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Welcome to the Northfield Woods Sanitary District Web site. This is where you’ll find all available public information about the District, what we do, and what it means to you and the community.
We’ve just started, and we’ll be adding content and features. If you have any suggestions, please contact our office.
SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE DURING COVID-19, click here.
We are here to serve the sanitary needs of portions of the following communities:
- Glenview
- Northbrook
- Prospect Heights
Last Update 5/20/2020 8:30AM. Great news from Mike upon inspection this morning. Based on this info, are lifting the request and notifying our customers. Thank you so much for your patience.
5/18/2020 5PM: URGENT NOTICE TO ALL CUSTOMERS:
We have identified a major problem where our sewer system feeds into, resulting in a backup of the entire NWSD sewer system.
The MWRD (Where all of our sewer systems discharge into) are FULL and BACKED UP.
Urgent action for you to take to protect your home or business:
- If you are in the high risk of backup area, consider opening your clean out valve outside your home so your home doesn’t flood.
- STOP use of your shower.
- STOP Washing dishes or using dishwasher.
- MINIMIZE toilet use.
This website will be updated as more information becomes available.
5/18/2020 5:15PM: MWRD was notified and are on their way to our interceptor at the end of Forest Dr.
5/18/2020 7PM: For the Official Update from 830 this morning at the MWRD –> Storm event 5-18-2020. Interpretation: Their system is completely saturated but their pumps are working at full capacity. They are doing the best they can to put as much through the system as possible.
A personal note from our trustees:
Friends, neighbors, and customers of the Northfield Woods Sanitary District (NWSD). As you can see above, we have an extremely unique event that may affect our homeowners. It’s heartbreaking to think of all the sewer backups that may happen in our area. I was asked to explain what’s happening… Here’s a brief explanation:
There are typically two unique sewer systems: One for your storm water management (clean water, like rain, water runoff, etc), and one for your sanitary sewer (stuff that got flushed, went down the drains…. shower, sink, dishwasher, etc)
The NWSD takes the sanitary waste from homes and businesses in our district, and transports it to the MWRD interceptor, where the pipes feed into a massive pipe that carries the waste to be processed and reclaimed. Imagine a lot of connections funneling down into one, and if that one is full, or backs up, everything feeding into it also backs up, starting with the lowest points along the line.
At this time, the MWRD is extremely full. We already have residents who have experienced backup in our neighborhood. We need to minimize use as a community to prevent more backups.
Please keep us updated on your specific issues. Please text 224-436-2384 or email office@nfwsanitary.com with your address and a description of your issues.
We will notify when MWRD is cleared.
Sincerely,
Alex Botvinnik
Interceptor Cam: Usually the interceptor is about 15-20 feet deep with holding area. That means we can usually look down, see the pipes that feed into this box (15 feed below), and watch it disappear into the MWRD pipes (20 feet) below. As you can see by the photos below, the water level is extremely high and almost full.
Here’s a picture of that manhole as of 5/18 @ 7PM. Normally, it’s so deep you won’t see the water. It’s up to two ladder steps, and usually you can see about 15 of them. Each step is about 15″ apart.
5/18/2020 11:35PM
I want to thank Gina at Indian Ridge for sending communications to residents there. I inspected the lowest manholes servicing Indian Ridge and found them to be flowing properly and clear of any backup at this time. Based on this, there’s almost no risk of backflow at Indian Ridge at this time. Unfortunately, the risk is very real closer to the interceptor.
Reports of flooding homes on Gregory Lane and Larch Avenue.
We are asking the community to limit water usage to essentials.
Updated:
- If you are in the high risk of backup area, consider opening your clean out valve outside your home so your home doesn’t flood. Please see the following map:
5/19/2020 12:35AM Some promising results near areas of flooding (Magnolia and Larch; Gregory and Merle Ln areas).
Water level is going down at the interceptor, but it’s extremely, painfully slow. This picture was taken at 11:15PM. Notice you can barely see the start of the 3rd set of handles. Comparing it to the photo above… it’s a little less water in the system.
Water at the manholes upstream are still flowing adequately outside of the high risk areas indicated above.
5/19/2020 4AM: Rain doesn’t help! Hopefully small amount of rain… but it’s moving west, which is unusual in Chicagoland!
5/19/2020 1:31PM
Wanted to thank everyone who has called, emailed, or texted. We are here to help the best we can. As of noon today, the water level at the interceptor is continues to go down a very slowly…. however it’s trending in the right direction. There is an extraordinary amount of water that must be pumped out to lower the level 1″.
See photo taken 5/19/2020 at 10AM. 3.5 ladder steps. Trending in the right direction, water level continues to be extremely high risk to neighboring community. Here’s a photo of looking down that manhole:
Our engineers have advised there are several engineering controls that you should have installed at your home or business to prevent backflow.
- For those with basements: Overhead sewers
- Backflow Valve to prevent water backing into your property
- Outside cleanout to access for service and pressure relief in these crazy times
Some properties already have these features. If you don’t, contact your local plumber to request evaluation and estimate. They will require a permit to service the sewer connection and install the upgrade.
The MWRD has a nice summary of events affecting our community, along with a link to historical photos:
5/19/2020 4:11 PM. Update from our Superintendant, Mike from Gewalt Hamilton Engineering: At the present time we are showing 4 stair rungs (stairs are 12″ apart) at the MWRD manhole. It has gone down about 6″ in the last 7 hours. Manholes between larch and lilac are back to normal. The line between Forest and magnolia back yards is still full and has an effect all the way to north of Gregory. In theory at the rate it’s descending we will be down another 15″ by morning and should only have the two main trunk lines and lines on locust and linden still backed up at that time.
I just want to personally think Daniel and Joe at the village of Glenview for their Invaluable assistance to notify customers. Looking forward to working together in the future to offer incentives to homeowners to install upgrades to protect their homes.
Update 5/19/19/2020 434PM. Great news! Based on site inspection and current trends, we expect to give the All-Clear to use water on 5/20/2020 in the morning. Thank you for your patience!
Update 5/20/2020 8:30AM. Great news from Mike upon inspection this morning. Based on this info, we are lifting the request and notifying our customers. Thank you so much for your patience.
As of 8 am the sewer has gone down 14″ over night at the MWRD manhole. Water has gone down to normal flows on larch,lilac,laurel,locust. There is still some standing water between locust and linden. There still is sewer standing in manholes on Gregory and Merle but less than 24″ remaining.
At this point and the progress overnight and sunny skies today I would recommend lifting the notices. There is approximately 5 ‘ of sewage standing in the MWRD manhole before all surge charges are gone.