City of Batavia Currents—Keeping streets safe in winter

Keeping Batavia’s streets safe in the winter

The Street Division of the Batavia Public Works Department is responsible for ensuring that all city streets and facilities are safe and accessible during the winter season. Snow removal and ice control are provided for 117 miles of streets, 168 culs-de-sac, two city cemeteries, 14 city-owned parking lots, and sidewalks in several locations of the downtown area. Please drive with caution during the winter season and adjust your speed accordingly since hazardous conditions may exist due to snow, wind, and freezing temperatures.

Snow and ice control is considered emergency work in that pavement must be cleared any time of the day or night. Such factors as the rate and accumulation of snowfall, moisture content, temperature, time of day, wind direction, velocity, and duration are all taken into consideration in the approach to responding to each individual snowstorm.

During snowfall events, the City of Batavia spreads deicing salt on primary streets. In most cases, salt will be applied continuously to secondary streets; however, the application rate of salt to secondary streets will be less than primary streets and, depending on the events, may not be done. After a snowfall has ended, secondary streets are plowed and deicers are applied mainly to intersections, hills, and curves. A salt brine solution may be applied prior to a snow event to prevent icy conditions. In addition, the city puts additives into the salt to accelerate the melting process.

Best efforts will be made to clear 14 all primary streets to bare pavement during the snowstorm. Secondary streets will be plowed following the end of a snowfall after primary streets are cleared. Depending upon variable conditions, some streets may remain snow packed after plowing operations have been completed. Courts and culs-de-sac will be plowed after primary and secondary streets are completed if snow accumulation is greater than 2". Culs-de-sac can take up to eight times longer to plow than a through street of a similar size. They are generally done during the day after the snow has stopped.

Crews will make best efforts to plow aisles of city-owned public parking lots during and after a storm to maintain access to the parking lots during business hours. The major clearing of these lots is performed during the early morning hours.

The City of Batavia plows most streets within the city limits; however, there are several roads that are the responsibility of other government agencies. Kane Countymaintained roadways include Kirk Rd., Randall Rd., Fabyan Pkwy., and Main St. (west of Randall Rd.).

Please follow these regulations and guidelines to make your streets safer for travel during the winter season: Street regulations: Snowplows are designed to unload snow to the side, forming a windrow along the curb or edge of pavement.

We understand that this leaves a windrow through driveways, but this process is the most efficient

way to remove snow from our streets. Please do your part to help keep our town free of hazardous conditions. It is very important

not to shovel, blow, or plow snow/ice onto the street at

any time. This could create an unsafe driving surface. Property owners should notify their snow removal contractors that snow is not to be deposited on the public roadway, meaning it cannot be plowed across the street. Parking prohibited: Residents are advised that parking is not allowed on any street during or after a snowfall in which there is an accumulation of 2" or more of snow. This prohibition is in effect until 24 hours after the end of the snowfall or until the street is plowed and all snow is removed, whichever occurs first. Sidewalk/Driveway Snow

Removal: Clearing snow and ice from sidewalks and driveways is the responsibility of residents and property owners. The City of Batavia encourages citizens to clear sidewalks, especially for children walking to school. Mailboxes: Best efforts are made to plow as close to the curb as possible; however, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to clear snow away from their mailbox for curbside delivery. The City of Batavia is not responsible for repairing mailboxes damaged by snowplows if the face of the mailbox is less than 6" behind the back of curb or road edge and a height less than 42" above the road. It is the responsibility of indi-

vidual homeowners to install and of road during the snow plowmaintain their mailboxes properly. ing operation. Garbage cans/

Properly installed mailboxes dam- carts and recycle carts should must back up frequently. Do not aged by City of Batavia snow re- never be placed in roadway. attempt to pass a snowplow that is moval equipment will be repaired Parkways: Occasionally, parkway engaged in removal activities. or replaced with a standard-type damage may occur during the mailbox and post for a cost not to plowing process. It will be repaired If a street has been missed or exceed $50 each. in the spring when pulverized dirt there is a question or concern relatRefuse collection: If an accu- is available. Please notify the street ing to the snow removal operations, mulating snow occurs on your division to have your address please call the Street Division of Batrefuse collection day or the night placed on a restoration list. avia Public Works at 630-454-2400 before, please remember to place Plowing equipment: Allow between the hours of 7am–4pm, garbage cans/carts and recycling plenty of space when following Monday through Friday. carts away from the curbs or edge snow removal vehicles, as they

