Spring sprung early in 2012, and it’s likely the rains will arrive soon.
How many inches will fall is unknown, but most homeowners aren’t interested in a reprisal of the last two years when overloaded municipal sewers caused many basements here to fill up with sewer water.
In Oak Park, the concentration of the flooding was in the northeast and northwest corners of town. The infrastructure for the sewer system, according to Village Water and Sewer Superintendent Brian Jack, is one that combines storm water and sanitary sewer water.
“With extremely heavy rainfalls, the sewer system will reach its capacity, and run full. That is the major reason why homes will back up,” he says. “It is because the sewer system is at its full capacity and cannot accept any more rain water, so it has nowhere else to go but up into people’s basements.”
In an effort to provide some flood relief, earlier this month the village board voted 5-0 in favor of creating a grant program to help homeowners install flood prevention systems in their basements. Qualified grant recipients would receive a reimbursement of up to 50 percent of the costs of the project to cover some of the expense of installing certain types of flood prevention devices, including overhead sewers and a backflow preventer, such as a simple flood valve. The grant cap has not yet been set, says Jack.
However, this year Oak Park has budgeted $225,000 for the grant program, which is speculated to provide about 64 flood prevention grants in Oak Park in 2012. In addition, priority would be given to low-income residents, as well as people who have already installed the devices over the past two years.
As of this writing, elected officials have not yet reconvened to finalize the grant program, Jack says.
“We are trying to push the board into making a final decision quickly, so the grant program can be in place, before the heavy rains come,” he says.
On tap for later this Spring, more flooding prevention assistance is on the way in the form of two informative brochures, one offering flooding prevention and resource information, and another one illustrating how to disconnect a downspout, which is a critical cog in any homeowner’s flood prevention plan, Jack says.
“Look at your downspouts, and then really think about disconnecting them,” Jack recommends. “Doing it is relatively easy, and homeowners can usually handle the job themselves.”
Jack adds that the ultimate goal for every homeowner here should be to have every downspout disconnected and diverted out and away from the house.
“Lots of cities throughout the country are going to a mandatory downspout disconnection,” he says. “Right now, ours is voluntary, so even if you only disconnect one of them, any amount of water that can be directed away from the sewer system helps.”
Residents interested in tracking the progress of these upcoming flooding prevention projects should consider subscribing to the village’s free E-news alert service at www.oakpark.us for email updates.
Wednesday Journal reporter Marty Stempniak contributed to this report.