Excerpt From the Village of Skokie News Letter:
Your house should be protected from sewage backup
that can cause costly damage and unsanitary conditions.
The Village has made improvements to the sewer system to
handle most normal rain storms; however, in severe rain storm
sewers can fill up causing water to backflow into basements.
Although there are several ways of preventing this, the two
best methods are to install overhead sewers or a backwater
valve flood control system. In an overhead system, waste
water from the first or second floor is removed from the
house through a pipe connected to the Village sewer that is
at a higher level than the Village sewer. The higher elevation
of the pipe helps prevent water from backing up into the
house. An electric pump in the basement ejects any water
from basement bathrooms, laundries or drains into the pipe
that is connected to the sewer. Backwater valve flood control
systems, on the other hand, stop sewage backup before it
can enter the house with a check valve on the sewer line. This
system generally requires the construction of an underground
structure in the yard where a check valve is located. This
valve lets waste water flow out of the house while keeping
sewage from coming back in. It is important to maintain this
valve annually to prevent failure during a storm event. These
systems often contain an electric pump to force water out of
the house system if the sewers are full. Both systems require
electricity and should have a backup battery or generator
system to assure their continued operation if the electricity
goes out. The pumps in these systems require regular
maintenance and may need replacement because of heavy
usage.
Homeowners can perform some of these home improvements
themselves, while other improvements require a contractor or
licensed plumber.
Financial assistance is available to income qualified households to make repairs as part of the Village’s Home Improvements Program. Please contact the Building and Zoning Division at 847/933-8223 to discuss your home repair issues, determine if a permit is required, get a list of contractors who have done work in the Village and to see if you are income-qualified for a grant or loan.
For the full article click the link below.
http://www.skokie.org/JuneJuly2016_NewSkokie.pdf
Financial assistance is available to income qualified households to make repairs as part of the Village’s Home Improvements Program. Please contact the Building and Zoning Division at 847/933-8223 to discuss your home repair issues, determine if a permit is required, get a list of contractors who have done work in the Village and to see if you are income-qualified for a grant or loan.
For the full article click the link below.
http://www.skokie.org/JuneJuly2016_NewSkokie.pdf