The
Villag
The Village of Wauconda is proud to mark its one year anniversary of the purchase of the Village-owned vactor truck and the creation of the Collection System Maintenance Crew to operate the machine. The vactor truck is used for cleaning the entire sanitary sewer system within the Village. This unit is now used daily (weather permitting) to clean the network of approximately 70 miles of sanitary sewer pipe and the 18 lift stations that collect and transport wastewater to the treatment plant located on Slocum Lake Road. By regularly cleaning Village sewer lines, blockages can be found and dispursed before sewage backs up into homes or negatively affects the environment.
Former Public Works Superintendent, Jeff Maute, who recently retired from the Public Works Department after 36 years of service states, “For many years I had been trying to focus on this part of our infrastructure. I asked previous Boards for a vac truck so we could properly maintain the sewer system. When the purchase was finally approved in 2007, I was so proud to be involved in the design and eventual purchase of the vactor truck shortly before I retired. It is a great addition to the Village fleet and it was sorely needed.”
Before purchasing the unit, the Village did not regularly clean sewer lines. Current Public Works Director David Geary explains, “After the purchase of the vac truck last September, our goal has been to clean 35 miles of sewer pipes in the first year of the program - which represents half of the total system. We are proud to announce that we recently achieved that goal and continue to work to protect the Village residents with an aggressive cleaning schedule.” During the past year, the vactor truck crew has removed tree roots, grease plugs and other obstructions from the lines.
According to Mayor Salvatore Saccomanno, “The current Village Board recognizes the importance of properly maintaining our infrastructure, most of which is underground and not visible to our residents. I am so happy that we have been able to develop a program to address ongoing sewer maintenance. In addition, the Public Works Department was able to realign staff and duties so that a sewer cleaning team could be created without the need to add more personnel,”
While the majority of the time the vactor truck is used to concentrate on the sanitary sewer system, there are many other uses for the truck as well. The truck has been used to assist the Water Department by digging trenches to assist with water line repairs and has also been used to clear culverts and clean other elements of the storm sewer. A few months ago, while cleaning a storm sewer lift station, the crew retrieved an old bowing ball that was lodged in the pipe.
Residents are reminded that they can play a big part in keeping the Village’s sewer system clear. Household kitchen grease is the most common blockage found in the lines by the cleaning crew. Residents are asked to refrain from dumping pan drippings or cooking oil down the drain. Instead, housedhold grease should be collected and disposed of in the trash.