Budget Message / Highlights - Metropolitan Water Reclamation ...

METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT OF GREATER CHICAGO
2009 BUDGET
MAINTENANCE & OPERATIONS – GENERAL DIVISION
2009 BUDGET NARRATIVE
The 2009 appropriation request for the General Division is $23,487,100, a decrease of $1,057,100 or 4.3 percent from
2008. The 2009 staffing level is 65 positions, a decrease of eleven positions from the previous year, which accounts in
large part for the overall decrease, and is the result of one position drop due to operational efficiencies, an Engineering
Technician III, and ten position transfers due to the reestablishment of a separate Budget Management Unit for each of
the four Divisions, including, one Management Analyst III position, three Management Analyst II positions, three
Management Analyst I positions, two Principal Office Support Specialist positions, and one Senior Office Support
Specialist position. In addition, 27 positions will be funded under the Stormwater Management Fund, reflecting an
increase of one position, an Associate Civil Engineer.
The General Division provides a specialized function as the administrative arm of the Maintenance and Operations
Department. The Division is divided into four functional sections: The Waterways Control Section; the Solids
Management Section; the Technical Administration Section; and the Administrative Section. The Sections provide the
following specific functions:
• Waterways Control Section - Maintain and operate the Waterways Control Center at the Main Office Building to
insure minimal navigational water elevations and to prevent flooding and reversals to Lake Michigan during rain
storms. Maintain and operate the Lockport Powerhouse which generates power and revenue for the District.
Maintain and operate the Chicago River Controlling Works; the Lockport Controlling Works; the Pump Back
Station in the Chicago River; the Wilmette Pumping Station; and the Centennial Fountain. Maintain six bridges
over the Northshore Channel. Provide small stream maintenance services including the removal of garbage and
woody debris which impede the flow of the streams within the District Service Area;
• Solids Management Section – Manage and coordinate biosolids processing and utilization on a District-wide basis.
Operate the Lawndale Avenue Solids Management Area (LASMA) and the Calumet Solids Management Area
(CALSMA);
• Technical Administration Section – Provide all procurement services for the Department, including the
administration of long- and short-form contracts, and sole source purchase orders. Provide liaison services between
the Engineering and M&O Department for Master Plan studies. Handle all regulatory communications with the
regulatory Agencies such as the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and manage all MWRD
environmental permits: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Federally Enforceable State
Operating Permit (FESOP), Clean Air Act Permit Program (CAAPP) Title V, Biosolids Operating, and Stormwater.
Coordinate all reporting requirements associated with the above permits. Coordinate Combined Sewer Overflow
(CSO) reporting. Consolidate and supply technical information requested from plant personnel, other departments,
and other agencies. Review and comment on reports and contracts from other departments. Review and comment
on proposed and new regulatory requirements for impacts on District operations. Coordinate Household Hazardous
Waste collection activities with the IEPA. Develop and implement the MWRD’s Environmental Management
System (EMS) for Biosolids;
• Budget Management Unit – Provide budgetary, personnel, and administrative services, such as training on District
computer systems and records management, for the M&O Department.
The 2009 General Division Budget provides the resources necessary to support the department, to allow for the needed
rehabilitation and preservation of General Division facilities, and to manage and improve the District’s Biosolids
Program. Through the effective and efficient deployment of resources, both human and financial, we intend to achieve
our 2009 objectives, manage costs, and prepare for the future.
Highlights of the General Division activities in 2009 are as follows:
• Prepare and monitor approximately 175 Long- and Short-Form Contracts, 150+ Sole Source requests, and 10
Requests for Proposals;
• Generate approximately 45 million KWH’s at the Lockport Powerhouse, to produce $2.1 million worth of
electricity;
• Initiate NPDES permit renewal process for Kirie and Hanover WRPs;
• Initiate IEPA operating permit renewal for land application of sewage sludge, Harlem Avenue Solids Drying Area,
and Fulton County Land application;
• Conduct a Carbon Footprint Study to: identify and quantify all sources of greenhouse gases at District Facilities,
calculate the respective carbon footprints, and recommend ways to reduce these emissions;
• Continue the rain barrel purchase and distribution program. In 2009, we anticipate disbursing 2,500 barrels;
• Identify eroding banks along the waterways and begin work on developing a model to reverse erosion;
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