Inspired by her parents’ work ethic and commitment to community and family, Cook County Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Commissioner (MWRD) Kim Du Buclet is on a mission to protect the county’s fresh water systems, save monarch butterflies and fight the effects of climate change.
Though she has no direct role in the delivery of fresh water she collaborates with municipalities to address ongoing issues. In Maywood for example, officials have been unable to invest in their water infrastructure which loses about nearly 40 percent of its water to leaking valves and pipes at an expense passed on to residents in their water bills. It is one of 1,800 community water supply systems that provide drinking water to more than 12 million people, according to the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC).
Last week, a British newspaper reported that 80 percent of Chicago households are exposed to lead contamination in drinking water, at levels at or above federal limits. The levels were about a third more lead than allowed in bottled water, and African American and Latino residents were being disparately impacted. In 2018, IEC warned “Illinois has a $32 billion projected need over the next 20 years for drinking, storm water, wastewater infrastructure.”
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