| (L-R): MWRD Comm. Timothy Bradford; ED David St. Pierre; Comms. Debra Shore and Frank Avila; Pres. Mariyana T. Spyropoulos; Aarhus CEO Lars Schrøder; VP Barbara McGowan; and Comm. Kari Steele present a paperweight depicting TARP construction equipment to Schrøder following the MOU ceremony. |
Jan. 22, 2015 -- The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) recently announced that it has entered into a collaborative agreement under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Aarhus Water, an independent regional water and wastewater enterprise owned by the municipality of Aarhus, Denmark.
The partnership was celebrated during a ceremonial gathering held at the Consulate General of Denmark on Friday, Jan. 16, at the John Hancock Center in Chicago, Ill., where MWRD President Mariyana T. Spyropoulos; Aarhus Water CEO Lars Schrøder; H.E. Peter Taksøe-Jensen, ambassador of Denmark to the U.S.; and other MWRD Commissioners all participated in the MOU signing ceremony.
"It is an honor that the District joins in this mutually beneficial partnership," said Spyropoulos. "The District and the Danish entities share many common goals, such as effective water management, sustainable operations, efficient customer service, and environmental stewardship."
The mission of Aarhus Water is to supply drinking water and provide high-quality wastewater treatment in terms of health and the environment, while taking into account reliable supplies, nature and efficient operation in a manner that is transparent to consumers.
Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark with 259,754 residents in the inner urban area, a municipal population of 326,676, and approximately 845,971 inhabitants in the metropolitan area. Aarhus Water provides drinking water to 285,000 customers through 950 miles of supply lines and 10 waterworks. Further, it treats wastewater for 300,000 customers through 10 wastewater treatment plants and 1,400 miles of sewage pipes.
"This relationship will allow our joint technical staffs the opportunity to share knowledge of best management practices, exchange experiences and engage in thoughtful dialogue about the water sector and wastewater industry," said Danish Consul General Jakob Andersen.
See also:
"MWRD to offer investors 'Green Bonds' for environmentally-friendly projects"
"MWRD enters negotiations for design of new organic waste processing plant"
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