Water Infrastructure

In order to effectively and efficiently deliver water and sewer services to about 18,000 customers, the City must invest in, maintain and replace our capital infrastructure. This includes a network of water mains, storage facilities and pumping stations.

Drinking water is purchased by the City of Des Plaines from the City of Chicago and the Northwest Water Commission (NWC). It is then distributed through our system to customers after secondary treatment of the water is completed. The City of Des Plaines operates and maintains 233 miles of water mains, along with storage and pumping facilities.

  • The City's decision to partner with the NWC (and reduce reliance on Chicago’s water system) a few years ago has produced a very positive return on our investment. We recouped our original investment to build infrastructure in less than three years and we continue to save $10,000 per day (through cost avoidance).

Note that Illinois American Water provides both water and sewer services for certain areas of Des Plaines. If you are located in this area, please contact Illinois American Water directly for questions about service or billing issues.

For questions about your water bill or account, visit the Finance Department's Water Services Page or call 847-391-5322.

Lawn Watering Restrictions

From May 15 - Sept. 15, please adhere to the City's guidelines for watering in order to conserve our water supply. Watering hours are between 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Even-numbered addresses may water on even-numbered calendar days.

Odd numbered-addresses may water on odd-numbered calendar days.

Please Note: Restrictions may be waived for new plantings that require more watering after initial installation (such as sod, trees and bushes). Please contact the Public Works Department at 847-391-5464 for more information.

Water Main Breaks

Report water main breaks to Public Works at 847-391-5464. You can call this number on weekdays during non-business hours, weekends and on holidays.

Track Your Water Usage

Visit the customer portal to sign up and customize your dashboard to monitor your water usage and get real-time alerts. This can quickly identify a leak or problem to minimize water usage costs. Here are some more benefits that come with the portal:

  • Customizable user alerts can be sent via the portal, text and/or email.
  • Monitor multiple meters from the portal: vacation homes, rental properties and irrigation meters.
  • Rainfall and temperature data allows customers to see how their usage might be affected by weather conditions.

Questions? Please contact our Support Team at 847-391-5322.

Water Conservation

Water conservation is an important tool for reducing water demand, and limiting water use should be an everyday practice for people and businesses in our area. Water efficiency measures can lead to significant reductions in water and sewer costs. Does your water bill look higher than normal? Track your usage and sign up for alerts with our Water Utility Dashboard.

For Every Room in the House with Plumbing

  • Repair leaky faucets, indoors and out.
  • Consider replacing old equipment (like toilets, dishwashers and laundry machines).

In the Kitchen

  • When cooking, peel and clean vegetables in a large bowl of water instead of under running water.
  • Fill your sink or basin when washing and rinsing dishes.
  • Only run the dishwasher when it's full.
  • When buying a dishwasher, select one with a "light-wash" option.
  • Only use the garbage disposal when necessary (composting is a great alternative).
  • Install faucet aerators.

In the Bathroom

  • Take short showers instead of baths.
  • Turn off the water to brush teeth, shave and soap up in the shower. Fill the sink to shave.
  • Repair leaky toilets. Add 12 drops of food coloring into the tank, and if color appears in the bowl one hour later, your toilet is leaking.
  • Install a toilet dam, faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads.

Laundry

  • Run full loads of laundry.
  • When purchasing a new washing machine, buy a water saving model that can be adjusted to the load size.

Track Your Water Usage

Des Plaines has a water utility website portal that provides virtually everything you need to detect and correct water usage issues. Through this interactive website, you can track your water usage through easy-to-read charts and graphs, receive tips on water conservation and more! If you have a Sensus water meter, just visit desplaines.org/mywater to set up your account.

Water Quality

We are happy to report your tap water meets all US Environmental Protection Agency and state drinking water standards and the City had no violation of a contaminant level or of any other water quality standard in 2021. The City issues a Consumer Confidence Report(PDF, 396KB) annually, per state and federal regulations.

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