Every time Chicagoans flush a toilet, run a sink or prepare for a heavy downpour, they rely on the work of an agency many may know little about: the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. This November, voters will elect four commissioners to the district’s nine-member board, which oversees wastewater treatment and prevents flooding across Cook County.
Here’s what the agency does and what’s at stake in the election.
What does the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago do?
The MWRD treats wastewater from homes and businesses before releasing the cleaned water back into the environment. It also manages stormwater to reduce flooding and protect waterways from pollution.
The agency was established in 1889 as the Sanitary District of Chicago because sewage from the Chicago River was contaminating Lake Michigan, the city’s drinking-water source. The district helped reverse the river’s flow by building the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, directing wastewater away from the lake.
Today, the MWRD treats wastewater at seven plants serving Chicago and 128 surrounding communities. Much of the city’s wastewater is treated at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant before flowing into waterways and eventually reaching the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.
Who runs the MWRD? Who is on the board?
The district is governed by a nine-member Board of Commissioners. Commissioners are elected countywide in Cook County, rather than representing individual city wards or districts.
The board oversees the agency’s policies, budget and major decisions. Commissioners serve staggered six-year terms, so not all nine seats are on the ballot in the same election.
The district is independent of Chicago and Cook County governments. Its work is funded primarily through property taxes, making commissioners responsible for overseeing substantial public spending. The district’s 2026 budget included $755.7 million in property taxes. Its 2027 budget recommendations project $782.4 million, according to the district’s budget dashboard.
Which seats are up for election in November 2026?
There are four MWRD commissioner seats on the Nov. 3 ballot: three regular six-year terms and one two-year term to finish an unexpired term.
- Six-year terms: Incumbents Eira Corral Sepúlveda, Precious Brady-Davis and Beth McElroy Kirkwood are running for reelection against Republican candidates Michelle Pennington, Timothy E. Rueckert and Jill B. Shestokas.
- Two-year term: Incumbent Cameron “Cam” Davis is running unopposed to complete the remaining two years of a term.
How does the election work? How many candidates can voters choose?
Cook County voters can select up to three candidates for the regular six-year seats. The three candidates who receive the most votes win those seats.
The two-year seat is a separate race, with Davis running unopposed.
What are the MWRD’s biggest challenges?
Flooding and infrastructure are major challenges. The district operates the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, known as the Deep Tunnel, which stores excess stormwater and wastewater during heavy rain, until it can be treated, instead of overflowing into waterways.
But the system has limits. In July, after days of heavy rain, the McCook Reservoir reached between 96% and 100% capacity, while the Thornton Reservoir reached 94%, as reported by the Sun-Times. The reservoirs’ limited remaining capacity raised flood risks in nearby communities and sewage overflows entered the Chicago River.
The July flooding underscored the limits of the region’s existing infrastructure, even with billions of dollars invested in the Deep Tunnel system over several decades. As the MWRD continues expanding that system and managing increasingly heavy rainfall, the elected commissioners will be charged with shaping how the district responds to such future challenges.