The storm sewer conveyance drainage system throughout the Village is enhanced with structures called basins and pipes. The basins are commonly known as “manholes” or “catch basins." These structures are located under steel grates where the water is channeled to them by means of curbing at entry points along a roadway, ditch lines or fields. These structures are for storm water runoff from rain or melting snow to enter into the storm drainage system. These "mini-reservoirs" also provide a way to rejuvenate, or recharge runoff through storm drainage pipes where the water runoff goes directly into rivers, streams, retention ponds or detention basins.   Catch basins also "trap" some of the litter, dirt and large debris that get washed into the system, which requires crews to vacuum out the debris to maintain proper flow of water. Catch basins range in size from two feet across and two feet deep to six feet across and twenty feet in depth and are pre-cast concrete. In older sections of the Village they are made of porous concrete block. 

 

Overtime the basins have failures due to deterioration from material breakdown, heavy traffic flow, wear from heavy water flow, or from salt usage during winter operations.   Repairing underground basins is the first line of defense to help prevent total basin failure and replacement. Generally, basin repairs are fixed by repairing holes, cracks and bad joints by strategically placing new bricks with a mortar Portland mix. In some cases, the basins no longer are sound enough to support traffic and need to be replaced.

 

The Village’s network of underground storm sewer piping ranges in sizes from 4” to 60” depending on the amount of water flow and volume that will be traveling through it. These pipes are made of different materials such as concrete (RCCP), plastic (PVC), or steel (CMP) which carry the storm water runoff and melting snow to rivers, streams, retention ponds, and detention basins.

 

At times these pipes have failures at pipe joints from the freeze and thaw cycle of northern Illinois, improper pipe placement, directional boring by utility companies, and improper tree placement or settlement causing cracks in the pipes and joint separation and need to be repaired. Damaged or failing pipe sections need to be excavated and repaired by patching the damaged section or replacing the entire section. Patching the pipe sections can be done by using a mortar mix, a concrete mix or mastic (tar) material to patch or fill cracks and holes. Pipe separations, if severe enough, can be repaired using clamps that go around the circumference of the pipe.