Another water main breaks in south Chicago suburb, but officials say issues are being addressed
DIXMOOR, Ill. (CBS) -- South suburban Dixmoor has been plagued by water issues for years, and on Wednesday, hundreds of residents there were on a boil order once more – after four water main breaks just this week.
There was yet another water main break on Wednesday too. Crews worked through wet and rainy conditions to fix it. Earlier this week, flooding took place on an entire block of Paulina Street in Dixmoor – leaving water pooling in the streets.
"The infrastructure very old out here, and it's crumbling all over," said Dixmoor Village President Fitzgerald Roberts.
Roberts said the village spent more than $10,000 just this week to have Calumet City Plumbing come and drain the water that pooled this week. On Wednesday, Calumet Plumbing was called in to do it all over again.
There is a long history of water issues in Dixmoor – on which CBS 2 has been reporting extensively for years. Village leaders said Wednesday that the issues are finally being addressed - with more than $2 million in funding secured by village, Cook County, and Illinois state representatives used to replace pipes at 142nd and Leavitt streets.
"We gave out, I want to say like, over 500 gallons of water today," Fitzgerald said. "Residents were coming by and they were picking it up."
But with more than 200 residents on a boil order notice as of Wednesday, concerns continued. CBS 2 was told the water continues to be tested – with the goal being to clear the boil order sometime Thursday.
"Right now, some of them saying they're tired of the breaks - Oo course, I'm tired of the breaks also," said Fitzgerald, "but God is blessing us with the funding that is starting to trickle in - and we'll be able to repair as many breaks and replace as many mains as possible."
Fitzgerald said there is another funding plan in place, which will mean continued improvements in Dixmoor this spring.
