Calumet City Plumbing crews spent hours Saturday night repairing another water main break in Dixmoor, with officials and residents alike asking for assistance amid the continued issues.
The ruptured main is the fourth to occur this week in the village, with this incident occurring near Lincoln Elementary School at 141st Street and Honore Avenue.
“It’s a six-inch main, (and) it pretty much flooded the block out,” said Dixmoor Village President Fitzgerald Roberts. “We were able to shore it up a little bit until Calumet City Plumbing come in to make a patch—that’s all we can do right now is patch it.”
It’s the fourth water main break in Dixmoor since Monday after temperatures climbed back above freezing in the Chicago area. The village president said the old infrastructure is to blame, with the weather stressing the equipment.
“Engineers said pipes are at least, right at 120 years or more,” he said. “I mean, it’s been in existence since Dixmoor.”
He told NBC Chicago his community desperately needs major funding and support from county and state leaders to permanently solve these problems.
“Speaking with the engineer, we roughly looking at about $50 million to pretty much get this under control,” he said.
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Roberts said the village has made improvements replacing pipes in some areas, including a section going north from the water tank to 139th on Leavitt Street and that two more projects are slated for this spring.
“Dixmoor will be much better once we get our funding in and we can get this infrastructure done,” he said.
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Two of the water main breaks this week occurred on Paulina Street and have since been repaired.
“I just want more and better for Dixmoor,” said resident Hylan Walker. “We got to get the streets fixed, all of this especially this street here that water main has been broken for years.”
Walker has lived here his whole life and said at this point he’s used to this mess. The village president asking for patience.
“Continue to bear with us,” said Roberts. “This administration is doing all they can to ensure that the Village of Dixmoor is taken care of.”
A boil order was not issued during the repairs. The water line was repaired around 7 p.m. Saturday, according to officials.
