Environment

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is eying a plan to turn waste from its water treatment plants into biogas energy and revenue for the agency.

Agency Executive Director David St. Pierre noted at a MWRD Board meeting on Thursday that the agency is on the verge of getting state permission to convert recycled waste into renewable resources, and then sell its product on the open market.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board on Thursday approved an agreement with the Village of Glenview that is intended to reduce the risk of flooding for more than 1,000 homeowners in the flat, flood-prone North Shore community.

David St. Pierre, executive director of MWRD, explained to the board that the Glenview pact should be the first of several agreements MWRD reaches to transfer cash to municipal governments for flood prevention infrastructure.

“We’re working with each community in Cook County to come up with a localized flooding plan,” St. Pierre said.