Who we are & what we do
Salt Creek Sanitary District (SCSD) is responsible for providing wastewater treatment services for the Village of Villa Park. We are a separate unit of local government independent of the Village of Villa Park. Although SCSD has the ability to levy property taxes we have chosen not to. Therefore, we recieve 100% of our operating funds through user fees.
Long time residents of the area have probably noticed that the quality of water in Salt Creek has improved tremendously over the last thirty years.
Wastewater is delivered to our facility via Villa Park sewers where we provide modern up to date treatment. The treated wastewater (effluent) where 98% to 99% of the pollutants are removed is discharged to Salt Creek. It should be noted that SCSD is one of seven wastewater treatment facilities discharging its effluent to Salt Creek. During low flow months in the summer and winter a good portion of the water flowing down Salt Creek is made up of wastewater treatment plant effluent.
History
Wastewater treatment has been conducted on the site of Salt Creek Sanitary District since at least 1921. Salt Creek Sanitary District was organized in 1928 under the state of Illinois Sanitary District Act of 1917. Since it was intended to serve the Villages of Villa Park, Elmhurst, Addison and Wood Dale its original name was Salt Creek Drainage Basin Sanitary District. Quarrels over bond issues and funding gradually prompted the other communities to withdraw from the district. Our treatment facility is located on a 4.8 acre pie shaped piece or property located on the east side of Route 83 with its northern boundary being the Illinois Prairie Path. An interesting sidelight to SCSD's history is for many years the site was also the Villa Park Garbage Dump. The contents of the garbage dump have slowly been removed as a result of major expansions and projects being completed in 1941, 1954, 1965, 1972, 1978, 1993, 2006 and most recently in 2014.
Tours
To educate the public and because we are proud of what we do, SCSD does provide tours of its facilities. Throughout the years we have provided dozens of tours for local schools, scouting groups, environmental associations and senior citizen groups. Occasionally we host Open Houses which are well publicized in the local newspapers and on the Villa Park cable channel. If you and your group are interested in seeing how wastewater treatment is accomplished contact Manager Jim Listwan to set up a tour. Everyone wishing to take a tour must sign a waiver. Depending on your level of interest, number of questions asked and size of your group, tours can be completed in as little as 25 minutes and as long as an hour and a half.
