Frequently Asked Questions

The source for all Village water is Lake Michigan. The Village purchases it from Oak Lawn. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

Chlorine is added to drinking water for several reasons. First and foremost, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Untied States Environmental Protection Agency require that all water plants disinfect the water. The Chicago Water Department uses chlorine for this purpose. Second, a minimal amount of chlorine is added to assure that the water remains safe as it travels from the treatment plant to your home. A few individuals, who are sensitive to chlorine, can detect the chlorine taste and odor at these levels. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

The Village of Olympia Fields strives to deliver a consistent, high quality, drinking water. Many steps must be taken to attain this goal. Daily monitoring is conducted at all three receiving stations. Numerous water samples are collected throughout the village during the year to meet State and Federal water quality requirements.

View the most recent Water Quality Report (PDF).

Services for water testing are available from private laboratories for a fee. This fee varies greatly depending on the number of constituents you would like tested for. To obtain a booklet of qualified laboratories, call the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Laboratories, at 217-782-6455.

As with most products, some filters works better than others. There are many types of filters available, each type works differently and will remove different substances from the water. It will be very helpful for you to know exactly why you want to filter the water before you speak to the seller of water treatment devices. If you choose to filter your water, there are several resources available to you to assist in choosing a filter that works properly and will meet your needs. Consumer Reports Magazine occasionally will compare types of water filters and explain which types will remove which constituents. They also compare various models and report on which ones works the best. A list of National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) approved water treatment devices is available by calling the NSF at 800-673-8010. Regardless if you choose to use a water filter or not, the water provided by the Village of Olympia Fields meets all State and Federal drinking water standards.

For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

Dissolved minerals make water hard; as the amount of minerals in the water increases, the water becomes harder. Two common minerals found dissolved in drinking water are calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. There is usually much more of calcium carbonate than magnesium carbonate present in water; therefore, water hardness is reported as the amount of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dissolved in water.

Water softening is the process of removing the minerals from the water and is commonly accomplished by either reverse osmosis filtration or ion exchange. Reverse osmosis filtration units can handle only small volumes of water and is usually performed at a single point of use, such as the kitchen sink. Ion exchange units can handle large volumes of water and are usually installed on the incoming water supply line to a property. Ion exchange systems exchange sodium ions for the calcium and magnesium ions in the water. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

No. Radon is virtually non-detectable in surface water supplies such as Lake Michigan. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

Milky white water, also commonly described as cloudy, hazy, soapy or foamy, is almost always caused by air in the water. One of the many properties of water is its ability to dissolve gases, including air. Sometimes the air escapes from the water in the form of many tiny bubbles; this gives the water a milky white appearance.

To see if the white color in the water is due to air, fill a clear glass with water and set it up on the counter. Observe the glass of water for two to three minutes. If the white color is due to air, the water will begin to clear at the bottom of the glass first, and then gradually will clear all the way to the top. This is a natural phenomenon and is completely normal; the water is safe to use. This can happen when the water gets cold, or whenever the water has been turned off for repairs. Cold water holds more dissolved air then warmer water. As the water moves through the water mains in the street and the pipes in your house, it begins to warm up and lose some of its ability to keep the air dissolved. However, because the water is under pressure in the pipes, the air remains in the water. When you relieve the pressure by opening the faucet and filling your glass with water, the air is now free to escape from the water, giving it a milky appearance for a few minutes. This same set of circumstances is also why you will often see that your hot water is cloudy.

Another way for this milky white water to form is after your water utility has worked on a water main or you have had work done on your plumbing. When the water is shut off, air can get into the water main or your pipes. When the water pressure is restored, some of that air dissolves into the water. When you again relieve the pressure by opening the faucet and filling your glass, the air is now free to escape from the water thus giving it a milky white appearance for a few minutes.

If your water is cloudy or milky white in appearance and it does not clear in a glass after five minutes, you should contact the Public Works Department at 708-503-8200.

As a contractual condition of receiving Lake Michigan water each utility has to enact indoor and outdoor water restrictions. The indoor water restrictions include plumbing codes that require the installation of water conserving fixtures. Outdoor water restrictions include such things as restricting water sprinkling during the hottest time of the day to minimize evaporation.

Many customers might think that because we are supplied with lake water, watering restrictions are unnecessary. This is not the case. Contractually, we are restricted to how much we can obtain, and like the other end users of lake water, outside watering restrictions are mandated.

Restrictions on lawn sprinkling and other water usages are in effect from May 15 through September 15 each year. If the last digit in your street address is odd, you may sprinkle on odd calendar days. If it is even, sprinkle on even calendar days.

On your designated days, sprinkle only between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., or 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Violators of water use restrictions are subject to fines. In drought situations, these hours may be curtailed further. The latest watering schedule is available at 708-503-8200.

For questions regarding your water bill, please contact the Water Department at 708-503-8000.

For questions regarding your high meter reads or water pipes, please contact the Department of Public Works at 708-503-8200.

Calls should be directed to the Public Works Department, so that someone can shut off your water at the buffalo box.

• Public Works: 708-503-8200
• Monday - Friday 7 a.m. until 4 p.m.

