Candidate Q&A
Why do you want to be a commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and why do you believe you are qualified?
I’m running because I believe MWRD can do a better job for the people paying its bills, the property owners in Cook County. Families are dealing with flooding and high property taxes. They deserve clean water, infrastructure that works and clear answers about where their money is going.
I’m a mom and business owner who has spent more than 20 years owning and managing real estate. I understand property maintenance, operating costs, leasing responsibilities, and the effects of rising property taxes. MWRD’s extensive real estate holdings demand consistent oversight, not attention only after problems become public.
Reform comes from new faces who aren’t part of the same one-party system, because they’re the ones who will ask the questions no one else is asking. The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board addressed the importance of independent oversight writing that “one-party rule in Cook County is an enemy of accountability.” Before asking taxpayers for more, we need to make sure every dollar is being used wisely. I am running to bring that independent oversight to MWRD.
With rainstorms more frequent and severe, the Deep Tunnel system and the MWRD reservoirs fill up. As a result, it’s sometimes necessary to release sewage overflows into waterways. What other strategies should the MWRD employ to reduce those sewage releases?
I’d start by keeping unnecessary water out of the sewers in the first place, and by fixing the neighborhood bottlenecks that cause backups.
A lot of the water that overwhelms the system doesn’t belong there. It seeps in through joints and cracked pipes and leaking manholes or flows in through illegal stormwater connections.
That’s called Inflow and Infiltration, and it’s a major contributor to overflows and basement backups. Most of these sewers belong to local governments, and many of those communities don’t have the money or resources to fix them. One of my priorities is helping them replace or reline aging sanitary sewer lines, repair leaking manholes and correct improper stormwater connections. But help should come with clear expectations for results.
In combined sewer neighborhoods, where rainwater and sewage share the same pipes by design, we need projects that capture runoff before it ever gets into those pipes.
None of it works if projects aren’t delivered, and Harvey is a good example of what happens when they aren’t. The Central Park stormwater project began in 2018. It calls for about two miles of storm sewers and a detention basin. In 2023, MWRD bought 31 properties, displaced residents and left the buildings vacant. Neighbors reported trespassing, vandalism and fires.
After a September 1 fire, I publicly called on MWRD to secure its properties. Within days, the homes were boarded up and the yards were mowed. That was a win for Harvey, and it’s the kind of follow-through I plan to bring to communities across Cook County.
The estimated cost is up 32%, from $9.85 million to $13 million. The number of structures expected to benefit has dropped nearly 70%, from 690 to 209. And construction is now projected to finish around 2029, nearly eleven years after planning began.
Again, after my press release brought attention to the struggling project. MWRD also awarded a $1.06 million demolition contract to KLF Enterprises, a company OSHA cited in 2024 for alleged asbestos-related safety violations and that was named in a state lawsuit brought by the Illinois Attorney General.
Behind those numbers are families who were pushed out of long-time homes and a community still waiting for flood protection.
For every major project, residents should be able to see the original and current cost, funding sources, start date, anticipated completion date, percentage completed, and explanations for significant delays or changes.
As commissioner I will challenge mismanagement, demand transparency and ensure that MWRD protects the communities affected by its decisions.
How else can the MWRD improve conditions in area waterways to reduce public health threats?
Protect the progress we’ve already made, and don’t let decades of investment deteriorate through neglect. The MWRD and Argonne National Laboratory found that water quality changed after disinfection was added at treatment plants in 2016, before treated water was discharged into the Deep Tunnel system. With the
Thornton Reservoir coming online, overflows that once spilled into waterways have been virtually eliminated. That’s real progress in protecting public health and our environment.
But progress means nothing if we fail to maintain what we’ve built. Much of our infrastructure is roughly 100 years old, and relying on debt and reserve funds is not a sustainable plan for keeping it operating reliably.
It’s time for the MWRD to stop putting off maintenance and start planning for the future. We need responsible financial management, a clear plan to repair and replace aging equipment, and accountability for every taxpayer dollar spent. We cannot afford to wait until critical infrastructure fails before taking action.
The work that MWRD does is expensive, and taxpayers deserve a board that manages it responsibly. Again, the Harvey project shows what happens when the board fails to follow through. MWRD needs to maintain the land it owns, keep projects on budget and follow through on their commitments.
As a candidate for the MWRD Board of Commissioners, I believe protecting our water supply, and safeguarding taxpayer investments must be top priorities. Let’s preserve the progress we’ve made, protect our communities, and ensure this infrastructure continues working for the next generation.
Do you think the MWRD does a good job informing the public about permeable paving, “green alleys,” rain barrels and other methods of reducing flooding?
