Palatine putting faith, money on home rain gardens

A new approach to alleviating residential drainage problems is being touted as cheaper, faster and greener.

Palatine, looking to avoid the cost and time associated with extending a storm sewer, has launched a modest pilot program that will reimburse homeowners who build rain gardens.

"This is a very low-cost way for a homeowner to solve water problems and at the same time do some enhanced landscaping," said Village Manager Reid Ottesen.

A rain garden is a small basin or depression in the ground designed to collect water runoff from sump pump discharge, roofs, driveways or lawns. Rain gardens are typically planted with native grasses and flowers, allowing water to absorb into the soil naturally.

The village will reimburse 75 percent of the cost of installing an approved rain garden, up to $3,000. Or, if the rain garden is installed entirely by the homeowner, the village will reimburse all material costs up to $1,500.

Palatine modeled its rain garden initiative off Glenview's, which reimburses residents up to $1,000. They're the only suburbs to offer these types of grants, as far as Ottesen and Glenview officials know.

In 1991, Palatine started a program to address areas of four or five houses with rear flooding issues. Groups of at least two private property owners could request storm sewers be extended from the main line into areas with poor drainage.

The idea was for the village and homeowners to split costs down the middle, but the amount residents pay is capped. Palatine now picks up 82 percent of the bill on average because of skyrocketing project costs. Over the last three years, projects have averaged more than $12,000.

It's become hard to justify extending storm sewers, not only because of the growing expense, but because most complaints involve an isolated property or are aesthetic in nature.

"The cost-effectiveness isn't necessarily there," Ottesen said. "Finding contractors can even be difficult since the project is on such a small scale."

Rain gardens, officials say, can benefit both residents and the village budget. They're a lot prettier than pipes and take pressure off the village's storm sewer system.

Four Glenview residents have participated since its policy was implemented in 2007. Officials there recently approved funding for a second year, village Communications Director Janet Bishop said.

"It solves a problem for us," she said, "and makes people feel greener, too."