Chicago MWRD advances PFAS industrial surveillance contract amid data transparency debate

Chicago MWRD advances PFAS industrial surveillance contract amid data transparency debateThe Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago has approved a new laboratory analysis contract to track PFAS contributions from industrial users, sparking discussions on the protocols for releasing raw testing data to the Illinois EPA and the public.

The MWRD Board of Commissioners approved a $93,000 contract to conduct laboratory analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The testing will target industrial users to identify significant PFAS contributions and include ongoing analysis at the district's water reclamation plants.

Board members debated the timeline for releasing the data, emphasizing the need to provide contextual explanations to prevent public misinterpretation of raw numbers.

Separately, the district announced plans for a late summer bond sale to yield approximately $200 million for its capital improvement plan.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) is expanding its efforts to track "forever chemicals" within its wastewater network, advancing a new laboratory analysis contract while grappling with how to publicly report the findings. During its March 19, 2026 meeting, the MWRD Board of Commissioners approved a $93,000 contract (Contract 26-103-11) to analyze per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The district's Executive Director noted that the agreement is a continuation of previous work and will fund ongoing surveillance of industrial users to identify significant PFAS contributions, as well as continued testing at MWRD's water reclamation plants. The approval prompted a board debate over data transparency and regulatory reporting. Commissioner Sharon Waller pressed staff on when the district's collected PFAS data would be provided to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and published on the MWRD website, arguing that the taxpayer-funded analysis should be readily accessible. District officials confirmed that data collection under the new contract will take place throughout the remainder of the year. While the Executive Director expressed support for sharing the results with both the IEPA and the public, he emphasized that raw data requires careful presentation. Chairman of Finance Marcelino Garcia echoed the need for caution, warning that raw numbers could be easily misinterpreted without proper context. "Data may be interpreted in many different forms and used by people to extrapolate things that they may want or not to make their cases be heard," Garcia stated. He stressed that the district must have clear procedures in place to provide explanations alongside the data to ensure accuracy in public understanding. In addition to the PFAS initiative, the board also received an update on long-term capital funding. The district's Treasurer informed the board that MWRD anticipates entering the bond market in late August or early September 2026. The upcoming transaction will refund callable Series 2016 bonds and issue approximately $200 million in new proceeds to finance the district's capital improvement plan, with final timing dependent on market volatility.