted, same comment |
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| MWRD posted on Sep 25, 2022 An elevating grader is seen removing topsoil during the beginning of excavation for the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in an area near 123rd Street on the north side of the facility site on November 18, 1920. MWRD posted again |
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| MWRD posted An elevating grader removing topsoil during the beginning of excavation for the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant near 123rd Street on the north side of the facility site on November 18, 1920. |
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| This photo has been moved to Calumet Pumping Station. |
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| MWRD posted on Sep 6, 2022 An interior view of the pumps at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) during construction on November 17, 1920. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on September 29, 1921. The Calumet WRP is the oldest of the MWRD’s seven WRPs and has been in operation since 1922, serving residents and businesses in the southern portion of Cook County. At the time of its opening, the 16-mile Cal-Sag Channel had just become operational. By 1928, the plant served a population of 155,000. At present the plant’s service population is over one million people in an area of about 300 square miles. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD Workers use a crane to hoist and position steel forms during construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on December 20, 1921. |
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MWRD posted A view of construction at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on August 30, 1926. Dennis DeBruler: This photo not only shows the grain elevator back when it still had its wood building, it shows a steam locomotive on the C&WI tracks. 41°40'14.0"N 87°36'43.1"W 41.670546, -87.611964 MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on August 30, 1926. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago on November 25, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted "Disassembling towers from west to east" is the photographer's original description in the field notes for this image taken towards the end of construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on January 16, 1922, in Chicago. Unfortunately, the field notes do not mention the specific role of the brave souls working at the top of the tower! The Calumet WRP is the oldest of the seven MWRD water treatment facilities. In operation since 1922, it serves residents and businesses in the southern portion of Cook County. At the time of its opening, the 16-mile Calumet-Sag Channel had just become operational. By 1928, CWRP served a population of 155,000. At present, CWRP's service population is more than 1 million people in an area of about 300 square miles. Also posted on Apr 13, 2022 |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on August 9, 1921, on the south side of Chicago. The Calumet WRP is the oldest of the seven MWRD water treatment facilities and has been in operation since 1922, currently providing wastewater treatment services for more than one million people in an approximately 300 square mile portion of southern Cook County. MWRD posted again |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on November 7, 1921. [And a good view of the Michigan Central grain elevator.] |
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| MWRD posted on Dec 17, 2022 Nov 7, 1921 MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on November 7, 1921. The Calumet WRP is the oldest of the MWRD’s seven WRPs and has been in operation since 1922, serving residents and businesses in the southern portion of Cook County. At the time of its opening, the 16-mile Calumet-Sag Channel had just become operational. By 1928, the plant served a population of 155,000. At present the plant’s service population is over one million people in an area of about 300 square miles. Dennis DeBruler It looks like the two draglines are still steam powered. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on November 7, 1921, about one year before the plant went into operation. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on November 7, 1921, about one year before the plant went into operation. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on September 29, 1921, about one year before the plant opened for operations. The Calumet WRP is the oldest of the MWRD's seven WRPs and cleans more than 350 million gallons of wastewater every day. |
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| MWRD posted on Oct 20, 2022 Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on September 29, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago on November 25, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted A view of grit channels and bar screens during construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Chicago on June 2, 1922. Andrew Urbanski: Where is this located along the Calumet? Dennis DeBruler: Andrew Urbanski Southwest of Lake Calumet: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xkpr8txL9GwPHHmQ7 |
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| MWRD Work on aeration tanks for the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago, Illinois, during construction on July 27, 1922. MWRD posted with the same comment |
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| MWRD posted on Sep 12, 2022 Construction of a machinery building at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on December 21, 1922. MWRD posted on May 6, 2023 |
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| MWRD posted on Sep 4, 2022 A view of the grit tanks and the administration building for the recently completed Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on April 13, 1923 MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted view inside the blower room at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 6, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted Workers assemble an Oliver Press at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago, IL on June 6, 1923. The press was a rotary drum filter that was used for dewatering solids, also called sludge, from the activated sludge wastewater treatment process. This was an experimental facility at the Calumet plant that led to the selection of the rotary drum filter for the Stickney plant more than a decade later. [Note the man inside the drum on the right side. That gives scale to the drum.] MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Workers assemble an Oliver Press at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago on June 6, 1923. The press was a rotary drum filter that was used for dewatering solids removed during the wastewater treatment process. This experimental facility at the Calumet plant led to the selection of the rotary drum filter for the Stickney plant more than a decade later. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Workers assemble an Oliver Press at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 6, 1923. The press was a rotary drum filter that was used for dewatering solids, also called sludge, from the activated sludge wastewater treatment process. This was an experimental facility that led to the selection of the rotary drum filter for the Stickney WRP more than a decade later. Dennis DeBruler: I almost missed the man in the right side of the drum. Then I saw one down on the floor on the left side of the photo. They help one appreciate how big this unit was. |
