PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING

The Public Works Department is located at
17112 Prime Boulevard 

Amy Wagner, Engineering Technician
eMail: awagner@lockport.org
phone: (815) 838-0549, option 8.

Will County and the City of Lockport have entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement to allow a remote drop-off site for the "e-recycling program." You can now drop off residential recyclables at our Public Works facility. You can bring these items to the Public Works garage at 17112 Prime Blvd, from 7 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., Monday thru Friday.

Items accepted (broken or obsolete)

Personal Computers (PCs), Laptops, Monitors, Keyboards, Electronic Mice, Modems, Hard Drives, CD ROM/Zip/Tape Drives, Cords & Cables (power, USB, etc.), CDs, DVDs, Floppies, etc. UPS (Battery Backups), Printers (laser, ink jet, dot matrix, etc.), Televisions, VCR, DVD, Laser Disc Players, Portable Radio/CD Players Speakers/Stereo Systems CB's/Two -way radios, Digital Clocks, Microwaves, Cameras (film, magnetic tape, digital), String Lights (holiday lights on wires), Palm Organizers, Hand Held Games, Video Game Players, Joysticks/Game controls, Typewriters/Word Processors, Copy/Fax/Scanner Machines, Adding Machines, Postage Machines, Calculators, Paper shredders, Telephones/Cell Phones, Answering Machines, Pagers.

Reporting a water leak or main break...

Please report water leaks to City Hall at 815-838-0549 or emergency after hours call WESCOM at 815-838-2131, or create a Service Request by clicking the link on the home page.

Also, due to pressure fluctuations in the system, you may experience some discolored water. The sediment in the mains causes this to occur. In the early spring, the mains will be flushed to remove the accumulated sediment. We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. It will take a few hours for the system to settle. Please contact the Water Dept. if the problem persists for more than a day.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which major roads are maintained by the State or County, and which does the City maintain?

• State Maintained Roads: Illinois Department of Transportation: (IDOT) (815) 722-6652
• State St.
• New Avenue
• Rt. 7

• County Maintained Roads: Will County Highway Department (WCHD) (815) 727-8478
• Briggs St.
• Division East of Briggs to Cedar Rd.
• Cedar Rd.

• City Maintained Roads: Public Works Department (815) 838-0549
• Division St. west of Briggs St.
• Farrell Rd.
• Gougar Rd. from Bruce Rd to 163rd/7th St.
• Gougar Rd. North of 151st St
• 147th St. to Lemont Rd.
• Thornton From State St. to Madison

2. My yard was damaged by City snowplows. Who will repair it?

• Call Public Works at (815) 838-0549, with your request for service. The Public Works Department will fill out a work order and place you on a list for spring/summer time restorations. The City is not responsible for damage to sprinkler heads in the parkway.

3. My mailbox was knocked down by City snowplows. Who fixes it?

• If the City was responsible for mailbox damage, call Public Works at (815) 838- 0549 to submit a service request. Mailboxes damaged by direct contact by a plow will be replaced with a standard mailbox and 4x4 post. If a decorative mailbox is damaged, the City will reimburse the resident for the equivalent of a standard mailbox installation, approximately $30. It will be the responsibility of the resident to purchase and install the decorative mailbox and post. The City does not replace mailboxes damaged by contact from thrown snow from plowing operations.

4. How does the City decide when snow/ice removal is needed?
• The general policy is that City crews begin plowing after snow accumulations of 1-2 inches. Depending on weather conditions and information from the City’s weather forecasting services, snow/ice removal operations may begin sooner. The Public Works Department strives to respond with salting and/or plowing before roads become slippery for vehicle travel. For an average snow event, the Public Works Department will complete a plowing operation in 5-6 hours.

5. Why does the City have an overnight parking ban on all streets?

• The City has an ordinance against parking on any City Street when the snowfall exceeds 2 inches for the entire duration of snow and ice control operations. The parking ban allows City crews to more completely remove snow without obstruction from vehicles on the roadway. Even when it is not snowing, the City often has to complete clean-up work on corners and intersections. The parking ban helps the City keep roads safe for all residents and motorists. Residents needing temporary exception from the parking ban may apply to the Police Department for a special permit.

6. Why does the plow push snow into my driveway?

• The City is responsible for clearing streets of snow and ice to allow for emergency access, vehicular traffic and daytime parking. The City clears the street from curb to curb to ensure that emergency vehicles and all traffic can move safely. As the City trucks pass driveways, some snow rolls off the edge of the side-discharge plow and into the driveway, particularly if the driveway has already been cleared. There are ways for you to minimize this problem. When shoveling out the portion of your driveway closest to the street, push the snow to the right (as you face the street) so that it will be “downstream” when the plow comes by. Please be aware that in a very heavy snow or during storms where snow continues to fall, plows may make as many as three or four passes to clear the roadways. Cul-de-sacs are particularly difficult to plow during snow removal operations. The City has 145 cul-de-sacs that are plowed after each snow event. Smaller trucks are used to negotiate turns on these streets. Cul-de-sacs are cleared just as the street is with the driver plowing in a counter-clockwise circle from the inside to the outside. As the driveways on streets, it is inevitable that some snow will come off the plow. Try to wait until the cul-de-sac has been plowed before clearing your driveway. When you do shovel, push snow to the right side of the driveway to keep it from being pushed back into the area just cleared. Plowing snow from the outside of the cul-de-sac to the middle does not work. Using this approach, the driver would eventually run out of room to pile the snow. Also, plowing driveways to the middle of the island is possible but would require too much time and risk damage to private property. Fire hydrants are located in many cul-de-sac islands; for fire safety, these cannot be buried by plowed snow.

