The City of Chicago Heights Water Department provides water to its customers and maintains the water mains required to deliver water to homes and businesses. The property owner is responsible for the connection to the water meter up to the b-box. When a problem occurs, the Water Department will assist the property owner in determining the cause of the problem and the appropriate course of action.

Buffalo Box (B-Box)

The Buffalo Box known as the B-Box is a part of your service line and is used to turn the water service on and off to a property. It is usually located between the curb line and the sidewalk line. The Water Department requires that the B-box is operable at all times.

When does the B-Box need to be repaired?

• When the B-Box is too high or too low. The top of the B-Box should be level with the ground.
• When the B-Box is located under concrete or asphalt and is not accessible.
• When the inside valve does not operate.
• When the housing becomes bent and the key cannot be lowered onto the valve.
• When the rod is loose and does not connect to the valve.

Code of Ordinances

Sec. 43-59. - Repairs.

(a) The maintenance and repair of the water main line and all service pipes and appurtenances extending from the main line to and including the Buffalo Box shall be the responsibility of and at the expense of the city regardless of the location of the Buffalo Box.

(b) The maintenance and repair of all water service lines and appurtenances extending from the Buffalo Box to the home or other serviced structure and all plumbing systems therein, except for the water meter, shall be the responsibility of and at the expense of the owner, regardless of the location of the Buffalo Box.

(c) Meters shall be repaired or replaced only by the city. The city reserves the right to repair drive pipes or plumbing systems adjacent to a meter if necessary. The cost of repairing or replacing a meter or its adjacent pipes shall be borne by the serviced location's owner.

(d) Once notice has been given to a serviced locations owner of a leaking or defective water service line or other appurtenance to the plumbing system for which the serviced locations owner is responsible hereunder, the said owner shall remediate said condition within five (5) business days. If within five (5) business days of the notice being given, said leak or defective condition has not been remediated, the city may remediate said leak or defective condition, and the cost of said remediation shall be the responsibility of the said owner. The owner shall reimburse the city for said repair expense within thirty (30) days. If reimbursement is not made within thirty (30) days, said expense shall added to the serviced location owner's regular water bill subject to the City Code of Ordinances regulating billing and collection of water accounts. (Code 1954, § 36.18; Ord. No. Mis-82-7, § 1, 3-24-82; Ord. No. 2012-63, §§ 1, 2, 11-19-12