Chicago Utility Creates App to Respond to Incidents Impacting Waterways

As boaters and visitors flock to area waterways, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is prepared to respond to local incidents impacting local rivers and streams.

To alert the MWRD of odors, stream blockages and other environmental-related issues, the public is encouraged to report these occurrences via the agency’s online Citizen Incident Reporting application. The CIR app can be initiated by visiting www.mwrd.org and clicking on the “Report Odor, Water Pollution, Waterway Blockages, or Other” above “Quick Links” on the right. A short questionnaire will prompt visitors for information regarding the situation. Staff will use the information to investigate complaints and plan future work throughout the county. Urgent matters should be reported to local municipalities. The CIR application is equipped with Google Translate allowing website text in English to be translated to Spanish and Polish.

To access the CIR via smart phone or Apple iOS devices, the MWRD offers a mobile incident reporting app that provides a simple wizard-based interface that prompts for specific information regarding the incident. MWRD system dispatchers monitor the CIR system continuously and examine each submitted incident. During this investigation, submitters may use the app in conjunction with their incident number to review their incident’s status and any findings.

“Through this reporting system, our team at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago can help more people and respond more quickly to whatever impacts our waterways,” said MWRD President Mariyana Spyropoulos. “By alerting us of these incidents, we can better prevent waterway pollution, disruption and flooding and quickly react to the source of odor nuisances.”

Another way to notify the MWRD about occurrences of water and air pollution is through a 24-hour 1-800-332-DUMP (3867) hotline. Dispatchers monitor both the online reporting system and hotline 24 hours per day. If a caller reports a dump or spill into a sewer or into a Chicago area waterway, the dispatcher refers the call to the MWRD’s Industrial Waste Division, and a pollution control officer launches an investigation. The officers strive to complete their investigation within five business days. Some cases may be open longer due to the nature of the event and the involvement of other agencies. Depending upon the circumstances, services may be needed from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or the U.S. Coast Guard.

“Our Small Streams Maintenance Program and pollution control officers work hard to protect our water environment,” said MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore. “But MWRD can’t do it alone. We need the interest and involvement of individuals, community groups, and businesses along the waterways, too. The CIR system makes it easier than ever before to report odor, debris and other unusual occurrences – and we encourage people to tell us where the trouble spots are so that we can get to them faster.”

App features allow users to:

• Identify the specific location of the incident by plotting an address and/or tapping a precise point on a map;
• Upload a picture taken directly on the iPhone’s camera or already saved on the device; and
• Search submitted incidents through Incident Number and the submitter’s last name.

 Other features include:

• Direct access to review incidents submitted on your iPhone;
• Links to MWRD’s Small Streams Maintenance Program’s mobile web site to report waterway issues (http://clearstreams.org). To download the app, search for MWRD CIR in iTunes or click on the following link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mwrd-citizen-incident-reporting/id914049460?ls=1&mt=8

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