Waller4Water

10/08/2026

I just signed up for the 2027 Chicago River Swim. Who wants to swim with me? Register here

The Chicago River Swim is on Sunday September 20, 2026. It includes the following events: 2-Mile Swim Application, 1-Mile Swim Application, 2-Mile Swim, and 1-Mile Swim.

10/07/2026

MWRD tour for legislators is "show-and-tell" for how funding for infrastructure reduces flood damage. Thank you to all our state and congressional legislators who joined the tour to see what you get for your support. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Pay not and pay less later.

09/09/2026

Good news! Chicago was listed as the #1 most resilient city. That doesn't mean good enough - it just means better than the rest. The investment in deep tunnel is paying off, but there's more work to be done. No time to rest in the race to adapt to climate change.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/realestate/is-your-city-prepared-for-climate-disaster.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

"Chicago was ranked the most resilient city. It’s in a temperate latitude, with good freshwater access and low hurricane risk. Adaptation efforts have included a long-term investment in robust infrastructure like the massive Deep Tunnel Project, which is meant to mitigate flooding and water pollution."

A new report ranks the world’s large cities on how well they have adapted to face climate risk.

09/03/2026

River Swim CEO Doug McConnell attend the MWRD Board meeting to day to accept a copy of the resolution the Board passed in support of the swim.

… the Chicago River Swim was founded under the leadership of CEO Doug McConnell, an award-winning open water swimmer for more than 50 years who has swum some of the world’s most challenging routes, including the English Channel, Hawaii’s Ka’iwi Channel, and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim;...

Will this pic with him and a veteran swimmer help me reach my fundraising goal???
Donate for ALS and water safety lesson at
https://runsignup.com/waller4water?fbclid=IwdGRjcAS6Y-RjbGNrBLpjwmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHjINN7Trrmy2A_t-HoOAqcoHGuORxdVBCSpsnn84EN-OqI5mBaIbeUf4bqWi_aem_JffMu6YRNhCNKGmidssMmg

08/10/2026

swim the river

07/08/2026

07/07/2026

The Long Swim is coming to Chicago Sept 20. This is a moment to celebrate the radical improvement of our river water quality.

https://mwrd.org/news/second-annual-chicago-river-swim-starts-finishes-mwrds-clean-water

07/07/2026

MWRD's two major reservoirs are at about 90% capacity after July 2nd- 4th rains.
https://mwrd.org/what-we-do/tunnel-and-reservoir-plan-tarp/tunnel-and-reservoir-plan-tarp-reservoir-levels

07/07/2026

Thank you to MWRD Commissioner Yumeka Brown and her team for developing this great infographic to get critical information out to the public about response to recent flooding.