Stormwater Information

STORM SEWER DISCHARGE, STORM DRAINS, AND SANITARY SEWER LINES

The Clean Water Act requires that the Village of Itasca comply with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting to restore and protect the water quality of the Waters of the State from pollutants associated with stormwater runoff. The Village of Itasca is currently an NPDES co-permittee with DuPage County. Compliance documents can be found here:

Additionally, DuPage County assists the Village of Itasca with its own water quality programs to comply with NPDES requirements, saving taxpayers millions of dollars based on economies of scale. Information on DuPage County’s programs

Tips for Homeowners

While cleaning gardens for spring, residents should keep public storm sewer drains and sanitary sewers clear of leaves, grass clippings, sticks, rocks and trash. The Village of Itasca is issuing this reminder because these items can cause blockages in storm and sanitary sewers

If swept into the storm drains, yard waste or trash can end up in nearby creeks and streams, polluting the environment. These same items can block the public sewer systems causing back-ups in homes and businesses.

Steps to Keep Private Sewer Lines Free

Residents can also take steps to keep their private sewer lines flowing freely. Homeowners and businesses are responsible for their lateral sewer lines, which connect to the Village’s sewer system. These tips can help prevent blockages:

Don’t put cooking oils or grease down a garbage disposal or drains. Fats, oils, and grease can build up in the system, potentially creating a blockage.
Don’t flush disposable diapers, tampons or sanitary napkins down the toilet - even though some labels indicate it is acceptable to do so.
Never dump motor oil into drains or sewers. The Itasca Public Works Department has a used oil recycling program in place for residents to dispose of used oil. Bring your used oil to our Public Works facility at 411 North Prospect Avenue for disposal. You can call 630-773-2455 for more information.

Most insurance carriers do not automatically cover damages caused by flooding or sewer backups. Homeowners should contact their insurance carriers for specific coverage information.

Sewage Backup

If a homeowner experiences a sewage backup please contact the Village of Itasca Public, Works Department at 630-773-2455 Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. After regular business hours we can be reached at 630-773-1004 Itasca Police Department’s non-emergency number.

How to Prevent Fats, Oils, & Grease From Damaging Your Home
Fats, oils, and grease aren’t just bad for your arteries and your waistline; they’re bad for sewers too. Sewer overflows and backups can cause health hazards, damage home interiors, and threaten the environment. An increasingly common cause of overflows is sewer pipes blocked by grease. Grease gets into the sewer from household drains as well as from poorly maintained grease traps in restaurants and other businesses.

Most of us know grease as the byproduct of cooking. Grease is found in such things as:

Meat Fats
Lard
Cooking oil
Shortening
Butter and Margarine
Food scrapes
Baking goods
Sauces
Dairy products

Too often, grease is washed into the plumbing system, usually through the kitchen sink. Grease sticks to the inside of sewer pipes (both on your property and in the street). Over time, the grease can build up and block the entire pipe.

Garbage Disposals & Commercial Additives

Home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the plumbing system. These units only shred solid materials into smaller pieces and do not prevent grease from going down the drain. Commercial additives, including detergents that claim to dissolve grease may pass grease down the line and cause problems in other areas.

Too often the results can be:

Raw sewerage overflowing in your home or your neighbor’s home
An expensive and unpleasant cleanup that often must be paid for by the homeowner
Raw sewerage overflowing into parks, yards, and streets
Potential contact with disease-causing organisms
An increase in operating and maintenance costs for the village which causes higher sewer bills for the customer

What you can do to help

The easiest way to solve the grease problem and help prevent overflows of raw sewage is to keep this material out of the sewer system in the first place. There are several ways to do this. Never pour grease down the sink or toilets. Scrape grease and food scrapes from, trays, plates, pots, pans, utensils, grills and cooking surfaces into a can or the trash for disposal. Do not put grease down garbage disposals. Put baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scrapes and other solids, and empty the drain baskets/strainers into the trash for disposal. Speak to your friends and neighbors about the problem of grease in the sewer system and how to keep it out.

Information provided by the Water Environment Federation and the USEPA.