Helpful tips if your sewer backs up

If your residence experiences a sewer back-up please The City of Batavia’s insurance company will make call the city first at 630-454-2000. The problem might a determination if the city is responsible for damages be in the city’s main line. By calling the city first, it could caused by a sewer backup. save you the price of hiring a private plumber. If the Contact numbers for the City of Batavia: problem is in your own service line, the city can provide Water/Sewer Division—630-454-2450 guidance in hiring a plumber. The city has emergency Finance Dept., Insurance Claim Questions— response personnel 24 hours per day. 630-454-2000

Check your insurance policy to determine if you are As a precaution—Be safe when working in flooded covered for sanitary sewer back-up and/or sump pump areas which might be contaminated. Go the city website failure. Many homeowners’ policies do not cover sewer cityofbatavia.net “Cleaning Up After Flood and Sewer back-ups or water damage unless you have purchased a Overflows” from the Illinois Department of Public special provision for this purpose. Health website for proper precautions. You will also find

If you experience a sewer back-up follow these a copy of the city’s sewer back-up and cleaning policy guidelines for repairs and clean-up. on the web site.

Always call your insurance company first to report any damage to your property or possessions.

City offers free Christmas Tree pickup

As part of the City of Batavia’s refuse contract, Advanced Disposal will be picking up live Christmas trees on residents’ regular collection dates. Residents do not have to use a sticker for Christmas tree removal as plastic bags, ornaments, lights, nails, etc. should be on these dates only. After these dates, residents should removed from the trees. Live wreaths and garland attach a refuse sticker to the tree and place it at the should be placed in your regular refuse. Please use the curb on their regular collection date. All materials such following schedule:

South Side North Side Far West Side

(Wilson to the south (north of Wilson to Fabyan (Randall west to City limits): between Kirk/Randall): between Kirk/Randall): Sat., Jan. 2

Wed., Dec. 30 Thurs., Dec. 31 Fri., Jan. 8

Wed., Jan. 6 Thurs., Jan. 7

Your elected city officials

Mayor—Jeffery D. Schielke City Clerk—Ellen Posledni Treasurer—Gerald R. Miller

Aldermen Serving until May 2023 Aldermen Serving until May 2021

Ward 1 Jennifer Baerren jbaerren@cityofbatavia.net Ward 1 Michael O’Brien mobrien@cityofbatavia.net Ward 2 Alan P. Wolff awolff@cityofbatavia.net Ward 2 Martin J. Callahan mcallahan@cityofbatavia.net Ward 3 Dan Chanzit dchanzit@cityofbatavia.net Ward 3 Elliot Meitzler emeitzler@cityofbatavia.net Ward 4 Joseph Knopp jknopp@cityofbatavia.net Ward 4 Tony Malay tmalay@cityofbatavia.net Ward 5 Abby Beck abeck@cityofbatavia.net Ward 5 Mark Uher muher@cityofbatavia.net Ward 6 Michael Russotto mrussotto@cityofbatavia.net Ward 6 Nicholas P. Cerone ncerone@cityofbatavia.net Ward 7 Keenan Alexander Miller kmiller@cityofbatavia.net Ward 7 Drew McFadden dmcfadden@cityofbatavia.net 15

