Illinois Water Reclamation Plant Gets Nutrient Recovery System

Nutrient recovery sytem will benefit Chicago area waterways and produce valuable fertilizer product

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) selected Black & Veatch and Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies to design and build a new nutrient recovery system at its Stickney Water Reclamation Plant in Cicero, Ill. The facility will improve water quality in local rivers, lakes and streams. It will also produce commercial fertilizer from recovered resources.

“The MWRD’s mission is to protect the source of our drinking water, improve the quality of area waterways and manage water as a vital resource for the Greater Chicago area,” said Patrick D. Thompson, MWRD commissioner and chairman of the monitoring and research committee. “The Stickney project achieves these goals and enables us to recover phosphorus and nitrogen from waste streams that can be converted into fertilizer. In addition, the sale of this product will help offset the cost of operating and maintaining the new facility.”