The Village of Glenview

Water & Sanitary Sewer Maintenance


Sanitary Sewer Maintenance

The Village of Glenview has a separate sewer system, meaning there are public sanitary sewer mains for waste disposal (bathroom and kitchen discharges) and public storm sewer mains for rainwater disposal (from storm sewers and sump pump discharges).  The discharges from the public sanitary sewer system are sent to a wastewater treatment facility operated by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.  The discharges from the public storm sewer system are sent to the local rivers.

The Village of Glenview's Public Works Department maintains the public sanitary sewer mains throughout the Village, and schedules a cleaning cycle for the entire system every two years.

The pipe connecting a building to the Village's public sanitary sewer is called a sanitary service lateral.  Ownership and maintenance of the sanitary service lateral is that of the building owner served by the sanitary service lateral.  The sanitary service lateral includes the connection at the Village's public sanitary sewer.  

The sanitary service lateral on homes built prior to 1980  are typically clay pipe.  Clay pipe is prone to root infiltration and becomes brittle with age, making it susceptible to breaks.  It is important to have the clay pipe periodically inspected and cleaned, typically on an annual basis or more frequently, if needed.

More recently constructed homes have sanitary service laterals built of ductile iron pipe or PVC (plastic) pipe.  Although these pipes are more resistant to root infiltration and breaks, it is important to have them inspected periodically.

Some homes have exterior cleanouts to allow for inspection and cleaning access from outside of the building.  Otherwise, there should be cleanouts on the interior of a building to provide access.  Inspection can be performed using a sewer camera to look at the pipe condition.  Cleaning is completed by rodding or jetting of the sanitary service lateral.  Rodding is done by inserting a cutting tool into the sewer to cut away roots or blockages along the inside of the pipe.  Jetting utilizes high pressure water to cut away roots or blockages within the service lateral.

It is also important to minimize inflow of ground and rain water from entering the sanitary service lateral.  Downspouts and sump pump discharges are not allowed to be connected to the sanitary service lateral.  Also, exterior cleanout covers can often become dislodged or broken, allowing surface water into the sanitary lateral.  It is important to repair any broken cleanout covers to prevent the surface water inflow. 

Water Service Maintenance

Water service laterals are the pipes that run from the connection at the Village main into the building.  Water service laterals also have buffalo boxes (see photo, right) installed near the property line.  Buffalo boxes are valves that allow for water service laterals to be turned off from the exterior of the building.  Also, the buffalo box signifies the point where homeowner maintenance begins on the water service lateral.  Homeowners are responsible for maintaining their water service lateral from the buffalo box into the building. 

Generally, there is no required maintenance on water service laterals; however it is important to watch for signs of leaks.

On the inside of the home, listen for sounds of leaking water or watch for wet spots.  Also, homeowners can sign up for the Village's Water Consumption Portal, in order to view water usage over the Internet.  Through this portal, homeowners can sign up for alerts of abnormal water usage, which may indicate potential leaks in the home.  Information on how to sign up for the Village's Water Consumption Portal can be found on this web page.

Wet spots in the lawn or areas of saturated soil which do not dry out during dry weather may be signs of a leak in the water service outside of the building.

The buffalo box can be damaged by lawn mowers or cars driving over them.  If you believe your buffalo box has been damaged, contact the Village's Public Works Department to request an inspection by calling (847) 657-3030.​