7. May I push snow from my driveway into the street?

• No, this is prohibited by City ordinance. Residents may be held liable for any accidents caused by shoveling snow into the roadway.

8. There are potholes on my street. Who will fix them?

• Call the Public Works Department at (815) 8-38-0549, to make a service request.

9. When will my street be swept?

• Curbed streets are swept on a rotating basis. The current time between sweeping is approximately 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the time of year, rainfall, etc. Street sweeping cannot be done in temperatures below freezing.

10. I have a dead animal on my street. Who picks it up?

• If your street is within City limits, call Public Works at (815) 838-0549, to dispose of the dead animal.

11. What do I do if my streetlight is out?

• Call Public Works at (815) 838-0549 to notify them of the problem. If it is a streetlight maintained by the City, we will fix it. If ComEd maintains the streetlight, we will notify ComEd and they will fix it. Any streetlight on a wooden or concrete pole is maintained by ComEd. Please locate and provide the pole number when calling to report these lights.

12. Who do I call for brush pickup?

• The City’s branch pick-up program begins the fist Monday in May. Residents may also drop off branches at the Public Works Building on Prime Blvd. at any time.

13. When will my tree be trimmed?

• Trimming of parkway trees and other trees located on City right-of-ways are currently done on an eight-year cycle. If you are not sure if a tree is on your property or City property, call Public Works at (815) 838-0549.

14. What is Lockport’s tree policy?

• The Public Works Department removes dead parkway trees. Trees infected with Dutch Elm Disease are tagged and promptly removed by City crews. According to the City of Lockport Municipal Code, diseased elms on private property are tagged and the property owners are required to remove the trees at their expense.

15. I had a tree removed, when will it be replaced?

• The City does not replace parkway trees.

16. When does the City plant sod, and when do they use black dirt and seed?

• After a water main break or sewer excavation, the area is restored with topsoil and seed. Six months are needed after the main break to let the ground settle before the repair can be done. For stump removal or plow damage, black dirt and seed are used to repair the yard. It is very important to water the seed after it has been planted in order for it to grow properly. The City does not replace sod.

17. I have a loose or hanging tree limb. What do I do?

• Call Public Works Department at (815) 838-0549, to make a service request. If the tree is on the parkway, it is the responsibility of the City. If it is from a tree on private property, the homeowner is responsible for removing the limb.

18. I have a Dutch Elm tag on my tree. Am I responsible for removal or is the City?

• City crews will promptly remove diseased elms on the parkway. All trees outside of the parkway will be the property owner’s responsibility.

19. What do I do about leaf pickup?

• The City’s Leaf pick-up program starts the first full week in October. You can bag leaves with lawn bags, which can then be picked up by Waste Management with your weekly garbage. A refuse sticker must be purchased and affixed to each bag.

20. There is water in my basement. What should I do?

• Call Public Works (815) 838-0549, they will call a supervisor and have a crew go out to check the main sewer line. If it is a main line, the City is responsible, if it is a private line, which is anything from the house to the main line; it is the homeowner’s responsibility to fix.

21. If I live in unincorporated Lockport and I have water in my basement, whom do I call?

• Your Township Highway Commissioner.

22. I just moved to Lockport, how do I get water service in my name?

• For any water billing questions or name changes, call Water Billing at (815) 838- 0549.

23. I am moving out of Lockport. Who do I call to cancel my water billing?

• For any water billing questions or name changes, call Water Billing at (815) 838- 0549.

24. There was a water main break on my street and my yard was damaged. When will it be repaired?

• Six months are necessary to let ground settle after a main break before yard repair can be done.

25. Who do I call if my water meter is not working?

• Call the Water Department at (815) 838-0549.

26. How do I get my B-box located?

• Call Public Works at (815) 838-0549. They will write a work order for the Water Department to locate the B-box. It is important to allow a 48 hour notice prior to locate.

27. What do I do if I have rusty water after a main break repair or hydrant flushing?

• Sediment in the water pipes can be knocked loose during either water main repair or hydrant flushing, causing the water to turn a shade of brown. This water is not dangerous or contaminated. To alleviate this problem, you should run any faucet in your house that does not have a filtration screen until the water is clear (usually this will be a faucet in a utility sink). If the problem persists, call Public Works at (815) 838-0549.

28. Who do I call for solid waste management?

• Lockport Sanitary Sewer Department at (815) 838-1705.

29. Who do I call for waste pickup?

• Waste Management at (847) 734-6450.

30. I am going to dig in my yard. Do I need to call J.U.L.I.E.?

• YES, always call J.U.L.I.E. before you dig at (800) 892-0123.

31. There are different colored flags in my yard. Why are they there, and what do they mean?

• These flags represent the utilities located underground.
i. Orange – Phone
ii. Red – Electric
iii. Green – Sewer
iv. Yellow – Gas
v. Blue – Water

32. I am having problems with mosquitoes. Who should I call?

• Public Works at (815) 838-0549.

33. How do I get a new recycling bin?

• To obtain one, call City Hall at (815) 838-0549, or go to the Finance Department on the second floor of City Hall 222 E 9th St.