Thumbs up: To more efficient and effective water treatment. The City of Sycamore is planning a $10 million update to its wastewater treatment plant that will give the facility on North Cross Street more capacity and make the quality of water discharged into the Kishwaukee River cleaner. When the project is complete, it should be a substantial upgrade from the city’s current system, which uses equipment that is 35 years old and relies more heavily on chemical agents to kill bacteria. Although most of us don’t give a lot of thought to where the water goes after it runs down the drain, making it safe for the environment again is a complex and important process.

Thumbs up: To the DeKalb County Housing Authority’s plans to make its properties smoke-free by June 1, 2014. The policy will protect the health of nonsmokers – when multiple apartments in the same complex share a ventilation system, there is no way to prevent secondhand smoke from entering the apartments of nonsmokers. It should also save the housing authority money, as it will no longer have to repair smoke damage to units when the smokers move out. Finally, there is hope the new policy will encourage smokers to give up the habit, both improving their health and saving them considerable money in the long term.

Thumbs down: To wild winter weather in DeKalb County this week. On Tuesday, residents were golfing and playing basketball in their shirtsleeves with high temperatures in the 60s and a flood watch in effect. On Wednesday, the rain changed to snow and icy roads imperiled drivers on their way home from work. By Thursday, wind chills dropped to life-threatening lows and Friday was another day of the deep freeze. Although temperatures should moderate in the days ahead, it looks like it could be a while before we see the 60s again.