Public Works Department

The Public Works Department is committed to providing residents with the highest quality of service. It maintains a level of excellence while meeting the needs of the community. The department consists of three divisions: Water, Sewer and Streets. The staff is available for emergency service 24-hours a day.

Street Maintenance

The Village maintains over 32-miles of streets. Maintenance activities include, but are not limited to maintaining the Village’s infrastructure, which includes the water distribution system, the wastewater and storm water collection system, streets and public facilities. Other duties involve the maintenance of Village-owned properties, the 211th Street Metra Parking Lot, and the 203rd Street Metra Parking Lot.

Other Services

Other Public Works services include snow removal, salting and sweeping public streets, storm debris pickup following severe storms, and the removal of dead trees that are located in the Village’s right-of-way.

Snow & Ice Control

It is the Village's commitment to maintain Village-owned streets and public parking areas in a safe and passable condition, especially in the winter months. In order to accomplish this, street crews apply highway deicer salt to pavement surfaces until snow accumulation reaches 1 1/2 inches or more. At that time, salting operations are suspended and plowing operations begin. During snow plowing operations, snow is pushed to the side of the street and is continuously repeated until the storm subsides. Once the storm has passed and all streets have been plowed of snow, a final drive-through pass of the Village is done and another application of salt is applied to rid the pavement of any unplowed snowpack. Under normal conditions, it is the goal of the Department to have all streets plowed and salted within 10 hours after the storm as stopped. Obviously, with larger snowfall totals, completion times are extended.

As unfortunate as it seems, safety and traffic flow dictates that main streets be plowed first, followed by secondary streets and finally cul-de-sac and dead-ends.

It is important to note that not all streets within the Village of Olympia Fields are the responsibility of the Village to plow. For instance, Western Avenue, Governors Highway and Lincoln Highway are State-controlled; and Vollmer Road and Crawford Avenue are County-controlled.

When it Rains...

When it rains in an urban environment, the storm water needs a place to go. In a natural setting, rain water infiltrates into the ground. In a developed area, rain water cannot move as freely into the ground because of impervious surfaces like roads and buildings. This is why we have storm drainage systems such as pipes, roadside ditches, culverts and storm drains. 

The storm drainage system is a series of conveyances, culverts and storm drains that channel storm water from an area, like your neighborhood, to nearby creeks and streams. The storm drainage system, when properly maintained, helps prevent flooding. 

If the drainage system components are blocked, water cannot enter, resulting in ponding near the blockage. If the culvert or pipe that conveys the storm water from the road is damaged, it will also cause flooding and water quality issues for the homeowner. 

Finally, the outlet of the conveyance pipe or culvert must be maintained and cleared of blockages on a regular basis by the homeowner. A blocked outlet can also cause localized flooding to the homeowner and their neighbors. 

Homeowners are responsible for maintaining the storm drainage system on their property.   Clear out yard debris, brush and trash that accumulate in and around this area so that storm water can enter unobstructed. Placing debris in drainage areas can cause flooding.

Homeowners also need to watch for signs of deteriorating culverts like eroding or sinking areas in and around the culvert location, as they are also responsible for maintaining these drainage areas on their property.   

Scavenger Service

Each resident is required to contract with a private scavenger service. Residents are to call the vendor of their choice and arrange for trash pick-up. Choose from the following Scavenger Services: Star Disposal/Homewood Disposal at 708-748-8481 and Republic at 708-754-5460.

Tree Pruning

Parkway tree pruning is conducted on a regularly scheduled basis to maintain the Village's inventory of trees in a safe and healthy condition. The pruning is conducted by our certified arborist on staff.