City completes sanitary and storm sewer improvements in Area 3

After 4 years of construction in property lines. Garfield to Morton and Blaine to Area 3 (2017–2020) this construc- As part of this overall project 9156 Walnut, Garfield between S. Jackson tion season puts a wrap on all the feet of storm sewer ranging in size and Harrison and Harrison from improvements that stemmed from from 12" to 42", 600 feet of 4' x 2' Garfield to Blaine. the June 2015 rain event. That event box culverts, 507 feet of sanitary The city also plans to use CIPP caused multiple homes in the area to sewer, sized 8", 10" or 12" and 5906 (Cured in Place Pipe) to line all have sewage backups into their home feet of watermain, sized 8", 10" or existing sanitary sewer mains within from the lack of capacity for storm- 12", were installed throughout this the scope of the project limits. CIPP water in the combined sanitary sewer project. For reference a mile is 5280 lining is a preferred method of system. The city immediately did a feet; therefore approximately two rehabilitating sanitary sewer mains comprehensive study of the entire miles of storm sewer and over one to a “like new” condition without the tributary area followed by engineer- mile of watermain were installed. In need for excavation. ing design to separate the storm addition to the underground utilities, The city funded this $6.2M project sewer from the sanitary by provid- improvements also included fully thru a bond issuance, the utility ing individual lines for each utility. reconstructed streets with new curb, rates/utility fund reserves, IEPA loans In addition, sump pump connec- ADA compliant ramps, and some and the general fund. The city obtions were added to each individual sidewalk and driveways as needed. tained IEPA low interest loans for the property. The improvements also The storm sewer installation required sewer separation (storm and sanitary) reduced the road flooding and sewer a replacement of an outfall at the Fox for the last two years of the project backups. Since the city was disturb- River and then navigating under the in the amount of $1.6M and a 2020 ing the streets in this neighborhood, roadway of the West Side Cemetery IEPA low interest loan for the water this was a good time to replace to reach the neighborhood and was main in the amount of $800,000. and retire aged and failing cast iron as deep as 20' and shallow as 4', The IEPA loans will be repaid over watermains from the 1920’s and 30’s, which created some challenges as did 20 years from the time of issuance as with much larger ductile iron water working through an old neighbor- will the bond. mains having four to five times the hood that had infrastructure that was The city would like to thank the fire flow capacity. Along with the built in the late 1930’s. The streets residents of this neighborhood, for water main comes new strategically that were impacted and improved without their patience and cooperaplaced distribution system valves, fire were Morton from Rt. 31 to the tion over the years this vast improvehydrants, and larger diameter copper 800 block, S. Jefferson between ment would not have come to water services with valves at the Morton and Walnut, S. Jackson from fruition.

Prairie St. reconstruction stage 1 is complete

The City of Batavia is pleased to announce the curb remaining. Prairie St. is heavily traveled and serves completion of Stage 1 of the Prairie St. Reconstruction as access to residences, businesses, parks, and schools in project. The construction began in May and work was the area. substantially completed in October. The proposed The engineering design began in 2017 with Phase I improvements included new pavement, curb and preliminary engineering and Phase II design engineering gutter, storm sewer, sidewalk, and on-street bike-path. work which then was completed in late 2019. This Prairie St. is a connection point for several significant work also included a level of service analysis of the regional routes that travel within the City of Batavia and intersection of Prairie St. and Wilson St. with a summary adjoining communities. finding of the need for improvements to the intersection

The road reconstruction work is a culmination of with traffic signals (Stage 2). project planning which began in early 2012 with the In addition to the roadwork construction, the city city’s application and subsequent awarding of Federal had completed utility improvements for the entire Surface Transportation (STP) funding for an amount just S. Prairie St. corridor. The existing storm sewer was over $1.8 million for the reconstruction of Prairie St. improved by the addition of new storm inlets and new

The segment of Prairie St. between Wilson St. and sanitary manholes were installed. The watermain and Pine St. was in very poor condition and needed full water services were also completely renovated. The reconstruction. The existing roadway was overlaid over existing water service piping to each home within the the gutter so many times there was hardly any existing construction area was replaced with new copper piping 16 16

Improvements completed in Ward 1

The City of Batavia is very where deficient areas lie in the happy to have now completed system, and to recommend the third year of construction improvement projects to the of the Ward 1 Storm Sewer and stormwater system in order to Watermain Improvements project. help mitigate the frequent flooding The construction for the 2020 storm issues. Also as part of this work sewer work began with bid opening the city soon thereafter initiated in April and then construction plans for replacement of the water subsequently starting in May. The distribution system which was third phase of the improvements known to have a history of breaks in included the area of Chillem Dr. the neighborhood. The ultimate goal from Bluestem Ln. to Raddant Rd. of the study was to convey a 10-year and Rye Ct. storm event without ponding in the

The Ward 1 Storm Sewer roadways. Improvements project began in The engineering design was 2015 after the city experienced completed in 2016 and due to severe stormwater flooding events the size of the project was broken in the area bounded by Pine St. to down into a four-year construction the north, Raddant Rd. to the west, project. Phases 1 and 2 were Giese Rd. to the south, and Kirk Rd. completed in 2018 and 2019. The to the east. During a large rain event construction included storm sewer that occurred on June 15, 2015 this and watermain improvements from neighborhood saw street flooding Kirk Rd. and Giese Rd. (the storm along with stormwater backups into sewer outfall) extending west to yards and a few houses. After this Larkspur Ln. and then north to flooding event the public works Chillem Dr. department retained an engineering The 2020 improvements project firm to complete a full drainage was openly bid in April 2020 with study of the area. ten contractors providing their bids.

