Science & Nature
South Side Neighborhoods Remain Under Water Boil Order Through Thursday After Roseland Pumping Station Failure
(Holger Schue / Pixabay)
Residents of several Chicago South Side neighborhoods are under a boil order following an outage at the Roseland Pumping Station Tuesday night.
Crews fixed a leak on a high-pressure water main and brought it back online, but “out of an abundance of caution and in consultation with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency,” the Chicago Department of Water Management issued a boil order for drinking and cooking water.
The boil order remained in effect throughout the day Wednesday and won’t be lifted until at least Thursday morning, according to Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th Ward) and confirmed by a Water Department spokesperson.
Affected areas include parts of Beverly, Morgan Park and Auburn Gresham, specifically: buildings and homes located east of Sacramento Avenue, north of 119th Street, west of I-57, south of 87th Street, and southwest of Beverly Avenue.
Free bottled water, is available to residents who live in the affected area, at Ridge Park, 9625 S. Longwood Drive. Water Department crews were on site Wednesday unloading cases of water to neighbors and will continue doing so throughout the night, the Water Department spokesperson said.
DWM crews continue to hand out bottled water at Ridge Park, 9625 S. Longwood.
Those located within the ongoing boil order area; east of Sacramento Ave, north of 119th St, west of I-57, south of 87th St, and southwest of Beverly Avenue; can pick up the free water at the park. pic.twitter.com/pRFL3DKkTr— Water Management (@ChicagoWater) July 10, 2024
The line for water wrapped around the block, according to Block Club Chicago.
This is the same area where a boil order was issued in 2021, also after a malfunction at the Roseland Pumping Station.
Boil orders are routine whenever there’s a loss of water pressure for a significant amount of time, due to a concern that contaminants could enter the system, Water Department officials said back in 2021.
On Tuesday, the water main was offline for several hours.
To comply with the order, residents should bring water to a full rolling boil for at least five minutes. Boiled water may be stored at room temperature or refrigerated in a closed container until needed.
The order applies to water for drinking, making ice cubes, washing foods, washing dishes, brushing teeth or any other activity involving water consumption. Water for laundry, watering lawns and taking showers does not need to be boiled, officials said.
The boil order will be rescinded as soon as testing by the Department of Water Management verifies the water is safe to drink.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
