Showcasing its leadership in advancing stormwater solutions and public education, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) has earned the prestigious Grand Prize from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES). The award, presented in the Environmental Communications Awards category, recognizes the MWRD’s standout publication, “Green Infrastructure Community Guide: Stormwater Strategies for Resilient Neighborhoods.”

The MWRD will raise the Pride flag and host a noon program at the Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building. The flag will also be raised at all seven water reclamation plants.

Guests took home free oak tree saplings, milkweed and native wildflower seeds to support stormwater management and the lifecycle of the monarch butterfly and other pollinators.

The fountain is named after Nicholas J. Melas, a former MWRD commissioner elected in 1962 and who remained with the MWRD for 30 years, serving as president for 18 years.

With impending rain, the MWRD encourages area residents and business owners to reduce water use during and after the storm to help prevent flooding and protect water quality:

The MWRD urges residents and business owners to conserve water with heavy rains in the forecast Thursday.

Guests of all ages may take an abbreviated tour of the plant, meet with MWRD staff for interactive activities and take home free oak tree saplings, milkweed and native wildflower seeds to support stormwater management.

While an American eel in the Chicago River is extraordinary in and of itself, what’s equally exciting is what the aquatic critter’s presence suggests about the health of our waterway.