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A Chicago Tribune article (CT) indicates the accident happened May 17, 2015. The tracks were shutdown a lot longer than the CTA expected. Service did not resume until October 30.
Reconstruction of the more than 100-year-old dirt embankment, which is on the property of the O'Brien wastewater treatment plant, was more complicated than anticipated, officials said. The cause of the failure still hasn't been determined, according to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, which runs the plant, located at McCormick Boulevard and Howard Street in Skokie.
"Every entity involved has hired forensic experts to determine the cause of the embankment failure, and their investigation is ongoing,'' said Allison Fore, a reclamation district spokeswoman. "Insurance companies for each agency will dig into these reports and ultimately reach an agreement on cause and responsibility.'' (CT)Not only did they have to provide shuttle buses between the Skokie stations and the Dempster terminus, they had to truck CTA cars from their heavy maintenance facility down to 63rd Street where they had a ramp that could unload trucks. Someplace I saw a picture of a CTA car on a truck trailer doing down the Dan Ryan, but of course I can't find it now.
Walsh, which is also a major contractor on CTA rail projects, was building disinfection facilities at the treatment plant when the embankment failed.
Just weeks before the May 17 collapse, Walsh asked CTA officials to loosen the rules governing how much the elevated tracks could be allowed to move during construction, and the CTA repeatedly granted the requests, emails obtained by the Tribune showed. Also, changes in the design of the waste disinfection facilities pushed the work closer to the Yellow Line.
The reclamation district has taken responsibility for the accident and agreed to fully reimburse the CTA, officials from both agencies have said. The accident has cost the CTA an estimated $3.5 million through September, the CTA said. Expenses include the free shuttle buses and workaround procedures implemented to access the CTA Skokie Shops rail heavy maintenance facility at 3701 W. Oakton St. The embankment collapse cut off rail access to the repair facility, and rail cars have been trucked to a CTA facility on the South Side. Rail access to Skokie Shops resumed last week, Steele said. (CT)
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| Steven J. Brown posted Aerial view of Skokie and Evanston taken from the window of a flight heading for a landing at O'Hare Airport in July 1989. CTA Skokie Shops and the Water Reclamation Plant are the largest landmarks visible. Note in the righthand corner the Bell & Howell factory where there is now a Jewel and Best Buy. Remnants of the Chicago & Northwestern Weber Subdivision is also visible. Chris Kite: I'm guessing that's the Rust-Olemm that had just closed just north of Oakton. It's interesting (and sad) to see all the manufacturing buildings that were recently shut down or about to shut down. That Bell & Howell factory consolidated to the Pratt & McCormick building, where I worked from 1988 to 2005. Then things consolidated again and the east third of the Pratt and McCormick building was hacked off and the property was sold and became a Dominicks and later a Planet Fitness. Then the whole building was sold and the small remaining plant moved to Wheeling. The rest of the property was sold and turned into a retirement home. Chris Goepel: Refresh my ailing memory: when was the Weber Subdivision abandoned between Canal Tower in north Evanston and the industrial area in Skokie? I dimly recall seeing a train from near Fanny’s Restaurant on Simpson in Evanston in the early 1980s. Matt McClure: Chris Goepel From just south of Howard to Canal Tower in Evanston was gone by c. 1984. There were customers near Touhy for years after this portion was yanked. |
MWRD has added a test facility for Microvi's MicroNicheTM Engineering (MNE) technology.
“Our water treatment solution is a low-cost and small-footprint system that promises to bring important benefits to MWRD,” said Microvi CEO Fatemeh Shirazi.(Update: this trail was considered successful and they built a second generation pilot plant at Stickney.)
MWRD posted two photos with the comment:
For immediate release
July 13, 2020
DOE grant will aid MWRD-Iowa State University partnership Funding supports research toward the world’s first commercial scale revolving algal biofilm system to remove nutrients from wastewater
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and research partners have received a $240,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) to continue developing a sustainable nutrient recovery system that uses a unique algae harvesting process.