If you need assistance after the above hours, call 708-481-4501. 

A water service is a pipe that begins with a connection to the water main at the shutoff valve in the village right of way and extends into one's house or commercial building. The pipe was designed solely for the purpose of delivering fresh potable water to your home plumbing fixtures (i.e. sinks, toilets, showers, etc.) For more information, please call 708-503-8200.

There are actually two major shutoff valves in line with your service. The first valve called a curb stop, is generally located in the parkway and is normally housed by a cylinder with a cap on it called the buffalo box or "B-Box" for short. The other major valve is located in the home next to the water meter. Other valves may be near plumbing appliances such as sinks and toilets. The homeowner maintains all valves with the exception of the curb stop. For more information, please call 708-503-8200.

The resident's responsibility for maintenance begins after the buffalo box and extends up through the entire home. The water meter, however, is the property of the village. Any valves adjacent to the water meter are the property owner's responsibility to maintain. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

The Red Cross website suggests, if you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Locate the suspected frozen area of the water pipe. Likely places include pipes running against exterior walls or where your water service enters your home through the foundation.

Keep the faucet open, as you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt more ice in the pipe.

Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials), or wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device. A blowtorch can make water in a frozen pipe boil and cause the pipe to explode. All open flames in homes present a serious fire danger, as well as a severe risk of exposure to lethal carbon monoxide. Apply heat until full water pressure is restored.

If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you can not thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber. For more information, please call 708-503-8200 or after hours, 708-481-4501.

Keeping your main valve in good working condition will assure that you will be able to turn your water off in the event of an emergency, i.e. in case one of your water pipes break, or repairs are needed. Older style gate valves should be turned periodically due to possible corrosion build-up. Newer Teflon coated ball valves should stay in working order without any regular turning. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

All excavators are required to contact JULIE (Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators) prior to an excavation, so underground cables and pipes aren't damaged. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

Leaking toilets cause most high water bills. Leaking faucets, malfunctioning water softeners, and water powered sump pumps are also seen as the cause of high bills. Plumbing fixtures should be checked regularly. Adding food coloring to the flush tank can check toilet flush valves, if the color is visible in the bowl without flushing, the flapper valve likely leaks. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

Call the Village's Water Billing Department at 708-503-8000.

Contact the Public Works Department at 708-503-8200 for more information about your water quality.

OpenGov is a technology company based in Silicon Valley focused on building the most powerful financial intelligence and transparency platform ever created for governments. We are transforming how state and local governments analyze, share and compare their financial data. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

To focus on specific data - like a fund, department, expense type, or any combination - use the menu on the left side panel. The “Broken Down By” drop-down allows you to specify which breakdown you want the graphs and table rows to represent on the graph. You can analyze the expense and revenues data by fund, department, or type. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

Yes. Use the Data Filter on the left side panel to make specific selections within the data. The Data Filter shows you the hierarchical relationships of Funds, Departments, and Account Types. You'll notice the title of the graph you are viewing on top along with the account type selector. You can use the filter to see the data of most interest to you. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

Hover over any area of the graph to see the actual or budgeted amounts for that period. Or, just scroll down to see a table with detailed information below the graph. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

In the upper right hand corner, you will see options for the different graphs and tables. There are five graph types: an area graph, an area graph by percentage, a line graph, a pie graph, and a bar chart. Additionally, there is always a table view below any graph. The table allows you to zoom-in on the detailed financial data selected in the chart or graph above. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

In reviewing multiple years of data, you may see "spikes" in the individual years; this can be due to unexpected expenses, such as a hard winter, equipment failure, a capital project, or a specific event that required additional funds. You can drill-down into our OpenGov platform to learn more about where exactly those expense or revenues are categorized. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

Yes, there are Share and Download buttons in the upper right corner. You can share any view on a social network or by email. There are also options to download the displayed data in .csv spreadsheet and .png image formats. Additionally, you can copy and paste the URL at the top of the page you are viewing. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

Use the Help menu on the top right corner to navigate to the “Budget 101” primer to learn more about multi-fund accounting. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

Use the Help menu on the top right corner to navigate to the “Contact” option to send a message to your organization. For more information, please call 708-503-8000.

The Olympia-Fields Metra Station and the 211th Street Metra Station only offers daily parking.  Concerns about the parking lots referred to Metra.  

Birth certificates can be purchased at the Markham Court House:

• Markham Court House
  16501 Kedzie Avenue
  Markham, IL 60426
  Phone: 708-596-8000

You can also order it online at the Cook County Clerk's website. The Cook County Clerk's office keeps official records of births that occur in Chicago and suburban Cook County. Under state law, you may legally obtain a certified copy of your own birth certificate if of legal age and/or the birth certificate of your child (your name must appear on the child's birth certificate).

The Village of Olympia Fields is part of two townships:  Rich and Bloom Townships.  

• Residents of Graymoor and Wysteria are considered to be part of Bloom Township.
  Bloom Township
  425 Halsted Street
  Chicago Heights, IL 60411
  Phone: 708-754-9400
• The rest of the residents are part of Rich Township.
  Rich Township
  22013 Governors Highway
  Richton Park, IL 60471
  Phone: 708-748-6722

The Cook County Tax Assessors Office is at: 

• Cook County Tax Assessors Office
  118 North Clark Street
  Chicago, IL 60602
  Phone: 312-443-5500

The post office is located at 3033  West 203rd Street, right by the Olympia Fields train station.  The phone number is : 708-748-9222.

