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good jobs and will improve water quality for years to come." Chicago's Grand Canyon To maximize the water quality impact for the Calumet- Saganashkee (Cal-Sag) Channel, the MWRD ensured Calumet WRP disinfection came on-line in tandem with the Thornton Composite Reservoir; the 7.9 billion gallon reservoir is set to go online by late 2015, while disinfection will be in service for the 2016 recreational season. The reservoir, tantamount to 12 football fields in size, is part of the MWRD's tunnel and reservoir plan (TARP), also known as the "Deep Tunnel." TARP consists of 109 miles of tunnels deep below the surface of the Chicago region and three reser- voirs designed to capture and hold stormwater and sewage for treatment at water reclamation plants. Taken together, the tun- nels (which hold 2.3 billion gallons), the Thornton Composite Reservoir in South Holland, IL, the Majewski Reservoir (which holds 350 million gallons) in the northwest suburbs, and the future McCook Reservoir (which will hold 10 billion gallons in the western suburbs), TARP will accommodate 20.55 billion gallons of water. At first glance, the reservoirs appear to be nothing more than gargantuan holding tanks for stormwater and a tool in the battle against flooding. Yet, the reservoirs serve a greater purpose for clean waterways by collecting combined sewer overflows (CSOs). These CSOs normally enter the CAWS after major rain events, but with the Thornton Composite Reservoir, CSOs have a holding place before the Calumet WRP can treat the water. This latest engineering marvel from the MWRD becomes the world's largest reservoir. "It has drawn interest from across the world and, given the success of TARP, more cities are emulating our strategy," said Spyropoulos regarding the reservoirs. "We thank our predeces- sors with the MWRD Board of Commissioners who had the foresight in 1972 to adopt a plan that made flooding and water quality genuine issues to prioritize. In past years, that polluted, untreated water would enter our waterways — or worse, our basements. Because of TARP, combined sewer overflows have been drastically reduced, and the addition of Thornton will again lead to more water quality improvements upstream." The Thornton Composite Reservoir will benefit 556,000 people in 14 communities throughout the south side of Chicago and south suburbs. It will protect 182,000 homes, businesses, and other facilities and improve water quality in the Calumet Rivers and Cal-Sag Channel by collecting CSOs before they enter waterways. Between the advancements in disinfection and completion of the Thornton Composite Reservoir, the MWRD has made, in the words of Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River, "the most significant water quality improve- ments in decades." n 10 wateronline.com n Water Innovations DISINFECTION Allison Fore has served as the Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Officer at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for four years. She has 20 years' experience in government communications, having also worked for the Illinois State Treasurer, Illinois General Assembly, and Indiana Department of Environmental Management. She received her bachelor of science degree from Indiana University and master of arts degree from the University of Chicago. About The Author The Calumet WRP disinfection facility's chlorine contact basin system, shown under construction and upon completion. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Calumet WRP drew major media attention, as well as U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (second from left).