Sewer Maintenance

If you are experiencing a sewer back up, please contact the Public Works Department directly at (630) 620-5740. If it is after normal working hours (8:00 am-4:30 pm) your call will be directed to the Police Department non-emergency line. Public Works has an employee on call at all times.

The Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining 151 miles of Sanitary sewer and 123 miles of Storm sewer. For an overview of how Lombard’s sewers work, view the "Underground Lombard - The Sewers that Serve" slideshow

Assistance Programs

The Village offers a program to assist homeowners with rodding and repairs of the sewer service that is within the Village right of way (Sewer Stub Program). When having your service line rodded due to a sewer back up, please contact the Public Works Department for a Village representative to witness the rodding. If a rodding is not witnessed and a blockage is present in the Village right-of-way, the Village will not reimburse residents for the rodding. The reimbursement amount is based upon the rate charged by the plumber under contract with the Village. Any amount that exceeds that rate will not be reimbursed by the Village. The current rate is $290 during normal business hours and $373 for evenings and weekends. 

The Village also offers an Overhead Sewer Reimbursement Program to assist homeowners who experience chronic sewer backup. Through this program the Village will pay up to $5,000.00 of the cost to install an overhead sewer. The homeowner is responsible to pay for the first 25%, the Village will pay up to the next $5,000 and homeowner pays any amount over the sum total.

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  1. Fats, Oils, Grease (FOG) Program
  2. Stormwater Detention
  3. Wastewater Treatment

Fats, Oils, Grease (FOG) Program

Fats, Oils, and Greases aren’t just bad for your arteries; 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. 

Too often grease is washed into the plumbing system, usually through the kitchen sink. Grease sticks to the insides of sewer pipes (both on your property and in the streets). Over time the grease can build up and block the entire pipe. Home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the plumbing system. These units only shred solid material 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. The results can be a sanitary sewer back up in your home.

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 sink drains or into toilets. Scrape grease and food scraps from trays, plates, pots, pans, utensils, and 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 scraps and other solids, and empty the drain baskets/strainers into the trash for disposal. 

Restaurants, large buildings (such as apartment complexes), and other commercial establishments may have grease traps or interceptors that keep grease out of the sewer system. For a grease trap or interceptor to work correctly, it must be properly designed (sized and manufactured to handle the amount that is expected), installed (level, vented, etc.), and maintained (cleaned and serviced on a frequent basis). Solids should never be put into grease traps or interceptors. Routine, often daily, maintenance of grease traps and interceptors is needed to ensure that they properly reduce or prevent blockages. Be cautious of chemicals and additives (including soaps and detergents) that claim to dissolve grease. Some of these additives simply pass grease down pipes where it can clog the sewer lines in another area.

Residents may dispose of cooking oil and grease at no cost at the Glenbard Wastewater Authority, 21W551 Bemis Road, Glen Ellyn, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Direct questions to (630) 790-1901.

View Ordinance

       Residential Info

FOG Informational Pamphlet

A Fact Sheet for the Proper Disposal of Fats, Oil & Grease 

      Restaurant/Commercial Info

Quarterly reports are due on January 15th, April 15th, July 15th & October 15th for the preceding 3 months. Reports, with the hauler’s manifest attached, should be uploaded to your SwiftComply business profile. See the section below for further information.  Questions regarding FOG maintenance reports should be directed to Ashley Staat at Glenbard Wastewater Authority by email astaat@gbww.org  or via telephone 630-790-1901 x:142. Reports and manifests must be kept on site at your establishment for 24 months from the date of the report and available for the inspector’s review.

Grease Trap Maintenance Flow Chart

Grease Trap Maintenance Quarterly Report Form

Fats, Oil, and Grease Best Management Practices Manual - Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies