Now that the dust of Election Day has settled, Frank Avila, a re-elected member of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, is ready to get back to work.

Commissioners plan to watch over studies to improve the waste water system and want to institute programs that are enviromentally friendly.

“I would like to see permanent facilities to properly dispose of hazardous products such as pharmaceutical drugs, paint, oil and batteries,” says Avila, a 70-year-old engineer.

In all, three Democratic commissioners successfully defended their seats on the MWRD. The others are Kathleen Therese Meany and Cynthia Santos.

The MWRD is responsible for treating wastewater for the city of Chicago and dozens of suburban municipalities, and overseeing stormwater management for Cook County.

The district administers a $1.4 billion annual budget, 80 percent of which comes from property taxes.

The MWRD went through an uncharacteristically lively primary earlier this year. After that, the incumbent Democrats trampled over their Republican and Green Party challengers, who accused the incumbents of complacency and hiring nepotism.

"Our race is the primary," Avila said today. "Normally, with the Board of Commissioners, whoever wins the primary wins the general election."

Avila, who commanded 28.6 percent of the vote, says he is anxious to move ahead with the MWRD’s future plans — primarily the improvement of the North Side, Calumet, and Stickney Water Reclamation plants, a $2.3 billion project which could take between four and 10 years to complete.

The Stickney Plant is the largest wastewater treatment facility in the world.

Plans also include six watershed studies currently taking place in Cook County; two to be completed by 2008, one in 2009, and the last three in 2010. 

The prime adjective of these studies, he says, “is the determination of capital improvement projects to help alleviate regional storm water management problems.”

According to Avila, this will include reservoir, soil erosion, and wetland studies.

He also stressed the importance of organic farming as a way of preserving the water environment, and emphasized his willingness to become engaged with the community.

“I would love to talk to everyone and anyone about prevention,” says Avila.

Meany, who secured 23.5 percent of the vote for victory,  was unavailable for comment today. Meany, 60, has served on the board since 1990, and has cited the completion of the Tunnel and Reservoir Project, a $3.5 billion plan to curb flooding and pollution through the development of deep water reservoirs, as one of her main goals.

Santos, 47, was also unavailable for comment today. A colleague of Meany, she has said that the Tunnel and Reservoir Project as a main priority.

Recently under fire by criticism for poor attendance of district meetings, Santos attributed her absences to death and illnesses in her family. She received 25.1 percent of the votes counted.