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Fee Schedule

The following link is the Village of Downs Public Works Fee Schedule as of 5/1/23 as adopted by the Village Board of Trustees.

Billing Info

1st of the month: All accounts are charged for prior month's service
15th - 18th of the month: Meters are read
15th of the month: All accounts are due in full from prior month's billing
16st of the month: Late penalties will be assessed and shut-off notices sent
Starting 26th of the month: $20 shut off fee will be applied. Shut offs will be done for non-payment.

Payments may be dropped off at Village Hall 24 hours a day in drop box.
If you have questions, call (309) 378-3221 between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Consumer Confidence Report

The link to the annual Consumer Confidence Report for the 2022 Village of Downs water supply has been mailed to customers and is at the bottom of this article. This is required under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996.

If you have questions regarding this report, you may contact Public Works Department at (309) 319-1010.
2022 Consumer Confidence Report
2021 Consumer Confidence Report
2020 Consumer Confidence Report

Public Works Department

The Downs Public Works department is comprised of the village water plant and distribution system and the municipal sewer system. Public Works Supervisor Jill Kasperzak is responsible for day-to-day operations of the water plant, as well as other water-related issues. She can be reached at 309-319-1010. The sewer system, which was constructed by Stark Excavating of Bloomington and Fischer Excavating of Freeport under the engineering management of Farnsworth Group, is also maintained by the village. The sewer output is treated by the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District (BNWRD).

2019 BCA Water and Sewer Rate Survey - Based on 5250 gals of usage

Boil Order Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) rule regarding Boil Orders?
The following IEPA rule is not verbatim, but generally states: The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) requires public water systems to issue a boil order when the system pressure drops below 20 psi or in the case of a water main rupture. The village must notify consumers through either a hand delivered notice or local media to boil all water used for drinking or culinary purposes for five minutes before consumption. The boil order remains in effect until tested samples demonstrate that the water is safe, or until corrective action approved by the agency is taken.

What good does it do to boil water?
Boiling water for a minimum of five minutes kills bacteria so the water is safe to drink. Most Public Water Supplies add chlorine for the same reason. Chlorine is a disinfectant/oxidizer.

What type of contaminants are you talking about?
Water mains are usually buried anywhere from 3 to 6 feet underground. Contaminants that could enter the system at this depth might be ground water, dirt, oil, or gas from leaking underground tanks. It could be waste water. Contaminants to a water system are not always life threatening bacteria.

Hydrant Flushing Information and Progress

Are you interested in the fascinating world of Hydrant Flushing? I know I am! There are a lot of videos and informative websites on the subject. Here is a small excerpt that seems to be repeated on many of those sites:

Hydrant flushing is an important part of routine preventive maintenance to ensure safe, reliable operation of our pipes, valves, and hydrants, and to help maintain the exceptional water quality our customers enjoy. Over time, sediment and corrosion within pipes can lead to poor water quality and reduced fire protection.

And a very common set of instructions which i'm sure you'll recognize if you've called in about the hydrant flushing in the past decades:

We recommend not washing clothes and using hot water sparingly while flushing is occurring near your property. If you experience discolored water, run your cold water tap until it clears. During periods of discoloration, postpone washing clothes and limit your use of hot water until the cold water clears.

With that information out of the way, and believe me, I barely scratched the surface of the topic...

We hope this brief foray into the world of hydrant flushing will help with the planning of your water usage.

3rd Quarter 2023 Hydrant Flushing Progress

Hydrant Flushing began on Tuesday 6-13-23 in Beecher Trails Phase 3 and finished on Tuesday 8-1-23

6-13-23: 5 hydrants completed
6-15-23: 8 hydrants completed
6-16-23: 7 hydrants completed
6-20-23: 8 hydrants completed
6-21-23: 10 hydrants completed

6-22-23: 8 hydrants completed - finished the west side!
7-13-23: 5 hydrants completed

7-13-23: N Seminary by the cemetery

7-13-23: Oliver Cul de sac

7-13-23: Methodist church

7-13-23: 410 E Washington (TV Unit office)

7-13-23: #14 Fox Run (cul de sac)

7-18-23: 7 hydrants completed

7-18-23: #3 Quail (cul de sac)

7-18-23: 606 Harvey (last house on W side)

7-18-23: Rt 150/Dooley Ave (near Dooley cul de sac)

7-18-23: 310 Cleveland closest cross st is Oak

7-18-23: N Lincoln- Catholic Church parking lot

7-18-23: 101 N Seminary closest cross st is Washington

7-18-23: 206 S Lincoln closest cross st is Franklin

7-21-23: 15 hydrants completed

7-21-23: Cleveland & Washington

7-21-23: Woodlawn & Washington

7-21-23: Washington-across from HS parking lot

7-21-23: Washington & 150

7-21-23: In between Washington & MS entrance

7-21-23: Cleveland & Grove

7-21-23: Cleveland & Garfield

7-21-23: Cleveland & Dooley

7-21-23: N Lincoln by westside of Seminary

7-21-23: Oak & Woodlawn

7-21-23: S East St

7-21-23: Fox Run before curve

7-21-23: Fox Run middle of street

7-21-23: Fox Run & Harvey

7-21-23: 508 Harvey

8-01-23: 14 hydrants completed

8-01-23: High School & Oliver behind park

8-01-23: High School Old Entrance

8-01-23: High School New Entrance

8-01-23: Middle School West Side (front)

8-01-23: Middle School East Side (front)

8-01-23: Middle School South Side (back)

8-01-23: Behind Water Plant

8-01-23: In front of Water Plant

8-01-23: Franklin & Lincoln

8-01-23: Lincoln & E Main

8-01-23: Franklin near Oliver

8-01-23: Seminary at Village Hall

8-01-23: Seminary & Main

8-01-23: Seminary & Garfield

As the Water Crew makes their way through these hydrants, please keep in mind many daily happenings can interrupt their progress: leaks, water main breaks, weather issues, etc. The hydrants will not be flushed on the weekend.

If you see a crew member flushing a hydrant, feel free to offer them snacks. :)

2nd Quarter 2023 Hydrant Flushing Progress

Our 2nd Quarter 2023 progress as we flushed our 88 hydrants:

3-08-2023: 8 hydrants
3-09-2023: 4 hydrants
3-10-2023: 4 hydrants
3-11/12-2023: 0 hydrants
3-13-2023: 0 hydrants
3-14-2023: 3 hydrants
3-15-2023: 0 hydrants
3-16-2023: 4 hydrants
3-17-2023: 2 hydrants
3-18/19-2023: 0 hydrants
3-20-2023: 4 hydrants
3-21-2023: 3 hydrants
3-22-2023: 4 hydrants
3-23-2023: 4 hydrants

3-24-2023: 6 hydrants

The East side of Downs complete!

3-25/26-2023: 0 hydrants

3-27-2023: 3 hydrants

3-28-2023: 0 hydrants

3-29-2023: 5 hydrants
3-30-2023: 0 hydrants

3-31-2023: 7 hydrants
4-01/02-2023: 0 hydrants
4-03-2023: 0 hydrants
4-04-2023: 6 hydrants

4-05-2023: 0 hydrants

4-06-2023: 3 hydrants

4-07-2023: 5 hydrants
4-08/09-2023: 0 hydrants
4-10-2023: 3 hydrants

4-11-2023: 3 hydrants
4-12-2023: 4 hydrants
4-13-2023: 0 hydrants
4-14-2023: 0 hydrants
4-15/16-2023: 0 hydrants
4/17/2023: 3 hydrants