A beloved symbol of Chicago summers, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s (MWRD) Nicholas J. Melas Centennial Fountain sends a graceful arc of water over the Chicago River, visible from near and far. Set against a backdrop of boats, a bustling Riverwalk, and the city’s ever-evolving skyline, the fountain celebrates more than a century of MWRD’s leadership in protecting public health, enhancing waterway ecology, and supporting economic growth. Today, it stands as both a striking landmark and a proud gateway to the heart of Chicago.

The Nicholas J. Melas Centennial Fountain

Located on the north bank of the Chicago River at McClurg Court, the fountain periodically sends an impressive 80-foot water arc across the river during summer months. River traffic is alerted to the cannon activity by two warning indicator lights. The fountain is named after former MWRD President Nicholas J. Melas and was dedicated in 1989, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the MWRD’s establishment.

The American Society of Civil Engineers in 1999 named the MWRD work in reversing the flow of the Chicago River in 1900 as a “Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium.” The MWRD constructed local waterways, including the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Cal-Sag Channel and North Shore Channel, around the turn of the 20th century for the purpose of reversing the flow of the river with the main intent of providing drainage for the Chicago region and conveying used water. Thanks to years of investment, testing and innovation, the quality of the water has drastically improved to accommodate a range of activities along the river not imagined decades ago. 

The investments the MWRD has made in protecting local waterways has yielded positive results, cleaner waters for an increasing population of fish species and spurred economic development and activity on and along the river. The Nicholas J. Melas Centennial Fountain symbolizes this movement for water quality and the work of the MWRD.

Water quality improvements have proven to be essential factors for nurturing aquatic life. The MWRD’s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) has helped reduce water pollution and promoted healthier homes for freshwater fish living in the CAWS. In addition to TARP and other measures to improve water quality, the MWRD has also introduced sidestream elevated pool aeration (SEPA) stations and other instream aeration stations to help inject needed oxygen into the waterways and implemented chlorination and dechlorination technologies to disinfect water at the MWRD’s Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), and UV disinfection at the O’Brien WRP in Skokie.