Dixmoor without water for 5th day as schools, businesses remain closed
DIXMOOR, Ill. (WLS) -- South suburban Dixmoor's water woes continued for a fifth day Wednesday, with much of the village still unable to get sufficient water pressure to perform basic tasks. But even as crews continue to work around the clock, residents are losing patience.
"Eating out so I don't have to get the dishes pile up. It's just been hard. You know, giving a kid a bath with baby wipes," resident Jamie Gushie said.
Gushie lives at the Colonial Estates trailer park with her two young children. Her 3rd grader has been home since Monday as the district's three Dixmoor-based schools remain closed.
"I got something on a voice recording today saying that if it's not back on, they're going to look into the computers again which I would not be looking forward to," one resident said.
At Dixmoor's Village Hall, volunteers are handing out bottled water and loading it into people's vehicles almost as quickly as it's dropped off.
"I have an 83-year-old mother," resident Carla Moon said. "We have to flush pots and wash dishes and all kinds of stuff. We're just doing the best we can besides what they give us of bottled water."
Businesses are also closed, including the local Aldi's. At Domino's Pizza, they're taking inventory, but not orders. Those in charge of Dixmoor said crews - both in Harvey, where the village's water comes from, and in Dixmoor - are still trying to trace the source of the problem. But they have for now, come up with a temporary fix.
"We have a junction valve that we're hooked up to that will send enough water to our reservoir so we can, once reservoir is full, we will be able serve these homeowners and commercial businesses," said John Thompson, economic development director for the village of Dixmoor.
"I don't have a time estimate right now. Prayerfully, it will be before nightfall. If not, we'll be going into another day of this," Dixmoor Village President Fitzgerald Rogers said.
With much of the infrastructure around here over 100 years old, officials said all they can do for now is put a Band-Aid on the problem as they call on the state for financial aid to modernize the system.
Statement from Village of Dixmoor
The ongoing efforts to identify the faulty valve which is causing the water pressure issues in the Village of Dixmoor continues, and there is no change in the conditions in the south suburban community, according to Village President Fitzgerald Roberts.
Currently, the Village is using Harvey fire hydrants to fill up its reservoir to at least offer some temporary relief while the search continues for the faulty valve. Dixmoor's readings and measurements clearly show the problem is not in the piping in the Village.
Both the City of Harvey and the Village of Dixmoor are continuing to work together to figure out where the problem is so that it can be fixed. Schools and businesses remain closed. The boil water order remains in effect. Additionally, bottled water continues to be available at Village Hall to residents who need it. Seniors are encouraged to call the Village at 708-389-6121 and water will be delivered to them.
"I also ask that people check on their neighbors and make sure they are OK," Roberts said. "This is an emergency situation, and we don't need to play politics. We need to come together to get through this crisis."
The City of Harvey is the sole source provider of water for the Village of Dixmoor.
Dixmoor sits in southern Cook County, Illinois, approximately 18 miles south of downtown.
