Utilities
Account Setup
To establish electric service with Commonwealth Edison, please call 800.Edison1 or sign-up online at ComEd.
Reporting Downed Power Lines
If you see downed power lines, leave the area immediately and then call ComEd at 800.Edison1 (800.334.7661). Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Reporting An Outage
Outages can be reported to ComEd by calling 1-800-Edison-1 or 1-800-334-7661.
Cable and Internet
AT&T
TV, Internet & Phone services
800-288-2020
Xfinity by Comcast
TV, Internet & Phone services
800-Xfinity
Water and Sewer
New residents or businesses need to complete an application for metered water service either in person at Village Hall or online by clicking here.
If you have an existing account and need to make changes, call the Utility Billing Department at 847-459-2500.
Natural Gas
Nicor
To establish gas service with Nicor, please call 888.642.6748 or sign-up online at Nicor. For leaks, odors & emergencies, call 911 or 888-Nicor4U 888-642-6748 immediately.
North Shore Gas
To establish gas service with North Shore Gas, please call 866-556-6004 or sign-up online at North Shore Gas. For leaks, odors & emergencies, call 911 or 866-556-6005 immediately.
Refuse and Recycling
The Village of Buffalo Grove has contracted with Waste Management for one pick-up per week for regular refuse, landscaping materials and recyclables. An optional additional pick-up of refuse can be arranged for an additional charge. For more information about the village’s service, click here.
If you have any questions or for more information, please call Waste Management at 800-964-8988 or the village at 847-459-2500.
More information can be found here!
Underground Utilities
Call BEFORE you dig!
Before digging anywhere around your property, please call J.U.L.I.E. This will bring out all of the utility companies to mark the location of any buried lines. If you dig and wind up cutting any buried lines, it could cost you big money or even your life. Call 800-892-0123 or call 811.
Learn more about underground locates here!
Utility Complaints
The Illinois Commerce Commission's Consumer Services Division provides assistance to consumers in the resolution of informal complaints with regulated utilities and other entities. If you would like to file a complaint, visit the ICC website.
Sanitary SewerYour home connects to the Village sanitary sewer system via a pipe called a service line. The homeowner owns and maintains the service line up to and including the point of connection with the Village system. If you ever have a problem with a sewer backup, please contact us before you contact a plumber. We are happy to help diagnose the problem, even nights and weekends.
Once the Village system collects the sewage, it flows to either Lake County Public Works (Lake County) or the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (Cook County) for treatment.
Did you know that Fats, Oils, and Greases (FOG) can clog pipes!
Excessive disposal of common household products down household sinks, dishwashers, and disposals can cause your plumbing and the Village’s pipes major issues.
Avoid flushing or dumping these items down the drain:
- Baking goods
- Butter, lard, shortening
- Cooking oil
- Fats and oil from cooked meats
- Food scraps
- Gravy
- Mayonnaise
- Salad dressings
- Sauces
- Sour cream
Options for Disposal:
Room temperature products can be scraped into sealable containers (like used juice containers) for disposal in your trash, and many cooking oils can be strained and reused. There’s also plenty of hacks and suggestions available to you with a little bit of internet searching. Here’s some suggestions:
FOGs Explained
How to Dispose of Cooking Grease
MWRD-Healthy Pipes
Tree Roots
We hear questions about whether tree roots cause damage to sewer lines. The short answer is no, tree roots do not have any way to break into a sewer pipe. But, if a break, crack, or other issue with the pipe has occurred, trees will seek out the new source of water and nutrients and grow roots in that direction.
If tree roots are a problem, flush a 99.9% copper sulfate solution can into the service line to keep the root growth in check. The solution will not harm the tree and will extend the period until the service line has to be root cut.
The Public Works Department will not cut down a tree because roots are in a service line. The Department does not root cut or televise private sanitary lines.
Smoke Testing
Like televising, routine inspection of sewers is necessary to ensure they continue to operate properly. Smoke testing is one method of sewer inspections used to identify deficiencies in the sewer system. Typically, smoke testing is looking to pinpoint locations of I&I (Inflow and Infiltration) which is basically additional water that does not belong in the sewer system and can cause treatment facilities to become overwhelmed.
Sanitary smoke testing involves the use of non-toxic smoke in a specific service area. The smoke is put under low pressure to move it through the pipes; this includes service pipes which connect the street sewer to homes.
The smoke is NONTOXIC, HARMLESS, AND CREATES NO FIRE HAZARD.
The smoke should not enter your home or business unless you have defective plumbing or dry drain traps. If you have seldom used drains, please pour water in the drain to fill the trap. This should prevent smoke from entering. Drain traps should always be filled
with water to prevent sewer gases and odors from entering the building. If smoke does enter your home or business, the potential also exists for sewer gases to enter, and you should consult a licensed plumber to address the problem.
In 2023, the Village contracted with Duke's Root Control, Inc. to perform smoke testing of specific areas. Duke's has an excellent Q&A page as well as videos of what you can expect: Duke's Smoke Testing.
