Budget Message / Highlights - Metropolitan Water Reclamation ...

METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT OF GREATER CHICAGO
2009 BUDGET
MONITORING AND RESEARCH
2009 BUDGET NARRATIVE
The mission of the Monitoring and Research Department
(M&R) is to protect the sewerage system, water reclamation
plants, and receiving waterways from toxic industrial waste
discharges; and provide analytical laboratory services to
support the Maintenance and Operations Department (M&O)
to assure compliance with Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency (IEPA) permits and United States Environmental
Protection Agency (USEPA) regulations.
In support of our mission, M&R administers the Sewage and
Waste Control Ordinance (SWCO), and assures proportional
recovery of wastewater treatment costs by administration of
the User Charge Ordinance (UCO). Administration of these
ordinances through the monitoring of wastewater from
commercial and industrial sources is necessary to comply with
the federally mandated Pretreatment and User Charge program
requirements.
M&R is responsible for:
• Providing analytical laboratory support to control
treatment and other operations;
• Control of industrial waste discharges to the collecting
sewer system and waterways and the reduction of those
offending discharges via administration of the SWCO and
the USEPA-approved Pretreatment Program; full
implementation of the Pretreatment Program and
increased surveillance of industry will ensure that the
District operations, including solids disposal, meet
regulatory requirements;
• Recovery of District operating costs for treating excess
industrial wastes which is accomplished via
administration of the USEPA-approved User Charge
Program for collection of revenues from tax-exempt and
large commercial and industrial dischargers;
• Monitoring the environmental quality of Lake Michigan,
area rivers and canals, and the Illinois River to document
the effectiveness of the District’s wastewater treatment
program;
• Assisting in the resolution of sewage treatment and solids
disposal operations problems;
• Providing other departments and agencies with
wastewater treatment, waterways management, and solids
processing related technical assistance upon request;
• Conducting applied and operations research to achieve
improvement and cost reductions in District wastewater
treatment, waterways management, and solids processing
activities;
• Annual Chemical Hygiene Audits and air quality testing
of the laboratories;
• Monthly technical presentations as part of the seminar
series.
The 2009 request for the M&R Department is $31,448,400, an
increase of $1,388,900, or 4.6 percent as compared to the 2008
Budget of $30,059,500. The number of requested positions is
308, a decrease of one position from 2008. New positions of a
Number o f A ccount s
5,000
4,500
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
Inspections
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
User Charge Accounts
Industrial Waste Division
Productivity of Pollution Control Officers
Reduced surveillance
due to increased user
compliance
Increased
inspections in
User Charge and
Waterways
Total Inspections
Inspections/PCO
Projected
Actual
Est.
Est .
2003 04 05 06 07 08 2009
Per Position
400
Proj.
Proj.
2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 2009
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
141
141