Environmental Services Division

The Environmental Services Division is responsible for maintaining, operating and administering the public water supply, wastewater treatment, sanitary sewer, and the collection and disposal of solid waste (including recycling). This division falls under the direction of the Environmental Services Manager.

Water, Wastewater and Sewer Services

Water

The City of St. Charles’ Water Division is responsible for providing safe water to the 35,000 customers we serve. With 8 full-time employees, the Water Division maintains seven water supply wells, six storage reservoirs, 200 miles of water main, over 3,000 valves, and 2900 fire hydrants and 12,337 domestic service connections and meters. The water supply is chlorinated and fluoridated as required by State and federal Regulations. Information regarding water quality can be found in the Consumer Confidence Water Quality Report. Presently, water usage averages about 4.5 million gallons per day.

As a matter of good practice and prudent management the Water Utility recently completed a Ten Year Master Plan which is used by the Utility as a steering document and to help ensure that the Utility is on the correct course for the next decade.  The Master Plan can be viewed by selecting it from the documents collection box on the right hand side of this page.

Wastewater Treatment

The City of St. Charles’s Wastewater Treatment Division is responsible for ensuring that all wastewater produced by City residents is properly treated and disinfected prior to its return to the environment. With 8 full-time employees operate and maintain fourteen intermediate pumping stations two wastewater treatment facilities. Both treatment facilities were designed and built according to the standards established by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and are capable of treating up to 9.7 million gallons of wastewater daily. In addition to process control and compliance monitoring, the City’s Environmental Laboratory Division monitors industrial activities and provides analytical data necessary to fulfill all reporting requirements as required by the Clean Water Act (CWA).

As a matter of good practice and prudent management the Waste Water Utility has completed a Facility Master Plan which is used by the Utility as a steering document and to help ensure that the Utility is on the correct course for the next decade.  The Facility Plan can be viewed by selecting it from the documents collection box on the right hand side of this page.

Sewers

There are two types of Sewers, sanitary and storm sewer collection. Public Services is responsible for the maintenance and repair of storm sewer collection systems, while the Environmental Services is responsible for the sanitary. The system totals nearly 300 miles of underground piping. The purpose of the stormwater collection sewers is to keep rainwater and snow melt water out of homes and business and to enhance local surface water quality.  The sanitary sewers are uses to transport used water from sinks and showers around the city to one of the two wastewater treatment plant.

Refuse

Lakeshore Recycling Systems provides refuse and recycling services to residents living with the City limits of St. Charles.  You may contact them directly at 630-581-8650 or StCharles@LRSrecycles.com.