FAQs

The District bills on a bi-monthly basis. The water bills are mailed out no later that the 15^th day of even number months: February, April, June, August, October, and December. The bills are due within 21 days.

Water/Sewer Bills may be paid in person or through the mail. The District does not accept Credit/Debit Card payments at this time. Make checks and Money orders payable to the South Palos Township Sanitary District. The District has a drop slot in the door where residents may drop off their payments 24 hours a day.

All bills unpaid after the gross date will be subject to a 10% penalty. Failure to receive bill on time does not entitle resident to deduct penalty charges due. Please allow at least 5 days for mail delivery.

A billing code determines the services a resident is receiving. The billing code is the first three numbers in your account number.

The District has 4 billing codes:

• CODE 101- are residents in the District who receive water and sanitary sewer service.
• Code 206- are residents in the District that receive water from Illinois American Water Co. (IAW) and receive sewer service from the District. Sewer charges are based on water usage received from (IAW).
• Code 206 residents are also subject to a Fire Protection Fee of $10.00 per month.
• Code 304- are residents in the District that receive sanitary sewer service but do not receive water service. All water assessments have been paid.
• Code 099- are considered transition lots. These include vacant property, construction property where the water has been turned off at the B-box, vacant homes on the market where the water has been turned off at the b-box.

All billing codes are subject to a minimum bill.

Rehab surcharge Fee $15.00 per month. The District’s G.O. Bonds are being paid for by a special tax levy that was approved pursuant to the referendum that authorized the G.O. Bonds. The purpose of the

G. O. Bonds was to pay off the first IEPA Low-Interest Loan, with the rehabilitation surcharge being reduced from $30 per month to $15 per month with the issuance of the G.O. Bonds. The remaining $15.00 per month rehabilitation surcharge will stay in effect until such time as the Current IEPA low-interest loan is repaid in full. As while the sewer system has now been fully lined, said lining has not been “paid for,”.

Day 1 Bill is mail out (the 15^th day of the even number months)

Day 21 The current amount is due

Day 22 Penalty is applied

Day 28 2^nd Notice mailed

Day 42 Disconnection letters are mailed 3^rd notice

Day 50 Disconnection notices are posted

Day 52 Disconnection Day

Day 60 Lien Proceedings.

Additional information

In the event the water service is scheduled for disconnection, a $50.00 fee will be charged for the shutoff and turn-on.

Property owners in the District must inform the District Office when a property will be rented and provide the new tenant’s contact information. All water/sanitary sewer bills are the responsibility of the property owner of record, regardless of whether the lease agreement puts the payment obligation on the tenant. For the security of both parties and the District, all water/sanitary sewer bills are sent to the property owners address on file, not the rental address. It is the properties owners responsibility to provide the current bill to the renter in a timely matter to avoid late fees and to assure the account is in good standing.

If you are planning to sell our property, please be sure that you, sales agent, or attorney, contacts the District Office, in writing, with the closing date so a final bill can be generated. Residents must contact the Office no less than 48 hours prior to the closing date to ensure that charges through the closing date are properly allocated.

RPZ stands for Reduced Pressure Zone, also known as a backflow preventer. This device is installed onto your plumbing system to protect your drinking water and the District’s water supply from contaminants. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) requires houses equipped with an in-house fire suppression system, in-ground sprinkler systems or swimming pools that are connected to the District’s water supply (lake Michigan Water) to have a RPZ valves outlined in the Illinois State Plumbing code. All city and District governments must comply with these laws.

The law not only requires the use of an RPZ valve but the device must be tested once every year. Only a licensed plumber with a Cross Connection Certification License can test and certify the proper operation of a RPZ valve. Once the RPZ valve is tested, the certification paperwork is forwarded to the District Office. Again, these inspections are mandatory, and are the responsibility of the homeowner.

The IEPA requires every water supply to develop and implement a cross connection control program. A requirement of the program is to send a survey to all residential water customers every two (2) years. All residential water residents are requested to complete the short survey. The last cross connection survey was taken 6/1/17.