Democrat incumbents take water board primary

All three incumbents on the Cook County Metropolitan Water Reclamation District board appeared to weather a primary challenge Tuesday on a crowded Democratic ballot.

With about 90 percent of the votes counted, incumbents Frank Avila, Kathleen Meany and Cynthia Santos held fairly comfortable margins against five challengers, in unofficial totals.

Avila brought in the most votes, with about 17 percent, followed by Santos and Meany, respectively.

The closest challenger was Mariyana Spyropoulos.

The three who do survive Tuesday's primary will move onto the November general election, where they'll face three Green Party candidates: Nadine Bopp, Rita Bogolub and John "Jack" Ailey, who were unopposed in their primary.

The Republicans mounted no candidates for the commission.

One of the state's least understood governing agencies, the district is responsible for wastewater treatment and storm water management. Its territory includes nearly all of Cook County and the commission oversees some 75 miles of waterways.

The district is turning its focus to new endeavors as the massive Deep Tunnel flood-control project nears completion.

Avila, 69, of Chicago, advances to the November election, where he will run for his second term as commissioner.

The civil engineer said he believes funding is the most pressing issue facing the district, which is about to launch a capital improvements program at its treatment plants of "unprecedented proportions."

Meany, 59, is the board vice president and a commissioner since 1990.

She said there is public pressure to use disinfection to make waterways swimmable. The process would reduce bacteria in wastewater that's discharged back into the system. But until the Deep Tunnel project is complete, storm-induced sewer overflows would cancel out the benefits, Meany said.

Santos, a 46-year-old real estate agent from Chicago, is running for her third term.

She said completing the Deep Tunnel project and securing the funding for the remainder of the project are crucial. Santos also wants to improve the district's record in the area of affirmative action.

The district is widely acknowledged as being well-managed and fiscally responsible. It has a $1.4 billion budget in 2008 and carries a AAA-bond rating.