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| MWRD posted Excavation for new facilities at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on January 17, 1934. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Construction of aeration tanks at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago on June 8, 1934. [This must have been an expansion project.] MWRD posted |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on MWRD's post This 1934 construction activity must have been an expansion of the plant or a new process because this July 25, 1922, photo shows some aeration tanks that are almost done. |
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| MWRD posted Tank construction at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on September 7, 1934. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Construction of aeration tanks at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 8, 1934. MWRD posted a cropped version of this photo |
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| MWRD posted on Jun 8, 2022 Tank construction at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on September 7, 1934. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Calumet Sewer power plant and pumping station on January 5, 1921. |
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| MWRD posted A view of workers disassembling towers near the end of construction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago on January 16, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted on Sep 17, 2022 onstruction of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on October 3, 1922. |
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| MWRD posted on Aug 5, 2022 A view of the recently completed Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on April 13, 1923. The Calumet WRP has been in operation since 1922. |
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| MWRD posted Biosolids drying beds at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant on June 13, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted on Aug 25, 2022 Workers repair a chain on a grit tank rake at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago, Illinois, on March 7, 1929. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted For immediate release October 28, 2020 MWRD’s dedicated essential service earns platinum praise Despite the unpredictable nature of stormwater running off streets and sidewalks and wastewater funneling from homes, businesses and industrial corridors, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) has again achieved the highest standards for transforming billions of gallons of wastewater into clean water and protecting area waterways. The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) recognized the MWRD with six Platinum Peak Performance Awards for at least five consecutive years of meeting stringent permit guidelines at six MWRD water reclamation plants (WRPs), including the Calumet WRP, which earned platinum honors for meeting full compliance for 28 consecutive years. “Thank you to our innovative staff who work the front lines every day to protect the quality of our region’s water and reclaim it to benefit our environment,” said MWRD Vice President Barbara McGowan. “Although these awards commemorate our work in 2019, it is this same staff who we applaud in 2020 as heroes for sacrificing so much to come into work each day to manage our region’s wastewater and improve the quality of life for residents and the environment around them.” The annual awards honor treatment plants for meeting 100 percent compliance of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The MWRD was lauded with platinum status at six WRPs for achieving 100 percent compliance for at least five consecutive years at each. The following facilities have earned Platinum status: • Calumet Water Reclamation Plant, Chicago, 28 years • Lemont Water Reclamation Plant, Lemont, 23 years • James C. Kirie Water Reclamation Plant, Des Plaines, 15 years • O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant, Skokie, 14 years • Hanover Park Water Reclamation Plant, Hanover Park, 12 years • John E. Egan Water Reclamation Plant, Schaumburg, 6 years The Calumet WRP, which treated more than 300 million gallons per day in 2019, was placed into service in 1922, followed by the O'Brien WRP in 1928. The MWRD treated more than 536 billion gallons of water in 2019, or about 1.47 billion gallons of water per day. More intense rain events combined with impervious pavement, a flat terrain and increasing demand to shelter the region from pollution all make the MWRD’s around-the-clock service essential to protecting the public health and the local water environment. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the MWRD continues to provide critically important water reclamation operations and stormwater management services to ensure the region’s wastewater is cleaned and that public health and the environment are protected. “We are honored to receive this platinum recognition from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies,” said MWRD Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos. “It serves as reminder of the important work of our Maintenance and Operations staff, pollution control teams and the Industrial Waste Division who ensure clean water for our environment no matter what flows their way.” In addition to its role as the regional stormwater authority for Cook County, the MWRD treats wastewater for residents and businesses for an equivalent population of 10.35 million people across an 882-square-mile area that includes Chicago and 128 suburban communities. The MWRD’s treatment process is protected by a pretreatment program to guard against hazardous substances and toxic chemicals. The MWRD routinely monitors industries and non-residential sources to assure that wastes are disposed of in an environmentally responsible and lawful manner. NACWA officials honored water utilities Oct. 28 during a presentation recorded in Washington, D.C. “Our public utility members are the backbone of the communities they serve, providing safe, reliable access to clean water services day‐in and day‐out. The Peak Performance Award ceremony is our chance to shine a national spotlight on those outstanding clean water utilities that have demonstrated operational excellence with no more than five permit violations in a calendar year, and, for our Gold and Platinum Award winners, zero violations,” said Adam Krantz, Chief Executive Officer of NACWA. “These utilities represent the top performers in the whole country and go above and beyond in their mission to protect public health and the environment. On behalf of NACWA’s Board of Directors, I extend my congratulations and gratitude to all this year’s award winners and I thank them for their service and their incredible compliance with increasingly rigid Clean Water Act standards. This year has seen unprecedented challenges in the wake of the pandemic, and the Peak Performance Award winners have more than risen to the occasion.” |
