The entire village of Dixmoor is once again dealing with significant water issues, as the community was forced to shut off service due to multiple main breaks.
According to officials, water mains in the community broke at the intersection of 141st Street and Woods Street, and at the intersections of 143rd Street and Spaulding Streets.
After the main breaks, water service was shut off for the entire village, with officials worrying about potential issues with the pumps that had given them so many headaches in previous months.
A state of emergency was declared by officials, and residents are being advised that they can obtain food and water at Village Hall, located in the 100 block of West 145th Street.
Officials also stressed that the shut-off of the water system was done as a precaution to prevent damage to the system.
Even when the mains are repaired, residents will still be in for a challenge, as the community will remain under a boil order for the time being.
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In the short-term, negotiations are underway with Thornton Township to get emergency water into the village.
According to officials, the hope is to have the water main breaks fixed by the end of the day Thursday, and to restore service shortly thereafter.
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This month’s water issues come less than a year after the village encountered significant problems with its water system. A boil order was issued for several weeks in October and November, as a stubborn problem with low water pressure bedeviled the community.
Dixmoor usually receives its water from the nearby city of Harvey, but for several weeks last fall, the water pressure in the community was nearly four times lower than the required 36 pounds per square inch, according to officials.
Broken pipes were located and replaced, but turbine issues at the village’s water facility caused the problem to drag on and required significant repair to get the system back up and running.
The renewed issues with the water system are causing plenty of headaches for residents. Village officials say that they got the word out via robo calls, text messages and social media posts, but some residents say they were never notified that the water would be shut off.
“I didn’t get a robocall. So what is the deal with not getting them now?” resident Martha Montero asked.
The village recently received a $2 million investment to assist with water issues, and to install new water mains. That project isn’t slated to begin until the spring of 2023, however.
