Subdivision's storm sewers add to St. Charles' water, calcium problems
While complaints about St. Charles' drinking water quality are on the rise, city officials say they might have a solution to another type of water problem on the city's west side.
Residents of The Reserve subdivision informed aldermen at a recent meeting of water so yellow or brown that it fueled second thoughts about bathing, laundering clothes or drinking from the tap. The culprit, city officials said, is hard water that caused high concentrations of calcium, magnesium and iron in ground wells.
Similarly, city staffers have found elevated levels of calcium in the storm sewer system in the Renaux Manor subdivision.
The neighborhood, and its storm sewer pipes, are only about 15 years old. The pipes are concrete and contain a high number of joints. Concrete is already a porous material, allowing the calcium to seep in. The pipe joints are an even bigger weakness allowing for more calcium buildup.
The buildup constricts the pipes by as much as 50 percent in some areas of the subdivision. That prevents proper drainage, causing the sump pumps of all the homes in the community to run unceasingly to fight off flooding.
Residents seeking better drinking water will have to wait about a year for the completion of a $125,000 water improvement study. But the Renaux Manor residents may see a much faster solution to their calcium conundrum.
Attempts to mechanically clean the calcium buildups in the pipes have been seen some success. But the porous pipes mean the buildups will always return. Cleaning with a chemical agent yielded no improvement.
Staff members want to line the storm sewer pipes with a nonporous material to slow the calcium buildups. With regular mechanical cleanings, they believe they can restore proper drainage to Renaux Manor at a relatively low cost.
If that doesn't work, the city may have to replace about 2,835 linear feet of storm sewer pipe. The cost of such a replacement is much greater than lining the pipes. Residents of the subdivision may have to help foot the bill for that level of work through their special service area tax assessment.
The city will hire East Dundee-based Gerald L. Heinz & Associates to review the problem, recommend the best course of action and develop plans if a full storm sewer line replacement is needed. The city will pay the company up to $36,100 for the work. The results of the review are due later this year.