Dixmoor sees 4th water main break in 5 days; boil order prompted by previous breaks lifted

DIXMOOR, Ill. (WLS) -- Another water main break impacted south suburban Dixmoor on Saturday, according to Village President Fitzgerald Roberts.

The latest water main break was located at 141st and Honore, marking the fourth water main break in the village since Monday.

"Just when we think we are in the clear, another main breaks," Roberts said. "These pipes are old and brittle, and these breaks seem to be creating a chain reaction. Our community desperately needs some major funding to permanently solve these problems."

Later Saturday evening, the village said the leak had been repaired, and there will be no need for another boil water order or additional water distribution.

"The pipe broke at the bottom of the water line," Roberts said. "The break has been repaired and since the repair was done so quickly, there is no need for boil water order."

This comes after a boil water order for more than 300 Dixmoor homes was lifted on Friday.

RELATED: Dixmoor water system improvements to begin soon

The boil order impacted streets from 141st to 143rd and from Wood to Marshfield. Roberts took matters into his own hands on Wednesday, handing out bottles of water to residents at the community center.

"I've been boiling water for a while for drinking until they get everything fixed," said resident Hugh Pernell. "They fixing in it as it goes, so."

The mayor has been asking residents to be patient.

"Bear with us. Whenever you need us to help you at, we'll be there, I have administration that's moving and about the people, and we are for the people and helping the people," Roberts said.

Residents there said they're used to this by now, but they want more help from elected officials.

"I would like to see our legislators focus on us taxpayers. We spend a lot of talk about on the millions spent on migrant issues. I'd like to see some of that money come to us," said lifelong Dixmoor resident Tim Arrington.

The up-and-down temperatures are not helping matters, but an aging infrastructure is really the source of the issue. City officials have been asking for local and federal help for years now to permanently fix these water problems.

The Army Corps of Engineers and Cook County funded about $2 million in repairs within the last year, which replaced a 2-mile water line. The mayor said that has certainly helped, but he still needs a total of $50 million to fix the aging infrastructure.

"We have a plan moving forward. We're getting federal help and also getting state and county help. Toni Preckwinkle has been our president, and she's been great to us," Roberts said.

Roberts said there are plans for more infrastructure repairs that will start in the spring with the help of local and federal funding.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.