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Village staff say 27th Street sewage runs through an unrecorded private 8‑inch main; leaders outline options
Summary
Village staff told the Public Utilities Committee they discovered an unrecorded 8‑inch clay sewer running behind about 17 homes on West 27th Street and presented three repair options — each with major legal or engineering obstacles. Counsel warned the village risks inheriting liability without easement dedications.
Village officials told the Public Utilities Committee on the evening the village identified an unrecorded 8‑inch sewer running across roughly 17 rear lots on West 27th Street and that the pipe does not appear in municipal infrastructure maps.
Administrator Scarpinetti said the problem surfaced after a resident reported a basement backup in 2024 and that ensuing title searches and field work showed no public records for the rear sewer. "At that point in time, the village became aware that there was a 8 inch sewer line that ran across 17 properties approximately 900 feet in length," Scarpinetti said.
Public Works Director Vince Ranieri described camera and dye-testing work and two dug locations where crews found clay pipe with extensive tree‑root intrusion. "We believe it to be an 8 inch sewer because we have dug it in 2 locations, and it was found to be an 8 inch sewer in both of those locations," Ranieri said.
Staff outlined three broad approaches: (1) install inspection manholes and attempt to clean, root‑cut and line the existing pipe; (2) build a new rear sewer (deemed nearly infeasible because of garages, patios and inconsistent lot layouts); or (3) construct a new front‑of‑lot public sewer after acquiring easements or dedications from property owners. Ranieri cautioned that the existing private route runs under structures, including an apartment building, and that the village cannot assess full pipe condition without additional access.
Village attorney Freddie Passione said title searches show the area was subdivided and developed before the village acquired jurisdiction and that records indicate the rear line was likely installed by the original developer. "It was more than likely, I could say with 99.9% certainty, developed and installed by the developer of the original lots," Passione said, concluding the pipe appears to be private. He warned that accepting ownership of an unknown, possibly substandard line without easements would expose the village to future liability.
Passione and staff recommended the long‑term solution would be to secure rights in front of the lots and install a public sewer there, but noted that would be more expensive and require cooperation from every property owner. If some owners refuse to dedicate land or grant easements, Passione said the legal opinion is the issue would remain a private responsibility.
