Chicago, a city known for its diverse neighborhoods, has a long and storied relationship with water. Beginning with the Native Americans use of Chicago’s water sources as a portage between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes, to the historic engineering of the reversal of the Chicago River, to the popular lakefront and Riverwalk we enjoy today. But how do different neighborhoods view their relationship to Chicago’s rich water history?
This dialogue between MWRD Commissioner Kimberly Du Buclet and WBEZ’s Monica Eng (“Curious City”) will explore the structures and modern-day challenges facing Chicago’s water system, as seen from the perspective of the regional agency responsible for the management of our wastewater and sewage treatment. Is water an amenity or a potential hazard? Are Chicago’s water resources accessible to all? How is water managed throughout the city and what are the challenges facing its neighborhoods and populations as our infrastructure ages and climate threats intensify?
This event is co-sponsored by the Program on the Global Environment, and organized as part of UChicago ECo, a platform aimed at fostering connection among and support for the University of Chicago’s Environmental Community. Register on Zoom.
Kimberly Neely Du Buclet was elected to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Board of Commissioners in November, 2018. As a native resident of the South Side and a lifelong Chicagoan, she is proud to serve the residents of Cook County. As a Commissioner, she is working to increase awareness of environmental justice issues throughout Cook County and to increase open green space for communities while providing additional green infrastructure opportunities for water conservation.
Read Commissioner du Buclet's full biography.
Monica Eng is WBEZ’s Curious City reporter. She also reports on food, health, cultural and environmental issues at the station. Monica transitioned to WBEZ in 2013 from the Chicago Tribune where she spent 16 years editing and reporting on food, culture and health. Before that she wrote and edited at the Daily Southtown and Chicago Sun-Times.
Read Monica Eng's full biography.