Water

The City of Countryside serves it's residents water needs along with an expanded service area to include the Village of Indian Head Park and the LaGrange Highlands, as well as other unincorporated areas of Cook County.

The City Council’s Water Committee, currently chaired by Alderman Wayne Straza, was instituted almost immediately after incorporation in 1960 due to ongoing well water issues. After three years of planning, negotiations, and land acquisitions, a contract was signed with the Village of McCook for the transportation of Lake Michigan water from the City of Chicago.

The present Countryside water system includes a 16-inch water supply line to a one and a half million gallon underground reservoir, a pump house near City Hall, a half million gallon above-ground storage tank and a large water distribution system.

The water issues are currently handled by Bill McShane in the Finance Department.  If you need assistance please call Bill at 708.485.2465.

Water Billing

Under current City policy all water accounts are billed on a monthly basis. All water bills may be paid at City Hall during regular City Hall hours, via mail, or through automatic deduction by your local bank. An application for the automatic deduction can be found in the Info Resources section of our website.  Click here to go there now.  For your additional convenience, a drop box is available for payment deposit; it is located at the entrance to City Hall.

A 10% penalty is applied each month to all past due balances.

When selling or buying a home, apartment building, condominium, or business, be sure to call the Water Department at least 5 days before closing to schedule a final water meter reading.

Water Rates

A. Rates Established: The following shall be the monthly rates for water supplied through the waterworks system of the City of Countryside:

1. All Residential Users: $4.10 per 1000 gallons of water plus a $5.00 per month service availability charge.

2. All Commercial Users: $5.50 per 1000 gallons of water plus a $5.00 per month service availability charge.

3. Other Governmental Units as follows: Pleasantdale Park District: $5.50 per 1000 gallons of water plus a $5.00 per month

service availability charge.

Flagg Creek Golf Course: $5.50 per 1000 gallons of water plus a $5.00 per month service availability charge.

Village of Indian Head Park and Highlands Sanitary District: Per contract.

4. Effective Date for Rates: The foregoing rates shall be in full force and effect as of December 1, 2005 for residential users that have not been billed as of January 1, 2006. For all other users, these rates shall be in effect as of January 1, 2006. (Ord. 06-   -0, 01-25-06).

5. Final Readings: Whenever a change in ownership or occupancy of premises is to take place, and a final water meter reading is requested, and notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the current owner or occupant shall be charged only for water actually used from the beginning of the billing period in which the reading is made to the date of reading. The new owner or occupant shall pay for that billing period the minimum water service charge plus the charge for water used over the amount covered by the minimum service charge, if any, less a sum equal to the amount paid for that billing period by the former owner or occupant. (Ord. 87-55-0, 11-11-1987).

6.  Billing Cycles - Monthly:  Billing cycles for water service shall be monthly.

B. Multiple Residential Buildings or Mobile Home Parks – Water Rate Charges: Multiple residential buildings and mobile homes may have a separate meter for each residential unit contained thereon and the foregoing rates shall apply accordingly to each meter use. In the event the owner of a multiple residential building or a mobile home park elects to have more than one residential unit on a single water meter, the total water usage for the units so combined shall be divided by the number of units and the water will be charged on a per unit basis on the assumption that each unit consumed its proportionate share of the water.

C.  Multiple Residential Buildings or Mobile Home Parks – Service Availability Charge: Notwithstanding that any multiple residential building or mobile home park employees a single water meter for two or more residential dwelling units, the monthly Service Availability Charge shall apply to each such residential or mobile home unit.

D. Commercial Buildings: Commercial buildings shall have a separate meter for each store unit contained therein and the foregoing rates shall apply accordingly to each meter user.

E. City Authority to Change Rates: The city reserves the right to make such reasonable changes in rates and in conditions herein established and to establish further rules and regulations from time to time as may be found expeditious or necessary.

DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT OF WATER BILLS.

City of Countryside offers a free and convenient option to pay your water bill. You can have your water payments automatically deducted from your checking or savings account on the due date of the water bill. This avoids writing checks, searching for stamps or worrying about late charges. You will continue to receive our statements by mail and have 15 days from the invoice date to dispute your bills. Please contact Bill McShane (Finance Department) at 708.485.2465 if you have further questions.  To sign up for direct debit, please complete the Direct Debit Payment Application, sign the authorization form and enclose a voided checked with your application and mail to:-

City of Countryside

Attn: Finance Department

5550 East Avenue

Countryside, IL. 60525

Water Billing Potential Issues

Roughly 95% of all high water bill complaints are due to a leaking toilet flapper valve (the black orb in your toilet tank). It will over time distort out of its original shape and cause water to run, often it is unheard or unnoticed until the water bill is received by the customer.

Other factors to look for before your water bill is received:

• Listen to the toilet tank by placing your ear very near the toilet to check if there is any water running.

• Check the bronze colored water meter for any unusual movement of the dials that measure water usage.

• To avoid periodic leaker situations, manually write down the meter read on a daily basis (once every 24 hours) for a period of 7 days to ensure a consistent recording of your water usage.

If you have any water issues please contact us:
Phone: 708. 354.8827 for Service
708.485.2465 for Billing
E-mail at water@countryside-il.org