Water's back on at Elgin Car Wash

An east-side car wash in Elgin has reopened after being shuttered for two months because the city shut off its water over an improper sewer connection.

The Elgin Car Wash, 313 Dundee Ave., reopened Monday after being shut down in early December.

Jerry Deering, the city's community development director, said the car wash on Jan. 30 corrected the problem where its sewer pipes were discharging waste into the city's storm sewers and eventually into the Fox River.

The problem was discovered in 2006, and after a court judgment in late November 2008 the water was turned off.

Owner Judith Colletti also was fined $20,735 for failing to fix the problem.

Deering said drain spouts from the car wash's roof still must be disconnected from the city's sanitary sewers.

"If you're putting stormwater into a sanitary sewer, you're treating water that doesn't need to be treated," he said.

A person who identified himself as Patrick Colletti, car wash manager, said in a telephone interview the city had turned the water back on and the wash reopened on Monday.

"We've been here 47 years," he said. "Our customers are happy to see us back."

Judith Colletti filed petitions in December to run for an Elgin City Council seat in April but withdraw her candidacy after someone challenged whether she had lives in the district for a year.