The funding will support the project team, led by the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and partners at the MWRD and Iowa State University-affiliate startup Gross-Wen Technologies (GWT), Inc., to enhance a phosphorus removal technology known as the revolving algal biofilm (RAB) system. The technology originally developed by GWT at Iowa State University for agricultural applications was then adapted for algae-based treatment of municipal wastewater at the MWRD’s Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant greenhouse in Skokie. The RAB system removes phosphorus, nitrogen, and other nutrients from wastewater, while producing algae biomass from waste nutrients and carbon dioxide captured from the air.
“This critical research collaboration between the MWRD, Gross-Wen Technologies, Iowa State University and the NREL uses algae technology to enhance nutrient removal efficiency for the millions of people who rely on our services each day while protecting the water environment in downstream communities across the country who deserve clean water and healthy aquatic life,” said MWRD President Commissioner Kari Steele. “Thanks to the support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, we are harvesting algae for new uses and protecting our water environment.”
The DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced more than $20.1 million in federal funding for 58 projects supported by DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF). The projects are a part of a larger Department-wide TCF effort, in which 82 projects will receive more than $33 million in federal funding and more than $36 million in matching funds from the private sector.
“EERE’s Technology Commercialization Fund projects maximize our research investment by strengthening partnerships between DOE’s National Laboratories and the private sector,” said EERE Assistant Secretary Daniel R Simmons, who met with MWRD Executive Director Brian A. Perkovich and other utility leaders in Chicago last fall as part of the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference. “These projects will help us sustain American global leadership in the renewable power, transportation, and energy efficiency sectors by more effectively moving innovations from the labs into the marketplace.”
The grant will support research headed by MWRD Principal Environmental Scientist Dr. Kuldip Kumar, Principal Investigator and NREL Senior Scientist Dr. Jianping Yu, the NREL’s Dr. Michael Cantrell and Co-Principal Investigators, GWT President and Co-founder Dr. Martin Gross.
“Our project addresses a critical efficiency issue in wastewater treatment,” Gross said. “Wastewater treatment facilities around the country are facing increasingly stringent nutrient discharge limits, especially with regard to phosphorus removal, and are looking for new technologies to meet these new permits. We aim to develop strategies to maximize our algal-based wastewater treatment system’s efficiencies in order to achieve a significant overall nutrient removal outcome and minimized system footprint.”
“This technology may one day allow us to build a true circular economy,” said MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore. “The algae technology converts our wastewater treatment process into a way to capture and reuse energy, nutrients, and other important resources. It’s hard to overstate how exciting this is.”
The research will focus on utilizing specific strains of algae that can remove phosphorus more efficiently through a retrofitted version of the RAB system. The RAB reconfiguration will include adding a secondary inoculation reservoir within the system which allows an algae belt to pick up the desired strain(s) of algae, while not exposing the large flow of wastewater to that strain.
“There is a large diversity among algae in their ability to store phosphorus, mostly in the form of polyphosphate granules,” Yu said. “As part of our research goal, we will identify and develop specific algae strains that take up more phosphorus than their growth needs—referred to as luxury uptake—and use them to enhance phosphorus removal efficiency.”
Originally established as a pilot scale project, the RAB used three to six-foot belts in a vertical revolving fashion. That was so successful that the MWRD and GWT partners decided to increase its size to 10 feet to enhance the treatment efficiency. This enabled them to recover more nutrients from the water, increase algal biomass production through a larger biofilm surface area.
The process of cultivating and harvesting algae for the purpose of removing nutrients from wastewater is known as phycoremediation. Algae naturally uptakes phosphorus and nitrogen from water to support its growth through photosynthesis, utilizing the sun as its energy source. The MWRD has an endless supply of water, nutrients, sunlight and moderate temperatures required to grow the algae.
“The revolving algae biofilm system could represent a revolutionary breakthrough in the treatment of wastewater,” said Dr. Kuldip Kumar of the MWRD. “Thanks to the support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, we are taking a major step forward to protect our water environment through sustainable measures that also produce algae for beneficial reuse.”
