Sewer and drain service in Alton, IL
Alton’s combined sewers are being separated area by area. If your own yard line is the trouble, that’s work for a sewer company, whatever your plumber handles indoors.
Combined sewers and three named areas
Illinois American Water bought the Alton Regional Wastewater System in June 2019, about 23,000 customers across Alton, Bethalto and Godfrey. Alton’s system is combined, and the company’s October 2024 update names Turner Tract, Piasa Valley and Shields Valley for separation.
The Piasa Valley work ran from 2021 to August 2024 at $23.5 million: 17,980 feet of sewer, 126 manholes and 10,127 feet of customer lateral work. If you live in one of the other two areas, ask what might be coming down your street before you replace your lateral.
Where 1953 leaves your line
The Census median for an Alton house is 1953. That’s old enough for either story. Orangeburg was at its peak then, and pre-war clay was joined with oakum and cement mortar, rigid joints that let roots in.
A camera inspection tells you which you have. If a drain only acts up in big storms, a backwater valve may be worth pricing, and no statewide rule requires one.
Local numbers
Alton Public Works is at (618) 463-3530, and City Hall at 101 E. Third St. is (618) 463-3500. The EPA’s list still shows the plant permit at 19 Chessen Lane under the city’s name. We’re 12.1 miles south in Granite City, past East Alton and Wood River.
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Answers
Alton: sewer and drain questions
Who owns and runs the Alton, IL sewer system?
Illinois American Water does. It bought the Alton Regional Wastewater System in June 2019, a purchase of about 23,000 customers across Alton, Bethalto and Godfrey. The EPA’s list still shows the plant permit under the city’s name, so don’t let that throw you. Your bill should say who charges you.
Does Alton have combined sewers?
Yes, and Alton’s are being separated in stages. Illinois American Water names Turner Tract, Piasa Valley and Shields Valley for that work. Piasa Valley ran from 2021 to August 2024, with 17,980 feet of sewer and 126 manholes. A combined sewer carries rain and sewage together in the same pipe.
Did the Piasa Valley sewer project in Alton touch customer laterals?
Yes, the company reports 10,127 feet of customer lateral work among the Piasa Valley numbers, in a $23.5 million project. It doesn’t mean your own line was included. If you live in that area and want to know, ask Illinois American Water, or get a camera through the pipe and see.
What kind of sewer pipe do older Alton houses have?
Clay and Orangeburg are both possible, though only a camera can say for certain. The median Alton house dates to 1953, at the peak of the Orangeburg years, and pre-war clay had mortared joints. Either can have been replaced since then. The footage from your line is yours to keep.