Monitoring and Research Seminar Series
The MWRD hosts a seminar series at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant that is open to the public. These seminars are eligible for Professional Development Credits/CEUs.
Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance. Picture ID is required for plant entry.
Location:
Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, Lue-Hing R&D Complex
6001 West Pershing Road
Cicero, IL 60804
Time: All seminars start at 10:30 a.m. CST
For additional information, please contact Dr. Heng Zhang, Assistant Director of Monitoring and Research, at 708-588-4264 or 708-588-4059 or email zhangH@mwrd.org.
Upcoming seminars
February 28, 2025
"Be Ambitious: Durham Region’s Water and Wastewater Net-zero GHG Roadmap," Emma Shen, PhD, P.Eng., Global Principal, Jacobs, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
March 28, 2025
"Converting Invasive Hybrid Cattails (Typha x glauca) into Biochar and its Impact on Water Quality," Brian Ohsowski, PhD, Assistant Professor, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
April 25, 2025
"Biological Chemically Enhanced Primary Treatment Compared to Traditional Activated Sludge Secondary Treatment During Wet Weather Flows," Steve Baytos, Water Reclamation Facility Manager, City of Akron and, Mike Starkey, P.E., Burgess & Niple, Akron, Ohio
May 30, 2025
"Achieving Nutrient Efficiency and Improving Treatment Capacity through Source Separation," Nancy Love, PhD, Professor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
June 27, 2025
"Highlighting the Benefits of Machine Learning for BNR at HRSD," Jeff Sparks, PhD, Director of Digital Water, Hampton Road Sanitation District, Virginian Beach, Virginia
July 25, 2025
"Phosphorus Removal Filter Performance in an Urban Watershed," Andy McCabe, PhD. Environmental Engineer, Barr Engineering, Minneapolis, Minnesota
August 22, 2025
"Towards Sustainable WRRFs: Exploring the Potential of Internally Stored Carbon for Efficient BNR," Kayla Bauhs, P.E., Staff Engineer, Brown and Caldwell, Nashville, Tennessee
September 26, 2025
"A History of Extreme Rain Events Impacting Chicago," Scott Lincoln, Senior Service Hydrologist, National Weather Service Forecast Office Chicago, NOAA, Illinois
October 24, 2025
"Developing a Regional Biosolids Master Plan for the North Shore Water Reclamation District," Steve Waters, North Shore Water Reclamation District, and Joseph Marino, P.E., Client Service Manager, Brown and Caldwell, Berkeley, Illinois
November 21, 2025
"Advancing Wastewater Phytoremediation with Duckweed (Lemna minor) and Native Prairie Plants Floating Wetlands," Levi Straka, PhD, Environmental Research Scientist, and Charles Impastato, Senior Environmental Research Technician, M&R, MWRD
December 12, 2025
"Sewer Modeling for South Park Interceptor to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant," Weizhe (William) An, PhD, PE, Environmental Research Scientist, M&R, MWRD
Seminar Archive
January 31, 2025
“Working at the Bottom of the Water Industry,” Coby Forth, Wastewater Operator, Fox River Water Reclamation District, South Elgin, Illinois
January 26, 2024
Climate Science to Actionable Urban Solutions, Dr. Ashish Sharma, Adjunct Professor/Climate and Urban Sustainability Lead, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
February 23, 2024
Global Climate Change Impacts on Aquatic Communities of the Chicago Wilderness Area and Implications for Restoration Strategies, James Bland, Director, Environmental Products and Services, Inc., Third Lake, Illinois
March 29, 2024
Interspecies Competition Between Nitrobacter and Nitrospira in Mainstream Nitritating Biological Nutrient Removal, Jason Mellin, Environmental Research Scientist, Monitoring and Research Department, MWRD
April 26, 2024
20 Years of Stormwater Management for Cook County, Illinois, by the MWRD, Joseph Kratzer, P.E., CFM, Managing Civil Engineer, Stormwater Management Section, Engineering Department, MWRD
May 31, 2024
Using Hyperspectral Remote Sensing on Farmland for Reducing Environmental Impacts, Dr. Yi Wang, Associate Professor/Sustainable Vegetable Production & Precision Agriculture, Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison
June 28, 2024
Environmental Pathogen Engineering, Charles N. Haas, Ph.D., L.D. Betz Professor of Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
July 26, 2024
A Pilot Study on Biotrickling Filters Using Synthetic Media for Design of Full-Scale Odor Control Facilities, Warner Song, Ph.D., P.E., Senior Engineer, Wastewater Research Section, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, Whittier, California
August 23, 2024
Phosphorus Assessment and Reduction Plan Study for the Chicago Area Waterway System, Rishab Mahajan, P.E., CFM, Senior Engineer, Geosyntec Consultants, Chicago, Illinois
October 25, 2024
Sludge Densification Full-Scale Study at Metro Water Recovery in Denver, CO, Rudy Maltos, Ph.D., P.E., Staff Engineer, Technology and Innovation Division, Metro Water Recovery, Denver, Colorado
November 8, 2024 (rescheduled from September 27)
Roadmap for Achieving Energy Management Vision and Goals: South Platte Renew Improves Energy Efficiency While Addressing Regulatory Challenges and Aging Infrastructure in Colorado, Elizabeth W. Keddy, PE, LEED AP, Senior Associate, Hazen and Sawyer, Tampa, Florida.