Under the current system, the MWRD can recover approximately 1.5 pounds per day of dry algae biomass, but if expanded an increasing amount of algae can be harvested. The algae could remove at least 50 percent of phosphorus from wastewater and can be harvested and commoditized for production of bioplastics, biochemicals, biofuels, pharmaceuticals and dyes; or used as fertilizer or as aquaculture feed.
The research partners recently published a research article in Water Environment Research, Journal of the Water Environment Federation that suggests the RAB reactors can serve as an efficient system in wastewater remediation for the removal of total dissolved solids and have filed for a joint patent for this application of RAB technology.
The DOE’s TCF was established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to promote promising energy technologies by supporting entrepreneurs’ efforts to engage with the DOE National Laboratory complex.
In the photos:
1) Former MWRD Monitoring and Research Asst. Director Tom Kunetz and Principal Environmental Scientist Kuldip Kumar display the revolving algal biofilm treatment system that could change the way nutrients are recovered from water reclamation plants through the help of algae.
2 & 3) Algae naturally uptakes phosphorus and nitrogen from water to support its growth through photosynthesis, utilizing the sun as its energy source at the MWRD’s greenhouse at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, IL.
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| safe_image for Gross-Wen Technologies awarded $240,000 grant to develop phosphorus removal technology |
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| safe_image for Search for a Cleaner Jet Fuel Leads to Sewage Plants
We're involved in some interesting research: feeding pollutants to algae in sewage plants and then potentially selling the algae as a product that can be made into commercial fertilizers. Algae can also be made into polymers that can be used to make a variety of materials.
Ultimately this could reduce the amount of energy needed to run sewage treatment plants.
“It’s hard to overstate how exciting this is,” exclaimed Debra Shore, a commissioner of the district, which is adapting its system to include the enhanced algae-producing process.
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| MWRD posted on Mar 11, 2022 A birds-eye view of construction at the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant on April 24, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted on Jan 27, 2023 Excavation for the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Skokie, Illinois, on March 27, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted on Apr 9, 2022 Construction of the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Skokie, Illinois, on May 28, 1924, viewed to the west from the top of a concrete conveyor tower. Kevin R Doerksen: It's farmland! Absolutely amazing. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the North Side Treatment Plant (since renamed O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant) in Skokie, IL on June 10, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 10, 1924. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted on Oct 14, 2021 Construction at the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 10, 1924, in Skokie, Illinois. |
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| MWRD posted Construction at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant on June 26, 1924, in Skokie, Illinois. |
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| MWRD posted on Jan 8, 2022 Construction of the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, on July 17, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of an aeration tank at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) in Skokie, Illinois, on August 5, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 20, 2022 Construction of the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Skokie, Illinois, on September 17, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on September 17, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted on Jul 8, 2023 Mar 20, 1925 |
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| MWRD posted Looking north at construction of the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) in Skokie, Illinois, on June 18, 1925. |
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| MWRD posted A view to the northeast showing construction of settling tanks at the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally named North Side) in Skokie, Illinois, on July 29, 1925. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of aeration tanks for the North Side Sewage Treatment Works, now named O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant, on July 29, 1925. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of a conduit line for the North Side Treatment Works, now known as the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant, on July 29, 1925. |
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Paul Ali: Is that Evanston?
