Water turned off at Elgin Car Wash

An Elgin car wash owner who got in hot water over the summer for a suggestive sign on her marquee now has no water at all.

City workers Tuesday morning shut off the water at the Elgin Car Wash, 313 Dundee Ave., after a court dispute over sanitary waste and car wash chemicals being improperly routed into storm sewers and eventually the Fox River.

William Cogley, the city's corporation counsel, said the city notified owner Judith Colletti of the problem in June 2006.

But it went unresolved, so the city sued in February 2008. Last week, Colletti's attorney Patrick Shiftley admitted the improper pipe connection, pledged to pay a minimum $2,500 fine, and to fix it Dec. 22, which is the next court date, court records show.

But city officials had already given Colletti notice the water would be shut off Tuesday.

"She had three years to fix this," Cogley said. "Enough is enough. It's intolerable."

Colletti said she had officials from the Fox Water Reclamation District visit her property in 2006, and they found the problem.

She said she hoped the city's public works department would fix it, but they wouldn't dig on private land. Plus, no contractor would take on the $10,400 job because it was too small.

Colletti said late Tuesday that she found a contractor, signed a work order, and hoped to get her water turned back on today.

"I expected help from Elgin public works," she said. "I would have washed 500 cars today."