Disinfection facility commissioned at Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago, US

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) in the US has turned its new disinfection facility operational at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant (WRP).

The development is aimed at improving the quality of water released into the Chicago Area Waterways (CAWS) from the treatment facility, which serves over a million residents across 300 square mile area, covering the South Side of Chicago and surrounding south suburbs.

Equipped with chlorination and dechlorination technologies, the facility is expected to lessen the amount of pathogenic bacteria in the water released from the WRP into the Calumet River system.

The new facility will disinfect the treated water from the WRP by neutralising or eliminating bacteria and microorganisms in it, which can bring down the health risks posed by direct contact with the water.

Wastewater will be passed through a series of treatment processes for the disinfection process, which will include screening, filtering, settling, and microbial aeration.

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman said: "The new Calumet disinfection facility will improve water quality for the growing number of people who kayak, water ski and enjoy other recreational activities in the Chicago Area Waterway System."

In addition to the recently launched disinfection facility, MWRD is also developing a similar facility at the O’Brien WRP in the village of Skokie, Illinois, which will use ultraviolet (UV) irradiation system to disinfect water entering the CAWS.

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Image: The new facility is expected to improve water quality of the plant discharges into Chicago Area Waterways. Photo: courtesy of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.