Emergency Sewer Work At Lyons Township High School

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School has discovered problems with sewer lines as part of a South Campus project to build a new cafeteria and convert the old one into a music department.

Sewer lines in that area of the school were installed in the mid-1950s. They are "failing or are near failure," according to a memo from Brian Stachacz, the school's business services director.

It is in the school's best interest to replace those lines as soon as possible because additional failures are imminent, Stachacz said.

Because of the problems, the school asked Joliet-based Omega Plumbing to perform a camera inspection of the remaining sewer lines in the courtyard, he said. More points of failure were found.

Stachacz asked the school board to waive the normal bidding rules, which state law allows in emergencies. The school, he said, has only sought this exemption twice in the last decade.

Omega offered to do the work for $103,350. Another company declined to give a complete quote, Stachacz said.

"While the courtyard is currently torn up due to ongoing work, now is the ideal time to do the replacement of the failing sewer lines," Stachacz said.

On Monday, the school board approved Omega for the project.