November 22, 2024
Environmental Justice in Action at the MWRD, Edward Coleman, Human Resources Manager and Lolita Thompson, P.E., Principal Civil Engineer, Environmental Justice Section, MWRD
December 13, 2024
Hydraulic Modeling of Transient Events in the MWRDGC Tunnel and Reservoir Plan System, Mason Throneburg, Co-Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Confluency, Chicago, and Louis Storino, P.E., BCEE Managing Civil Engineer, Engineering Department, MWRD
January 27, 2023
Updates on the Biosolids Management Program at the MWRD, Ahmad Laban, P.E., Managing Engineer, Maintenance and Operations Department, and Theresa Johnston, Senior Environmental Soil Scientist, Monitoring & Research Department, MWRDGC
February 24, 2023
Converting Rectangular and Circular Primary Tanks into an AAA Settler, Dr. Bernhard Wett, ARAconsult Gmbh, Innsbruck, Austria
March 31, 2023
The 50 Year History of the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), Patrick Jensen, P.E., Principal Civil Engineer, and Brian Wawczak, P.E., Senior Civil Engineer, Engineering Department, MWRDGC
April 28, 2023
USACE Planning Assistance to States, Chicago River Restoration Framework, Chuck Shea, P.E., PMP Project Manager, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District Office
May 26, 2023
Revolving Algal Biofilm System for Nutrient Removal and Recovery, Dr. Zhiyou Wen, Director, Center for Crops Utilization Research, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
June 30, 2023
Understanding and Embracing Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analytics, Dr. Kathryn B. Newhart, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography & Environmental Engineering, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York
July 28, 2023
More Than Just Energy Savings: Understanding the Benefits of Low DO Operation Dr. Mark Miller, P.E., Senior Process Engineer, and Don Esping, Process Engineering Lead, Brown and Caldwell, Charlotte, North Carolina
August 25, 2023
Innovative City Adaptations to Climate Change, Dr. Şevin Yildiz, Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Policy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
September 29, 2023
Relating SARS-CoV-2 RNA Measured in Chicago-area Wastewater Treatment Plant and Cook County COVID-19 Public Health Data, Dr. Niall M. Mangan, Assistant Professor of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
October 27, 2023
Near to Real-Time Flood Forecasting: Towards Digital Twins at Urban Scales
November 17, 2023
Updates on the MWRDGC’s Phosphorus Removal Efforts, Dr. Joseph Kozak, P.E., Principal Environmental Scientist, Environmental Monitoring and Research Division, Monitoring & Research Department, MWRDGC
December 15, 2023
The MWRD’s Update on the Climate Action Plan and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Dr. Kuldip Kumar, Principal Environmental Scientist, M&R Department, MWRDGC
January 28, 2022
Wastewater Surveillance for COVID-19 – A Regional Effort, Rachel Poretsky, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago
February 25, 2022
Regulating the Water Environment at the District and Beyond: A Brief Evolutionary History, Greg Yarnik, Supervising Environmental Specialist, Industrial Waste Division, Monitoring and Research Department, MWRDGC
March 25, 2022
Determination of Watershed Specific Release Rates, Greg Byard, Project Manager, Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, Illinois
April 29, 2022
Use of Integrated Planning to Facilitate a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Renewal, Rajeev Kapur, Water Resources Program Manager, Clean Water Services, Regulatory Affairs Department, Hillsboro, Oregon
May 27, 2022
Operating the Stickney Water Reclamation Plan to Meet the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Limit for Total Phosphorus, Joseph Kozak, Principal Environmental Scientist, Monitoring and Research Department, and Joseph Cummings, Managing Engineer, Maintenance and Operations Department, Stickney Area, MWRD
