Evanston Plans Smelly Sewer Work At 27 Locations Around Town

EVANSTON, IL — City officials announced sewer rehabilitation work is scheduled to take place between April 29 and June 24, weather permitting, at more than two dozen locations around Evanston.

The capital improvements require that a liner be put into the sewer to seal off buildings from flowing into the public sewer. All residents will get a 10-day notice before the work starts. Another notice will be hung on the front doorknob of all affected buildings with 24 hours advance warning before the start of sewer work that will seal off their connection.

City staff asked residents to limit their water usage while contractors are working on the sewer line in front of their buildings. That includes keeping bathroom use to a minimum, avoiding dishwashing or laundry and disconnecting any sump pumps connected to the sewer system.

City officials warned residents not to be alarmed by unpleasant odors caused by heated styrene. While it smells bad, the substance is a common one in the fiberglass industry and is not dangerous to people, according to a notice from the city.

To avoid the odor in your home, staff recommended pouring a gallon of water into each drain, especially floor drains in the basement, to keep sewer gases from entering your building. The process must be repeated when the water evaporates.

The process is anticipated to take about 12 hours at each of the 27 locations shown on the above map. No parking signs will be put up everywhere where the work is taking place. In areas with higher levels of traffic, the contractor may carry out the work between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. for the safety of residents and workers.

The contractor on the project is Pewaukee, Wisconsin-based Visu-Sewer. Anyone with any questions or concerns was asked to contact Civil Engineer Deborah Cueva, of the city's Capital Planning and Engineering Bureau, at 847-448-8280 or by email.