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Paul's question East side of Skokie https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0201154,-87.7196797,1482m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&entry=ttu |
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| MWRD posted Interior view of the Pump and Blower building during construction of the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on December 27, 1926. |
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| MWRD posted on Jan 19, 2022 Installation of pumps during construction of the Pump & Blower Building at the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) on April 27, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted An interior view showing construction of the Pump and Blower Building at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 30, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted on Sep 8, 2022 Construction of the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant on March 30, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted on Jun 30, 2022 Construction of the Pump and Blower building at the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Skokie, Illinois, on April 16, 1926. |
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| MWRD posted A view to the west showing construction of the foundation for the pump and blower building at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on May 25, 1926, in Skokie. Originally known as North Side, the facility began operation in 1928 and was a model for modern sewage treatment technology. The O’Brien WRP currently serves more than 1.3 million people residing in a 143-square-mile area that includes Chicago, north of Fullerton Ave. and the 17 suburbs in northern Cook County. MWRD posted (same comment as above) |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant on July 30, 1926, in Skokie, Illinois. Originally known as North Side, the facility began operation in 1928 and currently serves more than 1.3 million people residing in a 143-square-mile area. |
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| MWRD posted This image provides a view to the east with the Grit Building, Service Building and Pump and Blower Building visible. |
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| MWRD Construction of the Pump and Blower Building at the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, on August 18, 1926. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 22, 2023 Construction of the grit building at the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Skokie, Illinois, on September 21, 1926, looking west at assembly of the structural steel frame with the influent conduit and diversion chamber visible in the foreground. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Pump and Blower building at North Side Sewage Treatment Works, now named O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), on September 21, 1926. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on September 21, 1926. |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 9, 2023 Workers paving the lower-level floor of the Main Building during construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on October 2, 1926. |
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| MWRD Construction of the North Side Treatment Plant (since renamed the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant) in Skokie, Illinois, on October 29, 1926. |
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| MWRD posted on Dec 3, 2021 Construction of the Pump and Blower Building at the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on July 30, 1926, in Skokie, Illinois. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the grit building and surrounding plant facilities at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant, viewed to the west from the Pump and Blower Building, on January 27, 1927. |
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| MWRD Excavation and grading for construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, on September 27, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted Excavation for construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant on September 27, 1923, in Skokie. |
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| MWRD posted October 31, 1923 MWRD posted again Construction at the North Side Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), now called the Terrence J. O'Brien WRP, in Skokie on October 31, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted on Mar 14, 2023 A row of 60-inch cast iron air pipe sections during construction of the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant on November 8, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted on Mar 30, 2023 Excavation for a 60-inch diameter, double barrel air pipe during construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on November 8, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted on Aug 29, 2022 Excavation during construction of the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Skokie, Illinois, on November 22, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on November 22, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 14, 2022 Construction of the effluent conduit for the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) in Skokie, Illinois, on December 28, 1923. |
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| MWRD posted A view to the southwest during construction of the O’Brien WRP in Skokie, IL on April 24, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted The North Side (now O’Brien) water reclamation plant, showing construction of the Service Building and water tower on June 30, 1927, viewed from the southwest. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the North Side Treatment Plant (since renamed O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant) on June 18, 1924, viewed to the north. [Note the gasometer in the background.] MWRD posted MWRD posted on Aug 15, 2022 |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 10, 1924. Originally named North Side, the treatment plant has been in operation since 1928, treating wastewater from communities north of downtown Chicago. The O’Brien WRP currently serves over 1.3 million people in an area of 143 square miles and cleans an average of 230 million gallons of wastewater per day (mgd) with the capacity to treat 450 mgd. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Excavation for construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant on September 27, 1923, in Skokie. MWRD posted |
