Many older homes in the Village have gravity sewer systems that can back up when the Village's main line combined sewer surcharges. Since the 1990s the Village has invested millions of dollars to improve its sanitary and combined sewer system, by installing new relief sewers, and separating the combined sewer system, whenever possible. The Village however has over fifty miles of pipe in the ground, some which dates back to the 1920s, and it is unfortunately not feasible to separate all sewer systems in every location.
The Village has developed a cost share program for owners of detached single-family residential structures who participate in the installation and/or retrofit of a backwater check valve (BCV) or overhead sewer system (OSS). The program allows owners of single-family detached homes to be reimbursed up to 50% of the cost, or $5,000 (whichever comes first) to install a BCV or OSS.
Information on this program can be found online at www.wsprings.com/OSSCostShare.