The purpose of the drainage PirTano Construction provided a bid study was to analyze the existing ($1,095,595) that was well below stormwater system, investigate the engineer’s estimate and they from the main to the shut-off valve at the ROW line. The watermain was also upsized to provide an increase

The City of Batavia has also been awarded both administered by IDOT and due to the nature of the work the planning and approval process leading up to actual construction can sometimes take multiple years. also have a very good reputation for utility construction work in the Chicagoland area.

This year’s work included storm sewer system replacement, watermain replacement, sidewalk repairs, curb and gutter repairs, and full depth reconstruction of the asphalt pavement. Rye Ct. in particular which has had a history of very poor drainage with no storm sewer system at all was completely reconstructed with new curb grading, storm sewer, sump pump connections, watermain, and water services provided within the rightof-way.

Water distribution system work included all new main, fire hydrants, valves, and water services within the limits of construction zone. The water services for each resident was replaced with new copper water service piping and shut-off valve from the new main to the right-of-way line. These watermain improvements will provide much improved water quality and fire flows for the area.

The work was completed well under the original budget amount

in fire flows in the area and to provide improved water quality.

Federal (STP) funding and Illinois (ICC Grade Protection Funds) funding for both the design and construction phases of the Prairie St. and Wilson St. intersection improvements project (Stage 2). The engineering design of the proposed Wilson St. and Prairie intersection improvements is expected to begin in late 2020 with completion in 2022. Actual construction is anticipated to begin during the spring of 2023.

STP funds that are used on highways projects are and ahead of schedule.

2020–2021 Advanced Disposal Collection Schedule for Winter Holidays

Thanksgiving Day—Thurs., Nov. 26: No collection South (Wilson to the south between Kirk/Randall): Wed., Nov. 25 (no change) North (north of Wilson to Fabyan between Kirk/Randall): Fri., Nov. 27 Far West (Randall west to city limits): Sat., Nov. 28

Christmas Week

South: Wed., Dec. 23 (no change) North: Thurs., Dec. 24 (no change) Far West: Sat., Dec. 26

New Years Week

South: Wed., Dec. 30 (no change) North: Thurs., Dec. 31 (no change) Far West: Sat., Jan. 2

Final brush collection scheduled

The final curbside residential brush collection for the season is scheduled to begin on Mon., Nov. 30, for both sides of town. The city’s contractor will go past each residence one time during the week, beginning on Monday. Residents who generate brush after the final collection has been completed will need to store the brush someplace other than the parkway until the program resumes next spring or they may contact a private service to have it removed at the resident’s expense. It is anticipated that this final collection will be completed by the end of the week of Nov. 30, weather permitting. Residents can view the status of the current brush collection cycle on an electronic map. Updates are posted on the city’s website by 9am on weekdays from Tuesday through Friday and will show all areas. If your brush was out at 7am on Monday and not collected by the end of the workday on Friday, please notify the Public Properties & Services Division at 630-454-2400

Helpful winter tips Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas.

It’s best to wrap water pipes in unheated areas (such as the garage or crawl space) before temperatures plummet. You can find pipe wrapping materials at any hardware or building supply store. Proper insulation can help reduce energy bills by up to 30%.

Consider installing “heat tape” or “heat cable.”

Install “heat tape” or similar materials on all exposed water pipe (i.e. exterior pipe, or pipe located where the temperature might drop below freezing). It is relatively easy to install and can be found at your local hardware or building supply store. Be sure that you use only UL-listed products and follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully.

Seal off access doors, air vents, and cracks.

Winter winds whistling through overlooked openings can quickly freeze exposed water pipes. DO NOT plug air vents used by your furnace or water heater. Use caulking to fill cracks and stop leaks around fixtures, pipes and • Apply heat to frozen area using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer or towels soaked in hot water. • Use a portable space heater, kept away from flammable materials, to warm under the house (Never leave no later than Mon., Dec. 7.

If yard waste items are mixed with your brush pile (twigs are permitted), it will not be collected. Advanced Disposal will collect yard waste bags/containers with leaves, twigs, evergreen clippings, roots, stumps, ornamental grasses, and plants on your regular trash collection day, through Nov. 28. Maximum weight for yard waste is 50 pounds per bag/container; a refuse sticker should be attached to each bag/container. Yard waste containers should be clearly labeled “YARD WASTE” with the label facing towards the street. Please see the article on the Leaf Collection Program for information about leaf disposal.