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| MWRD posted Historical photo of the week: Construction of an aeration tank at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) in Skokie on August 5, 1924. The facility was completed in 1928 and was built to serve residents in communities north of downtown Chicago. The O’Brien WRP currently serves over 1.3 million people in an area of 143 square miles and cleans an average of 230 million gallons of wastewater per day (mgd) with the capacity to treat 450 mgd. Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago: The entire Mississippi River basin sends phosphorus downstream. In Cook County, phosphorus enters our water reclamation plants in the raw sewage that originates from human waste, animal waste, fertilizers, cleaning agents and detergents. In 2018 the District was able to remove all but 8% of total phosphorus entering and exiting our facilities. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of an aeration tank at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) on August 5, 1924. |
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| MWRD posted Looking north at construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) in Skokie on June 18, 1925. The O’Brien WRP was built to serve residents in communities north of downtown Chicago. In operation since 1928, the O’Brien WRP originally treated sewage for a population of 800,000 within a 78-square-mile area, but now both the service area and the population are nearly twice as large. The O’Brien WRP currently serves over 1.3 million people in an area of 143 square miles and cleans an average of 230 million gallons of wastewater per day (mgd) and has the capacity to treat 450 mgd. Kim Iu: Aeration tanks and still in pretty good shape after 92 years! |
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| MWRD posted on July 5, 2022 Construction of the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, on October 30, 1925. [I need to research that gas-o-meter on the left.] |
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| MWRD posted on Dec 29, 2021 A view of aeration tanks at the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant on December 11, 1930. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the settling tanks at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally named North Side) in Skokie, Illinois, on July 29, 1925 |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Skokie, Illinois, on October 15, 1925. MWRD posted again |
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| MWRD posted on June 11, 2022 A view of work on a 36-inch drain near the intersection of McCormick and Howard in Skokie, Illinois, during construction of the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) on October 30, 1925. |
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| MWRD posted A view of the nearly completed North Side Sewage Treatment Works in Skokie, looking southwest at the final settling tanks and operating galleries on August 3, 1928. |
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| MWRD posted Laying the roofing material on the operating gallery building at the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, on July 20, 1926. |
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| MWRD posted Work inside the effluent conduit for the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) on December 28, 1923. MWRD posted MWRD posted on Oct 7, 2022 |
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| MWRD posted The North Side (now O'Brien) water reclamation plant showing masonry wall construction for the Service Building and water tower, looking west, on June 30, 1927. |
A better exposure of the above.
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| MWRD posted The North Side (now O'Brien) Water Reclamation Plant, showing masonry wall construction for the Service Building and water tower, looking west on June 30, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) on September 10, 1927, showing a view of the area where the intercepting sewer connects to the influent chamber and coarse screens, where wastewater begins the treatment process. [This is the kind of view you would not want to take today. During a rain, you would be drowning. During a dry season, you would be up to probably your waist or chest in very contaminated water.] MWRD posted |
There are more MWRD photos of constructing McCormick Blvd/Road in paving roads before ready-mix trucks were developed.
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| MWRD posted Construction of a viaduct for the Mayfair Division of the Chicago & North Western Railroad over McCormick Boulevard between Oakton Street and Howard Street in Skokie, Illinois, on May 7, 1926. The viaduct, which has since been removed, was a necessary part of the MWRD’s construction of McCormick Blvd (originally named McCormick Road), between 1924 and 1926. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on MWRD's post I wondered why the MWRD was in the road building business. Evidently they were relocating McCormick Road to make room for the WTP. |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the viaduct for the Chicago & North Western Railroad over McCormick Road (now Blvd) in Skokie, Illinois, on June 7, 1926, slightly northeast of the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant, which was also under construction at the time of the photo. The viaduct is no longer there but was a part of the Mayfair Branch of the Chicago & North Western Railway which crossed over McCormick Blvd between Howard St and Oakton St. |
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| MWRD posted A northeast view showing construction Service Building at the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Skokie, Illinois, on August 31, 1927 |
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| MWRD posted Historical Photo of the Week: Construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) on September 10, 1927, showing a view of the area where the intercepting sewer connects to the influent chamber and coarse screens. |
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| MWRD posted on Mar 27, 2022 A view looking north toward the under-construction Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) in Skokie, Illinois, on November 7, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted on July 17, 2022 Installation of 60-inch air mains during construction of the Pump and Blower building at the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on November 19, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted on Dec 14, 2021 Construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant on May 27, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted A northeast view showing construction of the Service Building at the North Side Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), now called the Terrence J. O'Brien WRP, in Skokie on August 31, 1927. Check out some aerial views of the Service Building and learn how the MWRD cleans an average of 230 million gallons of wastewater per day at the O'Brien WRP in this video tour: https://youtu.be/oJ4IbCBf7g0 [below] |
