Environment

When he became executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District in 2011, David St. Pierre said he saw the district as a national leader in the wastewater-treatment industry.

Addressing a sold-out room at the City Club of Chicago Tuesday, St. Pierre discussed the MWRD’s recent accomplishments and his plans for ensuring MWRD stays at the “cutting edge” of the field.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is moving forward on an almost $200 million project to build new treatment facilities at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, the world’s largest wastewater treatment facility.

At a meeting Thursday, the MWRD Board agreed to advertise a $198.6 million contract for the Stickney plant, which sits on 570 acres of land in Cicero and processes wastewater for 2.38 million Cook County residents, per an MWRD estimate.