Public Works

Call our office at 618-592-3122 and listen to the entire message. The message will give you the name and phone number of the person on call.

We have someone on call to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Oblong Public Water Supply is a distribution system. We purchase our treated water from Robinson-Palestine Water Commission and Hardinville Water Company. Both of our suppliers produce water from well fields near the Wabash River Basin which is then pumped to a treatment plant. After processing it is then released for distribution to the public.

By Policy, the Oblong Village Board of Trustees reviews the water and sewer rates each year in November and makes the decision on whether the current rates are substantial for maintaining sufficient funding for expenses throughout the next year. If necessary the rate may need to be adjusted. The last rate increase was January 1, 2023.

IF YOU THINK YOUR BILL IS HIGH, THE FIRST THING TO DO IS CHECK THE TOILETS USING THE DYE TEST: 

95% of water leaks are due to leaky toilets.  Toilets can leak in six different ways; some cannot be seen or heard. “DYE TEST” every toilet when checking for leaks: 

• First, take the lid off the tank, the tank water is your next flush water. (The tank water should stay securely in the tank until the toilet is flushed.)
• Add several drops of food coloring or a packet of Kool-Aid to the tank water until it is a strong color.
• DO NOT FLUSH FOR ONE (1) HOUR.
• Put the lid back on the tank and flip the seat up so you can see the water in the toilet bowl.   (If the coloring is already in the toilet bowl you have a bad leak, turn off that toilet until you can fix it).
• Continue to monitor the bowl several times during the hour. If the colored tank water makes its way to the bowl, you have a leak.
• If, after one hour, the color remains in the tank and the water in the bowl is clear, the toilet is not leaking.
• Repeat this test on all toilets in your home.
• If you find a toilet leak, replace the parts in the tank and run the “DYE TEST” one more time to be sure everything is installed securely.
• If the “DYE TEST” does not find that any of your toilets are leaking,  please feel free to give us a call and one of our Service Technicians will be glad to assist you. 

Precautionary Boil Orders

The Oblong Public Water Supply is committed to providing high-quality, safe drinking water to their customers. The following information will help you understand more about a Precautionary Boil Order.

What does a precautionary boil order mean?  Precautionary boil orders are meant to inform customers that there has been an incident that caused the water system to become more susceptible to outside contaminants. As a precaution, the Water Supplier is notifying the impacted area to take precautions and not use tap water for drinking, brushing your teeth, cooking, or washing fruits and vegetables. Customers should only use bottled water or tap water that has been boiled for at least five minutes for these activities.

Precautionary boil orders do NOT mean water has tested positive for contamination. It is NOT the same thing as a mandatory boil order. Instead, it is a precautionary measure meant to empower customers to make the best choices for themselves, their families or their business customers until proper testing can be completed.

When and why is a Precautionary Boil Order being issued?  A precautionary boil order is most commonly issued when utility crews need to shut down a segment of water main due to an emergency repair or for a scheduled maintenance activity. IEPA rules and regulations call for the immediate issuance of a precautionary boil order anytime water pressures fall below 20 pounds per square inch. When pressure falls below that amount, there is a possibility that organisms outside of the water pipe could infiltrate the water system and cause illness (e.g. fecal or E. coli bacteria) or technical/physical problems in the water system have significantly increased the possibility of bacterial contamination.

The precautionary boil order does not mean that the water has tested positive for any type of contamination. It is simply a precautionary measure until proper testing can be completed. Notification is made by the Water Supplier to those consumers who are affected as soon as possible. The precautionary boil order begins once water service returns to the impacted customers and will be in effect until further notice. Samples will be taken to the utility’s lab for testing. Testing usually takes 24 to 48 hours. As soon as the Water Supplier is notified of the results that the samples are clear of any pathogen or contamination, customers will be notified that the Boil Order is lifted. Information will be posted on your water suppliers’ respective social media or web site and a notice will be sent to local radio stations. Commercial customers will be contacted directly.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Oblong Public Works for more information.

618-592-3122    Office Hours: M-F   8:00-1:00

You can call the Oblong Public Works office 618-592-3122 to rent rooms at the municipal building or shelters at the park. You can find more information under the Community Page

Campsites are first come-first served at our campgrounds with no reservations. We have over 30 sites with electric and water hook-ups. The sites are very rarely ever all filled. 

You can visit the campground page here