If you have any questions, please call the Public Properties & Services Division at 630-454-2400 weekdays from 7am–4pm or visit the website at cityofbatavia.net/brushcollection.

between walls and windows—doing so will prevent freezing and help lower your energy bills.

Check on the water heater.

Water heating is a major part of the utility bill. If you have problems, have a technician come by the house to make sure it’s functioning in peak condition. Also consider using less hot water, and insulating the water heater tank and hot water lines. If your water heater is on its last legs, consider buying a new, more efficient version.

Find the master water shutoff valve.

Usually located where the water line enters your house (or near the water heater or washing machine), the master shutoff valve turns off the water to the entire house. Paint it a bright color and make sure everyone in the household knows where it is.

Check with the Batavia City Water Department

Call the Batavia Water Division @ 630-454-2450 if you have questions or concerns with winterizing your water

Five things you should do and one thing you should NOT do if your pipes freeze

• Allow a slow drip from your faucets to reduce heater unattended). the buildup of pressure in the pipes. Even if the pipes • Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. freeze, the release pressure in the water system will If you cannot find the frozen area, if the area is not reduce the likelihood of a rupture. accessible, or if you cannot thaw the pipe, call a licensed • You should keep the faucet open. As the frozen area plumber. starts to melt, water will flow and running water will • DO NOT use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane help melt ice in the pipe. heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device. pipes.

Residential leaf programs continue

There are two leaf collection programs available to back from the curb. Raking leaves into a long windrow qualifying residents who pay the monthly leaf/brush fee will expedite the process. Leaf piles should be in the on their utility bills: parkway, as equipment cannot be used in alleys.

Leaf bag collection

• From Dec. 1 through Dec. 31, residents may place leaves in brown Kraft yard waste bags and put them out for collection on their scheduled refuse collection day without a sticker. The refuse collection company will collect yard waste bags (no cans) weekly until Dec. 31. • Only leaves may be placed in the yard waste bags.

No grass or other yard waste can be mixed with the leaves. Please try to keep the yard waste bags as dry as possible. • Leaves should not be raked into the street. This will Curbside vacuum collection obstruct the flow of storm water runoff during rain

The program provides every resident with up to three events and cause street flooding, as well as slippery collection opportunities (weather permitting). streets. • Updates showing daily progress will be posted online • Avoid placing leaves near obstacles such as parked at cityofbatavia.net once the program is underway. vehicles, mailboxes, utility poles/boxes, hydrants, trees, • Dates may change due to the weather and volume or sign posts. of leaves put out for collection, although best efforts • Avoid placing debris like sticks, bags, and plastic will be made to remain on schedule. Snow or freezing bottles in leaf piles, as this can cause injury to weather may significantly delay or permanently halt personnel, damage equipment, and cause delays. curbside leaf collection, since some of the equipment Foreign objects also contaminate the leaf material, used to remove leaves is also used to handle deicing/ which is taken to an agricultural site. snowplowing operations. • The program is intended to collect the majority of leaves residents may have during the curbside 2020 Collection Schedule vacuum collection program time frame. Residents are East Side West Side encouraged to use other options for leaves that drop 1st pickup begins Oct. 19 Oct. 26 after the curbside vacuum collection program has finished for the season. 2nd pickup begins Nov. 2 Nov. 9 • Various crews are working simultaneously during 3rd pickup begins (only if weather permits) Nov. 16 Nov. 23 the program period. Trucks with large vacuum trailers are used for through streets, and a truck with How the curbside vacuum collection program works: larger equipment cannot navigate such as culs-de-sac, • Rake leaves to the parkway by 6am on the Monday of “bubbles,” and dead ends. your scheduled week. Leaves will be collected rain or • Limbs/brush should be placed in a separate pile for shine. collection and may not be combined with leaf piles. • Crews will make one pass by every qualifying Limbs/brush should only be placed at the curb if there residence during each collection period. Leaves that is a scheduled collection. The final citywide BRUSH are placed out after the collection crew has passed by collection will be done the week of Nov. 30 for both may not be picked up for another two weeks until the sides of town. next scheduled pickup date. • Ornamental grasses, plants, and corn stalks should be • Leaves should be raked into piles no farther than 6' disposed of as yard waste.

a small trailer vacuum goes into areas where the

Alternate options:

• Use a mulching lawnmower and mulch leaves back into the lawn. This provides nutrients for the soil. • Place leaves around plant beds and under trees and shrubs. This enhances the soil and provides insulation for the plants. • Stickered yard waste bags/cans will be collected weekly through Nov. 28.