June 24, 2022
How Are Biosolids Used and Managed in the United States? Results of the Second Comprehensive National Biosolids Survey, Ned Beecher, Special Projects Manager, North East Biosolids and Residuals Association, Tamworth, New Hampshire
July 29, 2022
Infiltration and Inflow Control at the City of Naperville, Tony Conn, Sr., Water Distribution & Collection Manager, Naperville Public Utilities-Water, Naperville, Illinois
August 31, 2022
Sustainable Water Supplies for Semi-arid Cities, Richard G. Luthy, Ph.D., Silas H. Palmer Professor, Department Civil Engineering, and Director, Engineering Research Center for Re-inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure, Stanford University, Stanford, California
September 30, 2022
Side-stream Enhanced Biologic Phosphorus Removal (S2EBPR) Pilot Test at the Calumet Water Reclamation District, Cindy Qin, Senior Environmental Research Scientist, Monitoring and Research Department, MWRD
October 28, 2022 - VIRTUAL
Digital Twin Development Implementation and Results for the Changi Water Reclamation Plant, Singapore, Bruce R. Johnson, Jacobs, Denver, Colorado
November 18, 2022 - VIRTUAL
Flood Reduction from Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Regional Stormwater Projects, Greg Koch, Principal Civil Engineer, Michael Cosme, Senior Civil Engineer, Justin Kirk, Senior Civil Engineer, Engineering Department, MWRD
December 9, 2022 - VIRTUAL
Water Quality in the Calumet Waterway System after the Thornton Composite Reservoir Went Online, Dustin Gallagher, Associate Aquatic Biologist, and Nicholas Kollias, Aquatic Biologist, Monitoring and Research Department, MWRD
January 29, 2021
Water Surveillance for COVID-19 – A National Science Foundation Study, Dr. Alexandria Boehm, Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California
February 26, 2021
Predictive Analytics: The Next Steps in Water Resource Recovery Facilities Operation and Optimization, Katya Bilyk, Senior Associate for Hazen and Sawyer, Raleigh, North Carolina
March 26, 2021
Nutrient Recovery Performance and the Optimization of Biological Phosphorus Removal at the F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center, Dr. Gayathri Ram Mohan, Department of Water Resources, Gwinnett County Government, Lawrenceville, Georgia
April 30, 2021
Using Watershed-based Permitting Approaches to Address Excess Nutrients, Danielle Stephan, USEPA, Office of Wastewater Management, Water Permits Division, Washington, D.C.
May 28, 2021
Recent Advancements in Granular Activity Sludge Processes, Dr. Belinda Sturm, Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
June 25, 2021
Biochar in Soil and Environmental Applications, Dr. Wei Zheng, Principal Research Scientist/Adjunct Faculty, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
July 30, 2021
Urban Water Management for the 21st Century, Dr. Glen Daigger, Professor of Engineering Practice, University of Michigan Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ann Arbor, Michigan
August 27, 2021
Bloom: Lessons in Biosolids Marketing and Sales, April Thompson, Director of Marketing and Sales, Bloom, Washington, D.C.
September 24, 2021
SUSTAINABILITY: Still Relevant or a Paradigm in Crisis, Dr. Kuldip Kumar, Principal Environmental Scientist, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
October 29, 2021
Best Practices in Kinetic Rate Testing and Data Interpretation to Measure EBPR Health – A Water Research Foundation Study, Dr. Leon Downing (presenter), and Patrick Dunlap, Black and Veatch, and Dr. April Gu, Cornell University.
November 19, 2021
Planning for Regional Climate Change Impacts, Dr. Thomas A. Wall, Senior Infrastructure & Preparedness Analyst, Argonne National
Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois
December 10, 2021
An Update on the Five Years of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, Trevor Sample, IEPA Coordinator on the Illinois NLRS Steering Committee, Springfield, Illinois