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| MWRD posted Historical photo of the week: An interior view of the tunnels leading into the North Side Sewage Treatment Works, now named O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant, during construction on March 29, 1928. The O’Brien WRP serves 1.314 million people within 143 square miles in the northeast area of Cook County. |
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| MWRD posted The nearly complete O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois, during the final days of construction on September 6, 1928, viewed towards the west/southwest from McCormick Blvd. Originally called North Side, the facility has been in operation since October 3, 1928, and cleans wastewater and stormwater for over 1.3 million people in an area of 143 square miles. Mike Breski shared |
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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.” |
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| MWRD posted Construction of the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) pump and blower building foundation on May 17, 1926. |
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| MWRD posted nstallation of blowers and pumps during construction of the Pump & Blower Building at the corner of Howard and McCormick in Skokie, Illinois, on April 27, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted An interior view of the Pump and Blower Building during construction of the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on August 2, 1928, in Skokie, Illinois. The facility began operations on October 3, 1928. Check out current views of the nearly 100-year-old building and learn about the important function of the pumps and blowers in our O'Brien WRP video tour. https://youtu.be/oJ4IbCBf7g0 [This video is included below.] |
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| MWRD Interior view showing construction of the Pump and Blower Building at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant on May 27, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted Lower-level pipes in the Pump and Blower Building at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant during construction in Skokie, Illinois, on December 13, 1926. Mike Westrate: I love how these guys used to show up to do some of the filthiest work in a shirt and tie. |
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| MWRD Construction of the North Side Treatment Plant (since renamed O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant) in Skokie, Illinois, on November 5, 1926. |
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| MRD posted on Oct 23, 2022 Construction of the North Side Treatment Plant (since renamed the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant) in Skokie, Illinois, on November 5, 1926. |
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| MWRD Construction of the Service Building and water tower on June 30, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 6, 2022 Construction of the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant on July 28, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted A view of the influent conduit for the grit building during construction of the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on November 19, 1927. |
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| MWRD posted on Jan 17, 2023 A view to the north at an area next to McCormick Boulevard and south of Howard Street in Skokie, Illinois, on February 3, 1928, showing workers and a truck dumping spoil from construction of the nearly complete North Side Sewage Treatment Works, which is visible in the background. The material had been removed during excavation for a tunnel that connects the facility's Pump and Blower Building to the intercepting sewer. |
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| MWRD posted on Aug 19, 2022 A view of converging influent intercepting sewer tunnels where they enter the pump and blower building at the Terrence J. O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on February 24, 1928. MWRD posted on May 7, 2023 |
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| MWRD posted Excavation of an electrical conduit trench for the Pump & Blower Building during construction of the North Side Sewage Treatment Works, now named the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), on March 10, 1928. James Ashley: So - make a 35 foot wide mess for an electrical conduit < 2 feet wide. |
James comment makes me wonder when, what we now call a backhoe, was invented.
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| Dennis DeBruler |
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| MWRD posted on Jun 2, 2023 A view to the northwest at the south and east sides of the Pump & Blower Building at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (originally called North Side) in Skokie, Illinois, on September 6, 1928. |
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| MWRD posted on Feb 28, 2023 An interior view of the tunnels leading into the North Side Sewage Treatment Works, now named O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant, during construction on March 29, 1928. |
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| MWRD posted on Apr 24, 2022 Construction at the O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) on June 7, 1928, in Skokie, Illinois. |
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| MWRD posted This photo shows a small tunnel bifurcation on July 10, 1928. The exact location is unknown but it’s thought to be in Skokie in the general area of the O'Brien Water Reclamation Plant. |
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| MWRD posted A view of the nearly completed North Side Sewage Treatment Works looking southwest at the final settling tanks and operating galleries in Skokie, Illinois, on August 3, 1928. |
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| AlphaPublications, p7 |
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| MWRD posted 📣ICYMI: As part of the project, a new technology is being tested at the #MWRD Terrance J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie. |
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| Screenshot from video in WTTW via MWRD |
Most of the YouTube videos I have seen are about the Stickney WTP. But I didn't like them because they had too many talking heads and/or didn't follow the flow of the water. I found this one to be packed with information.
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