Palatine aims to alleviate wastewater in Palanois Park

Palatine officials are making strides toward alleviating wastewater surcharge problems for more than 100 homes.

The village council Monday approved hiring an engineering firm to design plans for a new sanitary sewer aimed at helping residents in the Palanois Park subdivision near Lincoln Street and Northwest Highway.

“This couldn’t happen soon enough,” Councilman Brad Helms said.

The village hired RJN Group for $47,780 to provide final design services. Bids are expected to go out next year followed by construction in 2013, pending approval and permitting by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

The project, estimated to cost more than $750,000 total, will divert wastewater that currently runs from the 45-acre Fairgrounds Park subdivision south to Palanois Park. Though the combined storm and sanitary sewer system that originally serviced the area has since been separated, the dedicated sanitary sewer at times becomes overwhelmed.

The result has been foul basement backups during big storms, Public Works Director Matt Barry said.

According to RJN Group’s proposal, a new, 8-inch sanitary sewer would capture sanitary flow and travel west from Forest Avenue along Lincoln, head northwest on Hicks Place and end at an MWRD interceptor sewer at Colfax Street.

Officials said money from the 2012 sewer fund will cover costs and aren’t aware of any grants that could offset it.

The village council first authorized a study to analyzing diverting wastewater back in March 2008, officials said. Barry said Palanois Park’s is a unique problem within the village, so no similar plans are in the works.