This event has completed.

8/16/2024
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST

Please join us on Friday, August 16th for a Poo & Brew Workshop and Networking Event hosted at the Terrence J. O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant (OWRP). OWRP is operated by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and is one of seven treatment plants serving the people of Cook County, IL. With an average flow of 230 million gallons per day (MGD)and a service area of 143 square miles, double what it was when operations began in 1928, the facility is one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the country. To keep up with the changes in flow and evolving regulations the facility and its staff have continuously grown over the past 96 years. It was that innovative spirit that led to OWRP constructing the world’s largest ultraviolet (UV) disinfection facility for a wastewater treatment plant. Capable of treating 450 MGD, the UV disinfection facility protects the health of the North Shore Channel ecosystem and provides a safer environment for the public to enjoy their local waterways.

With it’s history of supporting innovative solutions, the OWRP is also home to a number of ongoing research projects being conducted by both MWRD staff and external partners. One such project is being led by Emma Shapiro, a PhD candidate from Northwestern University, and focuses on testing and scale-up of a novel adsorbent to remove PFAS and other organic contaminants from wastewater. Another by MWRD Environmental Research Technician Charles Impastato is testing the feasibility and nutrient removal potential of phytoremediation using Artificial Floating Wetlands.

At this workshop, attendees will learn how the OWRP developed and operate their UV disinfection and hear updates on the research taking place at the facility. The program starts at 11:00 am and includes lunch and a facility tour, followed by a networking event at Sketchbook Brewery at 4:00 pm. Registration is free for attendees thanks to the generosity of Peterson and Matz and Trojan Technologies.

Location: O'Brien WRP; 3500 Howard St, Skokie, IL 60076
Time: Presentations/lunch/plant tour will run 11:00am-3:00pm
Presentations expected: UV System, PFAS Pilot, Floating Island Nutrient Removal
Attendee Limit: 30 people
Networking After: Sketchbook Brewing Co.; 4-6pm, 4901 Main St, Skokie, IL 60077
    
Admission is dependent on completing the MWRD Waiver Form ahead of the event: https://mwrd.org/form/facility-waiver-form
•    Date: Select or enter “8/16/2024”
•    Facility: select “O’Brien WRP, 3500 Howard St., Skokie”
•    Name of Tour Group: enter “IWEA”