Sugar Grove considers grants for backup sump pumps

Sugar Grove residents who worry about their basement flooding may be eligible for some relief through a program the village is considering.

The village board Tuesday heard a proposal, initiated by Village President Sean Michels, to give grants of up to $1,000 to residents who purchase backup sump pumps. Residents were invited to attend an informational meeting with a local sump pump manufacturer Wednesday night. If the board approves the plan, people could use any pump system, as long as it met several criteria, village administrator Brent Eichelberger said. The genesis, he said, was the plight of some people in the flood-prone Mallard Point subdivision. During discussions about improving drainage for that area, “It was very clear that there is a certain segment of Mallard Point that is hardest hit, where the sump pumps run year around,” Eichelberger said.

Those properties’ owners told the village that they worry so much about electrical outages or battery backup failure that they aren’t comfortable leaving their homes unattended, such as for vacation. But properties in other neighborhoods would also be eligible.

Under the proposal, eligible backup pumps would have to have a way, by telephone or email, to notify the owner when they are called into action. Village staff also recommends systems that automatically self-test, have audible alarms, system monitors, and battery backup with a battery charger.

Applicants would be asked the history of flooding at their homes, including how many times it happened in the last 12 months.

If they use an electrician or plumber to install the system, the contractor has to be licensed to work in the village.

One brand of pump intriguing village officials is sold by an Elburn company, with single-pump systems available for $1,399 and dual-pump systems for $1,899.

The village has identified about 25 people so far it thinks would be interested in the grants.

Eichelberger said the board will likely discuss the proposal again June 7, after hearing residents’ input.