Olympia Fields is part of the Park Forest Library. 

Park Forest Public Library
400 Lakewood Boulevard
Olympia Fields, IL 60466
708-748-3731

Stickers for Homewood/Star Disposal can be purchased at the Village Hall for $2.75 per sticker.  Republic (Skyline) Disposal does not require yard waste stickers.

Copies of most accident reports are available through www.buycrash.com.  Copies of accident reports involving crimes or deaths are subject to the rules cited under the Freedom of Information Act (Illinois Compiled Statutes, 5 ILCS 140/1-7).

The Olympia Fields Police Department is located at 20040 Governors Highway, Olympia Fields, IL 60461.

The Olympia Fields Police Department will take fingerprints for job applications, a professional license or for immigration purposes for residents of Olympia Fields or for people who are being fingerprinted because of a business or profession located in Olympia Fields.  Fingerprinting is done by appointment by calling 708-503-8100 and is subject to available personnel and call volume.

For the release of your vehicle, you must pay a $500 administrative bond at the Olympia Fields Police Department and all towing and storage fees must be paid directly to the towing company. Failure to claim the vehicle within 30 days of the Hearing will result in the disposal of the vehicle as an unclaimed vehicle under the Illinois Vehicle Code, Chapter 625 Section 5/4-209.

Parking citations, compliance citations and local ordinance citations may be paid by credit card online at www.violationspayment.com or in person at the Olympia Fields Police Department located at 20040 Governors Highway, Olympia Fields, IL 60461.

Yes, by contacting the Records Department at 708-503-8100.  The Records Clerk will complete a Vacation Watch Form and forward the information to the Patrol Division.  The Olympia Fields Police Department does not assume any liability.

If you call 911 on your cell phone, your call will go to the SouthCom Combined Dispatch Center in Matteson, who will dispatch law enforcement, fire or EMS as needed.  Remember to stay on the line during the 911 call and to answer any questions the dispatcher will have to further assist you.

Street parking is not allowed between the hours of 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., unless you request permission.  You may make the request by calling the Police Department at 708-503-8100.

For information regarding filing a FOIA request, please click here.

Yes, for any person less than 17 years of age, the curfew hours are Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m.; and Monday through Thursday from 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. (Olympia Fields Village Code 13-11)

Yes. It is unlawful to conduct construction on Sundays, except between the hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on any other days, except between the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., unless otherwise provided by Resolution or Ordinance. (Olympia Fields Village Code 6-6)

In order to redeem your animal, the owner must:

• Pay directly to the Flossmoor Animal Hospital any daily kennel costs and the cost of any veterinary services provided.
• Pay to the Village of Olympia Fields a $20 impounding fee, which will be in addition to any fine or other penalty provided under Village Ordinance and in addition to any costs of the pound. 
• Present proof of valid rabies inoculation.
• Provide proof of current dog registration or pay the cost of the registration prior to the release of the dog.

If you wish to have a speaker for an event or before a group, contact the Olympia Fields Police Department at 708-503-8100.

The CodeRED emergency notification system is an extremely high-speed telephone communication service that can deliver customized pre-recorded emergency messages directly to homes and businesses via voice, email and text. The service is free to residents and businesses within the Village of Olympia Fields.

CodeRED will be used for critical situations and events where the timely notification of an affected population or geographic area is important. This system will be used for emergency and non-emergency purposes. Examples of emergencies range from utility outages to natural disasters including floods or fires. Telephone contact will not be made for non-emergency situations, only text and E-mail messages will be sent in those circumstances.

This high-speed telephone system will allow the Village of Olympia Fields to contact participants to provide information about a situation, what actions to take if any, and notification that the situation has been resolved if appropriate.

The CodeRED emergency notification system will work with a cellular phone number as long as it is associated with your Olympia Fields street address. We encourage you to register your cellular phone number.

To receive CodeRED, a telephone number or an e-mail address into the CodeRED database is required. In addition, first and last name, physical street address (no P.O. boxes), Village, state and Zip Code will also be required. An alternate phone number such as a cellular phone can also be entered and both the primary and alternate line will be contacted in the event of an emergency. Click Community Notification Enrollment to register online.

 Residents without internet access can obtain a registration form at the Olympia Fields Village Hall. Forms can be returned with your Village utility payment or dropped off at the Village Hall at 20040 Governors Highway, Olympia Fields, IL 60461.

Your contact information will remain private and will only be used in community notifications.

Listen to the recording and follow the instructions. DO NOT call 911 unless instructed. If you do not receive a message then your area may not be affected.

 Individuals that prefer not to receive any CodeRED messages can be added to a 'Do Not Call List'. 

To remove your name and contact information from the system, please complete and sign the CodeRED Do Not Call Release Form and return it to: Olympia Fields Village Hall, 20040  Governors Highway, Olympia Fields, IL 60461.