Another main break has more than half of Dixmoor, Illinois waking up to water trouble

More than half of the Village of Dixmoor in Chicago's south suburbs was waking up without reliable water service Monday morning, after yet another water main break.

In a statement, Dixmoor Village President Fitzgerald Roberts said an 8-inch water main broke on 139th Street between Dixie Highway and Thornton Road on Sunday. The water main break left more than half the village with low water pressure or no service at all.

On Sunday afternoon, heavy equipment moved in as crews worked to reach the ruptured main.

Fitzgerald said this was the sixth water amin break in just the past week.

This past Thursday morning, another water main break in Dixmoor flooded roads and forced school closures less than 10 minutes from the scene of the water main break on Sunday. The water main in that incident ruptured at 146th Street and Seeley Avenue, and was repaired by Thursday afternoon.

Dixmoor has suffered from problems with its water infrastructure for years.

The serious water issues in Dixmoor were in the headlines as far back as 2021, as multiple main breaks resulted in boil orders, schools shutting down, and unreliable water pressure.

While Dixmoor village officials completed a $2 million water main project in 2024, officials warned it would not fix the entire system.

Fitzgerald said some pipes are more than 100 years old, and fully replacing them could cost $30 million to $50 million.

"Pretty much all of us are in the same boat," said Fitzgerald. "I know the residents are frustrated, but I pray that they continue to hold on, continue to have faith in God, and faith in us that we're going to this problem solved."

As of 5 a.m. Monday, machinery was sitting off to the side at the scene of the Sunday water main break, and no crews were working. It was unclear exactly when or if crews would be back out to pinpoint the source of the water main break or to repair it, if such work was not already complete.