Cook County has limited recycled water infrastructure compared to the Southwest. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago provides reclaimed effluent for industrial cooling, irrigation, and biosolid reuse under Illinois EPA NPDES permits, but residential purple-pipe systems are rare.
MWRDGC operates seven water reclamation plants serving Cook County, producing tertiary-treated effluent discharged primarily to area rivers. Reclaimed water for direct beneficial reuse is provided to limited industrial and golf-course customers via tanker delivery or dedicated lines, governed by Illinois EPA NPDES permits and 35 Ill. Adm. Code 309. Class B biosolids are land-applied on farms under federal 40 CFR 503 rules. There is no countywide purple-pipe distribution network. Cook County and MWRDGC promote rainwater harvesting and stormwater detention for landscape irrigation as the primary non-potable conservation tool, supplementing limited recycled-water programs.
Using reclaimed water for unauthorized purposes, cross-connecting it to potable plumbing, or improperly storing biosolids violates Illinois EPA permits, triggering fines, permit revocation, and Illinois Pollution Control Board enforcement.
See how Evanston's recycled water rules rules stack up against other locations.
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