Sarah Bury

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 am running to prevent flooding for the residents of Cook County. 

I grew up in a house that flooded every time it rained. Our family lost not just possessions but also living space, time and money. At various points, my siblings lived in the basement and woke up to flooded rooms. We could not use our furnished basement as a living space. We had to clean up and dispose of damaged possessions and later, once it became clear that the walls and foundation were damaged by water and mold, the walls had to be removed and the foundation reinforced. I know the impact that flooding can have on a family, and I want to fight to prevent other families from having that same experience.  

The experience of flooding is so common across the county that folks have started to accept it as a given and as normal. Climate change is not going to let up, and neither should we. In addition to ensuring the proper maintenance of pipes, we need to give the water somewhere else to go other than the homes, businesses and streets of our residents. We need more green space, and we need it the most in places where the lack of infrastructure investment has been the greatest. We also need to facilitate technology transfer between communities. For example, flood management techniques from a place with sand in the soil like Rogers Park will not benefit a dense area like Stickney, but the lessons of Berwyn or Cicero might be applicable in Stickney. We have a responsibility to seek out best practices of the folks who live in these places and make it possible for them to share their knowledge across political boundaries.

I am running to protect the water from pollution. 

I studied environmental law in law school, and I have a master’s degree in environmental politics. I have spent over a decade working to keep our water clean. In law school, I worked for the City of Chicago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Center for International Environmental Law. After I graduated, I was the Dale Bryson Water Quality Fellow for the Alliance for the Great Lakes and have since volunteered for organizations including the League of Women Voters of Lake Michigan Region (Vice President, now Treasurer), the League of Women Voters of Illinois (Water Issue Specialist), the Sierra Club’s Chicago Water Team and the Delta Emerging Leaders. 

When the sewer system gets overwhelmed, the MWRD releases untreated storm and waste water into our water ways, posing threats to both human and environmental health. The solution here again is to give the water somewhere else to go. Green space acts not just as a holding place for water but also as a filtration system in addition to the co-benefits of increased mental and physical health and property values for communities.

I am running to amplify community voice. 

The main lesson of my master’s degree was to meet communities where they are and listen because they know what they need and what is best for them. As a former teacher, my role is often one of education and outreach. As a political organizer, I am familiar with the importance and processes by which public engagement is achieved. 

The MWRD has to become more accessible to its residents. It needs to build relationships with communities instead of holding meetings just to check the public participation box on a project to-do list. The MWRD allowed for remote public comment during the pandemic. This was a positive development because this agency, like other governmental agencies, has its meetings at a largely inaccessible time and place for the average resident. After the pandemic was declared over, the remote public comment ability was terminated. I hope to bring that access back, host consistent virtual office hours and collaborate with local leaders across the county to meet residents where they are. There is also a gap in language accessibility and education.

I want to serve as a commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District because protecting clean water, preventing flooding, and ensuring accountable public institutions has been the focus of my professional and volunteer work for more than a decade - and because I’ve personally experienced the consequences when systems fail.

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?

In addition to the Deep Tunnel system and reservoirs, the MWRD must significantly expand green infrastructure in an equitably distributed way across Cook County. Nature-based solutions like rain gardens, bioswales, permeable pavement, green roofs, and parks capture rain where it falls, reducing pressure on the sewer system and preventing combined sewer overflows before they occur.

Green infrastructure is scalable, adaptable to climate change, and can be deployed equitably in communities that experience the worst flooding. It also provides co-benefits like reduced basement flooding, improved air quality, urban cooling, and better public health. Long-term planning, regional coordination, and community-driven investment are essential if we want a future where sewer overflows are rare rather than routine.

Through education and outreach, we can also teach residents how to tax the system as little as possible on days where the stormwater is already filling the sewers.

How else can the MWRD improve conditions in area waterways to reduce public health threats?

The MWRD could add disinfection to its Stickney plant, which is the largest wastewater treatment plant in the world and processes 1.44 billion gallons of waste daily. Disinfection would significantly reduce bacteria like E. coli, improving both water safety and public confidence in our rivers and canals. The MWRD did a study to determine whether UV radiation or chlorine are the most cost effective method (the answer was chlorine), but either method would require significant financial investment. This cost should by no means be absorbed by the residential users of Cook County. We need to lean into the concepts of producer responsibility and polluter pays and make those who do the most polluting pay their fair share. 

These producer responsibility and polluter pays measures have the additional benefit of discouraging the pollution in the first place. Moreover, we should continue the MWRD Board’s work of lobbying to stop pollutants like PFAS at their sources.

The District should also continue investing in green infrastructure to reduce untreated discharges and support projects that reconnect people to waterways, such as habitat restoration and river access projects like the Wild Mile. Finally, the MWRD must improve transparency and public education by clearly communicating water quality data so residents understand when and how waterways are safe to enjoy.

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?

There is significant room for improvement in public outreach and education. Residents often do not know about the MWRD at all let alone learn from the MWRD. This is first a problem because if a resident does not know who the change agents are, it is harder to ask for help. We should start there. Then, the education events, like the meetings, happen while most residents are at work. We need to use more accessible methods of information sharing. 

The District should do more proactive, accessible education: including plain-language materials, multilingual outreach, partnerships with municipalities and community organizations, and clearer connections between green infrastructure projects and real-world flooding reduction. When residents understand how and why these tools work, they are more likely to support and participate in solutions that strengthen climate resilience. They should also facilitate the above mentioned technology transfer between communities.

Relatedly, the MWRD has a fantastic virtual tour, replete with chemistry and physics topics, and we are missing the opportunity to make connections between science and the real world in schools.

Do you think the MWRD has a role in reducing contaminants like prescription drugs / pharmaceuticals and toxic chemicals like phosphates?

Yes. While many contaminants such as PFAS and pharmaceuticals are difficult to remove during treatment, the MWRD plays a critical role in monitoring, research, public reporting, and advocacy. Expanding testing and making data widely accessible helps communities understand risks and pushes policymakers toward action.

Reducing these contaminants at their source is essential. I support stronger state and federal standards, producer responsibility, and the polluter-pays principle. The MWRD should also invest in research and emerging treatment technologies while working regionally across the Great Lakes to address pollution that crosses state lines.

The MWRD also has a responsibility to educate residents about the existence of and potential for reducing pollution in our water ways. The recent climate education law has resulted in a repository of environmental lessons for potential placement into curricula in our schools. Teaching students where flushed items go could have long-lasting impacts on residential pollution, especially with pharmaceuticals.

Do you believe the MWRD has a role in preventing aquatic invasive species from entering the Chicago waterway system?

Yes. While multiple agencies share responsibility for preventing aquatic invasive species, the MWRD plays an important role through infrastructure management, interagency coordination, and environmental stewardship of the waterway system.

The District’s operations affect water flow, water quality, and connectivity between watersheds, all of which influence the spread of invasive species. The MWRD should continue working closely with state, federal, and regional partners to support prevention efforts, monitoring, and science-based management, while ensuring that water quality and ecosystem health remain central to decision-making.

What specific water infrastructure projects or investments would you pursue if elected?

I would prioritize local, scalable green infrastructure projects designed in partnership with communities. Because flooding is hyper-local, solutions must be tailored to neighborhood conditions and resident priorities.

I strongly support programs like Space to Grow, urban agriculture, and investments that transform underused spaces into stormwater-absorbing community assets. Done right, these projects reduce flooding, improve water quality, support biodiversity, and enhance neighborhood livability while building long-term climate resilience.