Overview

Our storm sewer system is designed to drain excess rain and ground water from our streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and roofs. In the Village of Crete, there are 2 main types of stormwater drain inlets; side inlets and grated inlets.

Side inlets are the typical type seen adjacent to curbs in our streets. This type relies greatly on the curb to block in water, which is why they are typically depressed at the invert; to improve the ability to capture a greater amount of water.

Grated inlets have gratings or grids to prevent large objects and/or debris from mixing into the sewer system. Unfortunately, many small objects are able to fall through, due to the wide spacing in the grids. Catchbasins or sumps are able to catch many of the foreign objects because they are located directly below the grating.

Most catchbasins carry stagnant water during the drier parts of the year and, therefore, can often times be the breeding grounds for mosquitoes. For this reason, our Public Works Department drops mosquito briquettes at the beginning of the typically mosquito season.

Stormwater Pollutants

Many common contaminants enter the storm sewer system, such as:

Storm Water Management Plan

Introduction

The Village of Crete has a General Permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for discharges from its municipal storm water system (MS4). This permit requires the Village to develop and implement a Storm Water Management Program designed to prevent and/or reduce pollution from its storm sewer system.

Public Education and Outreach

The Village compiled and produced various brochures covering topics such as the effect of chemicals and sediment on streams and what should not be dumped into a storm drain. The information is available at the Village Hall and on the Village’s website. The goal of this program is to increase the awareness of impacts of storm water discharges on water bodies and steps the public can take to reduce pollutants in storm sewers.

Public Involvement

The Village reaches out to local schools, businesses or civic groups for water quality and stream enhancement activities. The Village will provide organization and/or supplies to facilitate these activities. The goal of this program is to encourage active public participation in water quality programs.

Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination

The Village has developed storm sewer record maps. These maps not only show the storm sewer routing but also show the existing contours which help define the watersheds. The maps are carried by Public Works employees on electronic tablets. This makes the maps readily available in the field to help track down an illicit discharge.

Resident Reporting

Residents can report instances of pollution or expected pollution by contacting the Village of Crete Public Works, 708-672-7100 during regular business hours or Crete Police non-emergency line at 708-672-0911.

Detection

The Villages’ response to illicit discharges depends on the source. In most cases, property owners are notified of the need to eliminate the illicit discharge. In the case of emergency spills or incidents of hazardous material dumping, the Fire Department would respond.

Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control

The Village of Crete has adopted the Will County Storm Water Control Ordinance.

All construction sites that are required to file for coverage under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general or individual permit for storm water discharges from construction site activities shall have a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) that meets the requirements of current NPDES permit ILRIO. SWPPP plans are submitted, reviewed, and approved as part of the approval process for the development. The Village performs periodic site observations to assess the effectiveness of the erosion control measures.

Post Construction Runoff Control

The Village owns and maintains some of the storm water detention facilities. These facilities are inspected when routine maintenance occurs (mowing, etc.). Detention facilities privately owned are periodically inspected and their owners alerted to perform required maintenance.

Pollution Prevention/ Good Housekeeping Employee Training
Public Works staff is trained on topics such as: material storage, hazardous wastes, illicit discharges, equipment cleaning, vehicle maintenance, and lawn and landscape care.

Street Sweeping

The Village has the streets cleaned twice a year at a minimum.

Inspection and Maintenance

The Village uses their vactor truck to clean storm sewer piping and remove debris from manholes and catch basins. Th Village cleans approximately 20{2ea2584bbd0afbe1d4d51a2518a34972430dfc33a61f1a011410a66bcc6148b4} of the Village each year.

Stream Reconnaissance

The Village performs stream reconnaissance and keeps written records. This activity is done once per year and takes place where a stream enters and leaves the Village limits.

Material Storage

Flammable materials are contained in indoor fire resistant cabinets or containers. Road salt materials are stored under permanent cover.

Fleet Maintenance and Cleaning

Maintenance and cleaning operations are conducted inside the Public Works Facility where floor drains are connected to a triple basin and the sanitary sewer system.

Landscaping and Pest Control

Pesticides and herbicides are only applied by properly trained and licensed staff.

Reporting

Notice of Intent
The term of the Village’s General Permit from the IEPA is five years. At the end of each permit term, the Village submits a Notice of Intent to comply with the conditions of the General Permit to the IEPA. This Notice of Intent describes the practices the Village intends to implement in order to meet the conditions of the General Permit.

Annual Report

Each year the Village submits a report to the IEPA documenting its status of compliance with the conditions of the General Permit.

Storm Drainage System Improvement Links

With proper awareness and precaution, many ordinary tasks can be completed in a more safe and clean manner. Listed below are links with information pertaining to the improvement of our storm drainage system.

• Help Keep Pollution Out of Our Storm Drains
• Maintaining Your Septic System
• Simple Steps to Keep Our Water Clean
• Stormwater Runoff
• Tips for Preventing Stormwater Pollution