If you have any questions about the leaf programs, please call the Street Division of Batavia Public Works at 630-454-2400. Residents can also visit the city’s website at cityofbatavia.net for the latest updates to the schedule and to view a progress map that is updated daily.

Have a safe and happy holiday season

As fall turns to winter, our • If you choose a fresh tree, make which look and smell like real thoughts turn to family and friends, sure the green needles don’t fall candles. If you use traditional cozy gatherings, and the excite- off when touched; before placing candles, keep them at least 12" ment of the holidays. Decorating it in the stand, cut 2" from the away from anything that can burn, your home is an opportunity to lift base of the trunk. Add water to and remember to blow them out spirits, especially in these recent the tree stand, and be sure to when you leave the room. times. In the moment of decorat- water it daily. • Always turn off Christmas tree ing, it’s easy to miss important cues • Make sure the tree is not blocking lights before leaving the home or that safety should be on your mind an exit, and is at least three feet going to bed. as well. Holiday activities such as away from any heat source, like • After Christmas, get rid of the cooking, decorating and candle fireplaces, space heaters, radiators, tree. Dried-out trees are a fire hazusage significantly contribute to the candles and heat vents or lights. ard and should not be left in the seasonal causes of home fires. Did • Use lights that have the label of home or garage or placed outside you know that the top three days a recognized testing laboratory, next to the home. See page 15 for for home candle fires are Christmas, and make sure you know whether the city’s pickup options. New Year’s Day and Christmas Eve they are designed for indoor or • Bring outdoor electrical lights according to data from the National outdoor use. inside after the holidays to prevent Fire Protection Association (NFPA)? • Replace any string of lights with hazards and make them last lonHere are some quick tips to help worn or broken cords, or loose ger. keep the season festive and safe for bulb connections. Read manufac- Keeping these fire prevention tips everybody. turer’s instructions for number of and safety measures in mind can • If you have an artificial tree, light strands to connect. greatly reduce the risk of fire in your be sure it’s labeled, certified or • Never use lit candles to decorate home this holiday season. For more identified by the manufacturer as the tree. information, visit nfpa.org/holiday. fire-retardant. • Consider using flameless candles,

When water mains break…

Water main breaks happen with no warning. The the particular break, but the street or parkway will be dug breaks are usually the result of shifting of the earth near up to access the pipe. If the exposed leak is minor, it can the main or the deterioration of the main itself. The sometimes be clamped and sealed without the need for City of Batavia Water Division strives to make necessary shutdown of water. If the leak does require a water shutrepairs as quickly and safely as possible, with the least dis- down to repair, the water division will go door-to-door to ruption to residents and traffic. The city appreciates the notify affected residents of the water shutdown unless the community's patience with any unavoidable disruptions leak poses a threat to safety of property. Most shutdowns caused by these repairs. affect a limited number of residents and are isolated to a What to do if you suspect a water main break single street or block. Repairs generally take two to four

Batavia residents play a crucial role in reporting breaks. hours to complete. There are isolated cases, however, If you see bubbling water accumulating in the street or when a complete shut off of the water main cannot be the parkway, call the water division at 630-454-2450. Af- achieved. This happens when the closest shut-off valve ter normal business hours, weekends or holidays, please to the break will not close. The crew then goes to the call the non-emergency police line at 630-454-2500. next valve up in the system, which in turn affects a larger Once the water division has been notified, a crew is number of people. Depending upon the location in town, dispatched to investigate and assess the problem. this could be very minor and affect only a few additional Repairing the main houses or a much greater number of houses.

If a water main break is confirmed, a utility locate When water service is restored request will be submitted to J.U.L.I.E. and a water division During main break situations, residents in the affected crew will be dispatched to the area to begin a repair. and sometimes adjacent areas may experience sediment A J.U.L.I.E. locate is required for all utility companies or discolored water during and following the repair of (i.e.Phone,cable TV, Nicor, etc) to mark the location of the break. The discoloration in the water is usually rust, any underground structures. Work cannot begin until depending upon what the water main is made from, and all potential underground hazards have been located by other minerals that have precipitated out of the water. If their respective firms. A J.U.L.I.E locate may take several you experience discoloration, the city recommends that hours depending upon the utilities involved. The scope of you run the cold water tap in the lowest location in your the main repair will vary depending upon the severity of house until the water runs clear.