Lake County Sewer Fees
- Lake County Sanitary Sewer fees collected by the Village of Buffalo Grove? Click Here
- Lake County Sanitary Sewer Summer Credit? Click Here
The service line from your home to the sewer main may become obstructed due many reasons. Likewise, the Village main line can become obstructed as well. Both of these reasons will cause a backup in your home.
If you experience a sewer backup, notify Public Works immediately. You can call us at 847-459-2545 during normal business hours. Or, after normal business hours, call the Police Department non-emergency number at 847-459-2560. Public Works staff will inspect the Village sewer main. Staff will determine if the blockage exists in the Village sewer main or within your service line.
If the blockage is in your service connection, it is your responsibility to have the blockage cleared. Any licensed, bonded, and insured plumber can rod the service line to clear the block.
Remember, first call the Public Works Department before calling the plumber.
Your Sanitary Sewer Service Line
The sanitary sewer service line is a pipe that transports wastewater from your home to the village sanitary sewer main. It is the homeowner's responsibility for the maintenance and repair of this line. This includes the connection.
Storm Related Sanitary Sewer Backups
Residents may experience a sanitary sewer backup during periods of heavy rainfall. Often, the issue is illegal sump pump connection to the sanitary sewer service.
Sump pumps for stormwater and groundwater removal should not connect to the sanitary service line. The village requests the disconnection of sump pump discharge connected to the sanitary sewer service. Please direct the sump pump to a Village storm sewer or to your lawn. Make sure to not extend more than 10 ft from your home or point the discharge towards another property.
Stopping rain water from entering the sanitary sewer is the key. It allows adequate sewer service to Buffalo Grove users. It also meets the requirements of the Greater Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Lake County Public Works.
Removal of this source of extra water has proven to reduce sanitary sewer backups.
To make sure that your pump connections follow village ordinances, please call 847-459-2545 to schedule an inspection.
Stormwater Utility FeeBuffalo Grove utilizes a Stormwater Utility Fee in order to cover the cost of owning, maintaining, and improving the Stormwater Management System. The system is composed of storm sewers, creeks, waterways, and detention areas.
This utility fee is designed to:
- Fund the stormwater system as a utility. Properties are charged based on their portion of use to fund improvements and operating expenses.
- Encourage onsite stormwater management and reduction of stormwater runoff.
- Increase overall awareness about the Village’s Stormwater Management System.
What are the Stormwater Fees?
The base fee is $.006950 per square feet of parcel area and is calculated as outlined below.
- Single family attached/detached is base fee x median lot size (8,771.66 square feet). All residential home owners pay $5.08/month or $60.96/year.
- Multi-family is base fee x property square footage
- Commercial/industrial/non-profit is base fee x property square footage
The Village Board approved the fee on October 19, 2015 and it became effective on January 1, 2016.
Does Everyone Pay the Same Rate?
All Property owners pay the same base rate ($.006950 per square foot of parcel size). The fee is applied through a tiered system which is described above. Though property owners (Single Family, Multi-Family, and Commercial) ultimately have different bill amounts as determined by their respective tier, the basis of the fee is consistent for all.
What is considered an impervious surface?
An impervious surface is an area within a parcel which prevents or significantly impedes the infiltration of stormwater into the soil. Common impervious areas include, but are not limited to, buildings, driveways (including paving, concrete, stone, gravel and dirt), parking lots, paved walkways, pools, patios, tennis and basketball courts, and other similar non-porous areas.
Is the Village offering a stormwater credit program?
No, at this time there are no opportunities for stormwater fee credits.
How is the stormwater utility fee different from a tax?
The Stormwater Utility Fee is not a tax, but rather a user fee. This fee is generated to maintain the stormwater utility system and necessary capital improvements much like the fee that you pay for your water utility or sewer service. Users of these services are charged based on the demand they place on the system. The stormwater that flows off of your property places demand on a vast system of infrastructure which is costly to operate, maintain and improve. Stormwater must be channeled through a system of pipes and other devices before it can be safely discharged into local rivers, streams and lakes. A property’s value does not affect runoff, so property taxes are not the most equitable way to pay for stormwater services.
Is the stormwater utility fee billed to tax-exempt entities?
Properties within the Village which are tax-exempt such as other taxing bodies, schools and places of worship are assessed stormwater fees.
What does the village use as the rate base for the stormwater fee?
After consideration of the three main types of rate bases employed by various utilities, the Village determined to use “impervious surface” as the rate base for Buffalo Grove’s stormwater fee. Impervious surface is defined as any surface that does not allow for the penetration of water, such as driveways, roofs, and sidewalks. It directly correlates with the amount of stormwater runoff a property generates, and therefore a property owner’s impact on the stormwater system. The Village has data on the actual impervious area for each parcel within Buffalo Grove, and establishing fees based on impervious area is generally accepted as an industry best practice.
J.U.L.I.E Locates
