A new project to clean up area rivers and improve water infrastructure will create 2,000 jobs in Illinois, Gov. Pat Quinn announced.
Quinn on Monday awarded a $250 million low-interest loan via his Clean Water Initiative to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The money will fund several clean water and environmental projects, create construction-related jobs and support 8,000 more local jobs.
“We are committed to making Illinois a national leader in clean water, which will lay the foundation for a stronger economy for generations to come,” Quinn said.
The MWRD, one of the largest wastewater collection and treatment systems, handles sewage for more than 5.25 million residents, 125 suburban communities and thousands of businesses and industries in Chicago.
It will offer jobs for carpenters, electricians, iron workers, laborers, machinists, plumbers, pipefitters, operating engineers, painters, truck drivers and many other tradesmen.
“The jobs created by the Clean Water Initiative are good-paying jobs, since a prevailing wage requirement is part of each project,” James F. Coyne, Business Manager of Plumbers, said.
Quinn launched the Clean Water Initiative in 2012 to help fix aging drinking water and wastewater treatment plants and pipelines. Quinn said the initiative will create 28,500 jobs in Illinois without using new state tax dollars.