MWRD posted 3 images with the comment:
For immediate releaseSeptember 27, 2022Cal-Sag Channel, Calumet Water Reclamation Plant turn 100MWRD engineering achievements reversed flow of Calumet River system and introduced wastewater treatment to protect public health and water qualityWithin the span of a month in 1922, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) -- then known as the Sanitary District of Chicago -- completed two monumental engineering feats to protect the health of the region and local water quality. A century later, the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), Cal-Sag Channel, and reversal of the Calumet River system remain as pillars supporting public health and regional water environment.The MWRD will mark this occasion at its 10th Annual Sustainability Summit to be held at the Ford Calumet Environmental Center, 11555 S. Stony Island Ave. in Chicago, on Friday, Oct. 21 at 10 a.m. The 100th Anniversary of the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) and Cal-Sag Channel will be highlighted among several presentations, a photo exhibit and discussion. Members of the MWRD’s first Community Partnership Council will be announced to promote community engagement within the communities the Calumet WRP serves. For more information on the Sustainability Summit, visit https://mwrd.org/10th-annual-sustainability-summit.After 11 years of construction, the gates at the Blue Island Lock on the Little Calumet River were opened on Aug. 18, 1922, diverting water to flow into the new Cal-Sag Channel for the first time. By Aug. 26, the Cal-Sag was fully operational. This action began the process to allow the MWRD to reverse the flow of the Little Calumet River west away from Lake Michigan, protecting the supply of drinking water and providing integral drainage to shelter and enhance the Far South Side.A few weeks later on Sept. 11, 1922, the MWRD completed construction of the Calumet WRP, 400 E. 130th St., Chicago. The new facility implemented emerging treatment technology that could transform wastewater from across the area into clean water.Today, the Calumet WRP is the longest-tenured MWRD water reclamation plant, serving more than 970,000 people each day from Chicago and 48 surrounding suburbs and providing around-the-clock services. The Calumet WRP can treat up to 450 million gallons of water each day, generating renewable energy and recovering vital resources to protect the planet and taxpayers. In addition to building the plant and digging the 16-mile Cal-Sag Channel, the MWRD built 6 other WRPs and nearly 184 miles of intercepting sewers to convey water from municipal sewers to its treatment plants.“This September we recognized 100 years of service, innovation and ingenuity at our Calumet Water Reclamation Plant and the work of our predecessors to construct the Cal-Sag Channel,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. “These measures that we often take for granted have had a profound impact on our way of life and today bolster our homes and businesses and keep our water environment safe.”The MWRD reversed the Chicago River through the construction of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (1900) and reversed the North Branch of the Chicago River through the construction of North Shore Channel (1910). But as the rest of the Chicago River reversed, the Calumet River was still flowing out to Lake Michigan, causing concern for waterborne illness and polluted water flowing out to the source of the region’s drinking water in Lake Michigan. Like the Sanitary and Ship Canal, the MWRD discovered the Calumet River system could also flow west by building a new canal that allowed gravity to funnel water through the subcontinental divide away from the Great Lakes toward the Mississippi River Basin.The 16-mile Cal-Sag Channel continues serving as the link to keep water flowing west, connecting the Calumet River system to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and downstream to the Des Plaines River, Illinois River and Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. Today it is a thriving waterway attracting a surging population of fish, birds and recreation, and its construction generated a boom of economic opportunity, helping establish towns and attract residents, commerce and community life.“We celebrate the work of those before us who introduced transformative environmental protections which lead to recreational opportunities, industrial growth, and community and economic development throughout the region,” said MWRD Commissioner Kimberly du Buclet. “Our region has come a long way and we are still pursuing an even better quality of life for the residents that live and work here.”The introduction of wastewater treatment at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (top left and right) and Cal-Sag Channel (bottom left and right) proved critical to protecting the Chicago area’s public health and its environment altered the landscape of the region and established Chicago and the Southland region as a thriving metropolis destined for economic vibrance.This article is also posted at https://mwrd.org/cal-sag-channel-calumet-water...
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The first plant was built in 1922 and was north of 125th Street. I'm not sure, but trying to line up the aerials, it looks like none of this plant left in existence; it looks like there are other buildings present at this old site, now, but I'm not sure if they were part of the original plant. There was also a Calumet Sewage Pumping Station to the west that served it. It's located on South Michigan Avenue between 124th Place and 125th Place, and still in existence, though, I think it went out of regular service after the construction of the new plant.
ReplyDeleteThe original part of the existing complex was then completed in 1936 directly south of 126th Avenue, and is still in existence, though expanded. This site consolidated the pumping station (called Calumet PLANT Pumping Station) and treatment works on the same site. I think the Calumet SEWAGE Pumping Station across the tracks on Michigan is used for back-up during wet weather or something, because it's still standing and maintained.
If someone can find some old maps of this area between 1922 and now, that would help a bit more to visualize this. But I think you may have all three sites pictured here.