No. Most people have never heard of these programs, and that isn’t their fault. MWRD provides information about rain barrels, permeable paving, green alleys and funding partnerships. But making information available is only part of the job. The real question is whether it reaches the people who need it and helps them take action.
I’d flip that approach. MWRD already knows where the problem areas are. It has flood studies, backup reports and its own engineers. We should go to those communities directly, sit down with local officials and residents, and share a specific solution. Success should be measured by problems addressed and homes protected, not just information posted.
Do you think the MWRD has a role in reducing contaminants like prescription drugs / pharmaceuticals and toxic chemicals like phosphates?
Clean water starts with source control, keeping pollutants out of the water in the first place. MWRD’s plants weren’t built to remove pharmaceuticals, so drugs flushed down the drain can end up in our rivers. I’d expand MWRD’s drug take-back partnership with the Sheriff, which already runs 129 permanent collection sites. MWRD spent $80,000 on it in 2024. That’s a smart, low-cost investment in watershed health compared with treating those drugs after they reach the plant.
Phosphorus is different. It’s a nutrient pollutant that feeds algae blooms and harms aquatic life, and MWRD is legally required to reduce it. The O’Brien plant in Skokie faces a 1.0 mg/L limit starting in August 2027 and a tighter 0.5 mg/L limit by 2030. I fully support meeting those standards. Protecting our rivers and Lake Michigan region waterways is the core of this agency’s mission.
But environmental stewardship and fiscal responsibility must go together. The board approved a $389.9 million construction contract for the O’Brien project, plus $19.5 million for possible changes, bringing the total authorization to about $409 million. Taxpayers still haven’t seen the financing and interest costs, the long-term operating and maintenance costs, or a side-by-side comparison of the alternatives.
Good project oversight means clear budgets, real timelines, measurable environmental results and public reporting from start to finish. That’s not happening now because one party has run the board for decades with no one asking hard questions. Taxpayers deserve answers before they get the bill. I’m not running to hold a title. I’m running because my neighbors’ basements keep flooding and nobody’s checking the math.
Do you believe the MWRD has a role in preventing aquatic invasive species from entering the Chicago waterway system?
Yes, but a supporting one. The big fix is the Brandon Road project near Joliet. It’s a $1.15 billion project, with the federal government paying 90% and Illinois and Michigan splitting the rest. The Army Corps leads it, and that’s where the lead should be.
MWRD’s job is to cooperate. That means continuing its fish monitoring, sharing accurate data and giving access to the waterways it manages. A project this important depends on partners who get the details right.
That’s why MWRD needs commissioners who pay attention to detail. The Inspector General just found that all eight commissioners with district vehicles turned in 2025 mileage logs that didn’t show which trips were business and which were personal, and the district accepted their numbers without checking. If the board can’t keep track of its own mileage, taxpayers have every reason to ask how closely it’s watching contracts, monitoring and major projects. I’ll hold myself to the same standard I’d expect of anyone spending public money.
What specific water infrastructure projects or investments would you pursue if elected?
First, finish Harvey. The Central Park project started in 2018, and no ground has been broken. The cost estimate is up 32%, from $9.85 million to $13 million, while the number of structures expected to benefit has dropped from 690 to 209. Families have already lost their homes, and they’re still waiting. I’d push for a public timeline, a full accounting of the cost and a review of how the demolition contract was awarded.
Second, fix the leaks before we build bigger. Aging sewers, cracked pipes, leaking manholes and pipe joints and enforce the removal of improper connections let stormwater into a system that wasn’t built to carry it. I’d put money into helping local governments reline those sewers and make those repairs. We should inspect and monitor the flow first, so we know where the biggest problems are and can measure what each repair actually accomplishes.
Third, put stormwater dollars where the flooding is. Families across Cook County are dealing with flooded basements, sewer backups and damaged homes after every major storm, and many of the hardest hit communities don’t have the staff to chase down help on their own. MWRD’s 2026 budget is $1.8 billion, including $855.3 million for capital projects, but only $96.7 million for the Stormwater Management Fund. That’s down from $134.7 million in 2025. I want to know why stormwater went down while the rest of the capital program went up. MWRD should go directly to the neighborhoods with known flooding problems and come with real solutions, not wait for them to apply. The Stormwater Partnership Program can reimburse up to $4 million per project, and MWRD counts more than 280 projects completed or underway. Every one of them should be tracked publicly, with costs, deadlines and results.
Managing water and respecting dollars are inseparable public responsibilities. The people paying the bills deserve to know what their investment is accomplishing. Our team, is the answer of integrity behind that responsibility.
Vote 3 for MWRD in the November 3, 2026 election - Michelle Pennington, Tim Rueckert, and Jill Shestokas for commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago