Who answers which call in Downers Grove
The village runs its own water system, but sewers belong to a separate agency, the Downers Grove Sanitary District. That split surprises people at 2 a.m. with a flooded basement. A quick sort of the problem saves time.
| What is happening | Who to call first | What we handle |
|---|---|---|
| Water bubbling up in the street or parkway | Village Public Works, 630-434-5460 | Nothing in the public main. We repair your side once it is shut off |
| Sewage backing up in the basement | Downers Grove Sanitary District, (630) 969-0664, to check the public sewer | Camera, cable or jet your lateral and house drains, any hour |
| Burst or leaking pipe inside the house | Us, around the clock | Shutoff, repair and drying advice |
| Water heater leaking or dead | Us, then the Building Division for permit questions | Repair or replacement |
Building Division permits line is 630-434-5515. Ask them whether your job needs a permit before work starts.
Drain cleaning and sewer repair lead the list here
Most of the calls we expect from this village start with a slow or stopped line. Kitchen and bathroom branches get a cable. A main line that keeps coming back gets a camera, and the footage decides whether you need more cleaning or a sewer line repair.
Our drain cleaning service covers sinks, tubs, floor drains and the main. If two fixtures gurgle at the same time, the problem is almost never in one sink, so tell dispatch both.
- Note which fixtures are affected and which are fine
- Do not run the washer or dishwasher again
- Move stored boxes off a wet basement floor if it is safe
- Photograph any water line on the wall for your insurer
When a backup in Downers Grove is an emergency
Treat it as an emergency if sewage is coming up from a floor drain, if water is spreading toward a furnace or outlets, or if every fixture backs up together. Keep people and pets out of the room and do not touch standing water near electrical items.
If you smell gas, leave first and call Nicor Gas on 888-642-6748 or 911, then call us.
Before we arrive at your Downers Grove home
A few minutes of prep protects your floors and shortens the visit. Do what is safe and skip what is not.
Find the main shutoff
Look where the water line enters the basement or utility room. Turn the valve clockwise until it stops. If it will not budge, leave it and tell dispatch.
Stop using drains
Sewer water finds the lowest opening. In a split-level or basement bath, that is often the floor drain or shower. Keep every sink, tub and appliance off until the line is open.
Keep water away from electrical
Stay out of a wet basement if the water touches outlets, a panel or a furnace. Keep children and pets upstairs.
Call the 24/7 line
Tell us which fixtures back up and whether the sanitary district has been called. That helps us bring the right cable or camera.
Older streets, creeks and low spots
The village's 2013 historic building survey looked at 865 properties in Denburn Woods, Shady Lane Estates, the E.H. Prince Subdivision and the Maple Avenue and Main Street corridor. Houses in neighborhoods like those tend to have older drain lines, so a repeat clog there is worth a camera look before another cleaning.
St. Joseph Creek runs through the village, and the village's stormwater page mentions Localized Poor Drainage Areas and participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. If your street is a low spot, a backflow valve or an overhead sewer conversion may matter more than a bigger cable. Flood insurance and sewer backup coverage are separate things, so ask your agent.
The sanitary district's overhead sewer program
The Downers Grove Sanitary District runs an Overhead Sewer Program with financial assistance. Details are on the district program page. Terms and approvals change, so call the district before you hire anyone, including us.
If a basement has backed up more than once, ask whether an overhead system fits your house. We can explain the plumbing side and what the camera showed.
Neighbors on the same boundary line
Downers Grove and Woodridge have a boundary line agreement along 75th Street and Woodward Avenue to Lemont Road. That shared line is why we treat Downers Grove as a next-door town. From Patriots Park and Barth Pond on 55th Street to Fishel Park downtown, the same line is open 24/7.
Our crews also work in Darien, where some addresses share the same sanitary district, and in Lisle, which has its own utility split to sort out.
Backed up in Downers Grove tonight
Call the emergency line. You get a clear price before work starts, and same-day appointments are offered when available.
Questions we hear
Yes. We serve 60515, the village's primary ZIP, and 60516. Near Fishel Park downtown, Patriots Park and Barth Pond, or the streets along the Woodridge boundary, both ZIP codes are covered. If your address is unclear, give dispatch the street and cross street.
Yes. The line is open 24/7 for sewer backups, burst pipes and water heater failures. Stop running water and call.
Do both. The district can check the public sewer at (630) 969-0664, and we clear and camera your own line. If the camera shows the blockage is in the street main, we tell you plainly.
The rule is not something we can state for you. Ask the Building Division at 630-434-5515 before work starts.
It runs an Overhead Sewer Program with financial assistance. Ask the district about current terms before any work begins.
Heavy rain can overload sewer lines, and a sump pump or downspout tied to a drain adds to the load. A camera and a look at where your sump discharges usually explain it.
Yes. Property managers can call for a unit or a shared line. We explain the cause so the repair goes to the right party.
For a repeat clog, a camera inspection shows the cause before you pay for another cleaning.
Downers Grove on the map
Downers Grove sits north-east of our Woodridge dispatch base, and the two villages share a boundary along 75th Street.