FAQ

Residents with questions about their water bills should contact the Finance Department at (815) 459-2020.

MDC Environmental Services, Inc. is responsible for the annual Leaf Pick-Up Program.  The Leaf Pick-Up Program runs from the first Monday in October to the second Friday in December.  MDC crews will collect bagged leaves placed at the curbside in front of all residents' homes along public streets.  The bags must be placed on the parkway before 7:00 a.m. on the normal trash collection day.  The Leaf Pick-Up Program is being offered at no additional fee. 

Leaves must be placed in biodegradable paper bags in order to be collected.  Paper leaf bags are available at local grocery and hardware stores.  Neither the City nor MDC provides leaf bags.

There is a 50 pound maximum per bag.  Be aware that wet leaves will add to the weight of the bag.  Leaves placed in other containers such as plastic bags, garbage cans or boxes, or in bags too large for one person to handle, cannot be accepted.

Questions regarding the Leaf Pick-Up Program can be directed to MDC at (815) 568-7274 or the Crystal Lake Streets Division at (815) 356-3700 ext. 4019.

Please do not intentionally rake or blow your leaves into the roadways.  MDC crews will collect bagged leaves placed at the curbside in front of all residents' homes along public streets from the first Monday in October through the second Friday in December.  The bags must be placed on the parkway before 7:00 a.m. on the normal trash collection day.  Leaves must be placed in biodegradable paper bags.  Leaves in non-paper bags may be taken to the Brush Drop-Off site, located at Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 2, at 1100 Coventry Lane on the first and third Saturdays of each month from April through November from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Brush Drop-Off Program is a service offered to residents of the City of Crystal Lake. The brush drop-off site is located at Coventry Ln. and Dartmoor Dr. at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant #2. Brush drop-off is open the first and third Saturday of each month from April through November. People showing proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or vehicle sticker may drop off brush that is six inches or less in diameter and six feet or less in length. The City also allows leaves to be dropped off at this facility. The city cannot take any materials other than brush and leaves. Please call your waste collection company if you have other materials that need disposal.

No. The City of Crystal Lake owns and maintains any tree on any parkway within the City limits. The parkway is the area of grass that is located between a City sidewalk and the roadway. The City has two (2) certified arborists who are trained in various areas of agriculture. The City is very pro-active in stopping the spread of disease or infestation among its trees, such as Dutch Elm Disease or an infestation of the Emerald Ash Borer. No vegetation or other items are allowed on the parkway without the express written consent of the City.

The City has a bi-yearly tree planting program in which over 130 trees are planted. Upon request, a City arborist will survey the existing trees on your property to determine if any new or additional foliage can be approved. Such factors that are considered include the type of soil in the area, proximity to power lines, and how many of a certain type of tree currently exist in the area. For information regarding tree planning, please contact the Street Division at (815) 356-3700 ext. 4019.

It is the City’s responsibility to trim all parkway trees. If a resident feels a parkway tree needs to be trimmed, please call the Street Division at (815) 459-2020 ext. 4019. The City is also responsible for removing dead and/or diseased trees from the parkway area. If a resident feels that a parkway tree is in need of removal please call (815) 356-3700 ext. 4019. Upon request, a city arborist will come out and look at the tree. Per the Tree Preservation Ordinance #5554, a tree cannot be removed unless it is deemed to be 75% dead.

Yes. The Street Division will pick up any deceased animals in the roadways as long as it is a City street. To report a deceased animal, please call (815) 356-3700 ext. 4019. To report a deceased animal on a state road, such as Route 176, Route 31 and Route 14 a resident should call the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) at (815) 338-4680. The city regrets that it cannot pick up deceased animals on a resident’s property.

Yes. Please call the Street Division as soon as it is discovered at (815) 356-3700 ext. 4019. If necessary, a temporary mailbox will be installed as soon as possible. Final repairs will be made in the spring, once the ground has thawed.

For information contact the Street Division Superintendent at (815) 356-3700 ext. 4019.

Fringe snow pushed back into driveways cannot be avoided, as all streets must be plowed from curb to curb to allow for proper drainage and access to mailboxes for mail delivery. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Yes. If a resident has a complaint regarding weeds, please call the Building Division at (815) 356-3605.

If you notice a street light that has burnt out or is not functioning, please call the Engineering Division at (815) 356-3615 with the following information:

1. Location of the pole, including street address
2. Type of material of the pole (wood, concrete, metal, etc.)
3. A description of how the light is acting (is it blinking, completely burnt out, etc.)
4. The length of time that the light has been malfunctioning (if known).

Most of the streetlights in the City are the responsibility of ComEd to maintain, particularly those in residential areas. For streetlights under ComEd’s maintenance, the City will contact ComEd to setup service for the street light and will track the status of the repairs. If the Street light is the City’s responsibility to maintain, the City will make the necessary repairs.

Brush pick up begins the first Monday in May. The Street Division crews only pass down each public street once. Residents are asked to have their brush out before 7:00 a.m. on the first Monday in May to ensure that their brush is not missed.

This is usually trapped air in the water and over time clears from the bottom up. Normally, this is a result of the sink’s aerator (which is installed to put air into the stream to prevent excessive splashing). To see if the aerator is the problem, remove the aerator, run the water and compare the color. If you are unable to remove the aerator, you can check the clarity at a different sink or an outside hose.

This is often caused by debris that gets caught in the sink’s aerator (the part that screws to the end of faucet, where the water comes out). The debris is usually pipe scale, hardness build-up or debris left from initial construction. To remedy this problem, try unscrewing the aerator and cleaning out the screens, these normally can be removed for a more thorough cleaning. New aerator assemblies are also available at any hardware store.

Please contact the Water Division at least two days before you need the water shut off. We will locate the curb stop and check the operation to assure the ability to shut the water off when needed. We can be reached at (815) 356-3614.

Yes. All valves located inside the house are the responsibility of the homeowner. The City of Crystal Lake is only responsible for the water meter inside your home (excluding frozen meters). The City is also responsible for the service line up to and including the curb stop (outside water shut off valve). The portion of service line after the curb stop is also the responsibility of the homeowner.

This is the source of many calls to the Water Division. The smell is a result of small levels of hydrogen sulfide, which are naturally present in our ground water, reacting to the anode rod located inside your water heater. While the smell can be very unpleasant, this does not affect the safety of the water. This can occur on occasion as the source water to your home may change seasonally based on overall demand. There are five separate water treatment facilities feeding one large distribution system. Occasionally, the water facility that normally provides your water may change based on system demand or facility repairs. This can alter the hydrogen sulfide levels at your home. The smell can also occur when a new water heater is installed (it’s usually noticed 1-4 months after installation). To remedy the problem a building owner can either flush the water heater or change out the anode rod to one of a different material. Please refer to your heater’s manual for proper instructions regarding these suggestions. Often, the water heater manual will also address this problem and will provide possible solutions.

Call the Water Division at (815) 356-3614 to report the problem. We will come to adjust the curb stop down to grade. Freezing and thawing of the curb stop and the surrounding ground or the adjustment of the ground can cause the curb stop to elevate or stick up.

The raw ground water can be anywhere from 15-30 grains of hardness. The Water Division softens the water down to the 4-8 grain range. There are five separate water treatment facilities, which can yield small differences in hardness. This may also change slightly with seasonal adjustments depending on overall water demand. If overall demand reaches excessively high levels (8 million gallons per day) the Water Division will start increasing hardness to keep up with the demand. However, at all times, the hardness range that the City provides should eliminate any major hard water effects, such as excessive hardness deposits or difficulty lathering soap.