Mount Prospect board discussing stormwater solutions for Fairview Gardens neighborhood

Mount Prospect village board members will meet as a committee of the whole Tuesday night to weigh possible solutions to stormwater management problems in the Fairview Gardens neighborhood.

Officials say the subdivision of approximately 292 single-family homes near Central and Wolf roads is served by a sewer pump station that is aging and needs replacement.

The village faces a problem, though: Replacing the pump station requires a permit from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. However, MWRD will grant a permit only if the discharge capacity of the pump station is reduced by 66%. Village officials say that reduction would result in frequent basement backups during rainstorms.

The subdivision was annexed into Mount Prospect in 1969, after its streets, utilities and most homes were built. The sewer system was owned and operated by a private utility company, which the village purchased shortly after the annexation.

A significant amount of stormwater seeps into the neighborhood's sanitary sewer when it rains, due to directly connected footing tiles from some homes. The village has taken mitigation measures, including rehabilitating the sanitary sewers and manholes in the drainage basin through cured-in-place lining.

Mount Prospect public works staff members will be on hand at the meeting, which will start at 7 p.m. at Olive Place Banquets, 828 E. Rand Road. The staff will discuss the issues and corrective work that has been completed.

The village also will present a plan to launch a 24-home pilot project that will test the efficacy and affordability of disconnecting direct footing tile connections and removing outdoor drains.

No formal action will be taken by the board Tuesday night.