Carol Stream will begin looking for illegal connections of sump pumps to the village`s sanitary sewer system, but Village Manager Gregory Bielawski said the village will try to eliminate the connections through cooperation rather than intimidation.
Bielawski told village trustees during a workshop that the village is trying to take a positive approach in solving the problem of excess storm water coming through the village`s waste water treatment plant. Storm water does not require treatment, he said, and puts an unnecessary strain on the treatment facility. It also increases the cost to all residents who must pay for that water to be treated.
He said that most of the problems exist in newer areas, since the original homes in the village were built without basements. There are about 7,500 single-family homes in the village, but many are on slabs, he said.
Although the problems do not start in the older parts of the village, residents there have to deal with the results. Many find their floor drains and toilets backed up with sanitary sewage.
Bielawski said residents can refuse to allow village officials to check for illegal hookups, but he said they generally are cooperative. ”Many of the residents are not the original owners of the homes,” he said, ”and they are not aware of a problem.”
Bielawski also said that because of the publicity surrounding the village`s efforts, people may be more inclined to make the corrections.
He said the Public Works Department is able to measure flow from areas with basements and can pinpoint the sections of the village from which the storm water is coming.
