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Western Springs water main break drained tower in Spring Rock Park
Updated: December 30, 2012 3:19PM
WESTERN SPRINGS — Village officials were unsure Tuesday afternoon what might have caused a water main at the base of the water tower in Spring Rock Park to break.
"We don’t believe it was connected to our water plant construction," which is taking place on the other side of town, said Matt Supert, acting manager of municipal services. "We don’t know what the specific cause might have been."
Calls started coming in from residents between 2:30 and 4 a.m. reporting a loss of water pressure. It was a few hours later that public works employees discovered the site of the break, which caused millions of gallons of water to drain from the tower into the park.
Supert said the only financial loss to the village will be the money spent to treat the wasted water, which Western Springs draws from the ground and not from Lake Michigan. He said he expects insurance to cover repairs to the park.
Supert said a baseball diamond in Spring Rock Park will have to be dug up and replaced, a job that might have to be finished in the spring.
The boil order is a precautionary measure until the proper bacterial testing can be completed confirming there was no infiltration due to the loss of pressure.
The water tank is refilled and the initial water samples have been sent to the lab for testing, but results are not expected until Wednesday.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, water used as a drinking source should be brought to a rolling boil for one minute. Residents can bathe, use washing machines and clean dishes run through a dishwasher, if set to a "high temperature" or "sanitize" wash.
