Some Chicagoans are under a boil order on Thursday, May 6, 2021. (Holger Schue / Pixabay)
UPDATE: City Officials Lift Boil Order for Morgan Park, Beverly After Pumping Station Outage
Chicagoans in the Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods are under a water boil order possibly until Friday, following a service disruption at the Roseland Pumping Station, city officials announced.
The order was initially attributed to a ComEd outage during maintenance at the station, a characterization contradicted by a representative from the utility company. The incident is under investigation, but what’s certain is the system was somehow impacted, said Rich Guidice, executive director of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
The age of the pumping station was not a factor, said Andrea Cheng, deputy commissioner for the Department of Water Management. The station is fully back online and pressurized.
The boil order was issued out of an abundance of caution after consulting with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and is a routine action whenever there’s a loss of water pressure, Chang said. The concern is that contaminants could enter the system. The department is testing the water to make sure there’s no growth of any microorganisms, and once that’s been confirmed, it will lift the order.
Boiling tap water will kill bacteria and anything that is possibly alive in the water, she said.
A boil order pertains to any tap water intended for consumption, be it for drinking, cooking, ice cubes, brushing teeth, washing dishes, washing food or preparing infant formula. Water should be brought to a roiling boil for at least five minutes in order to ensure safety. It can then sit at room temperature or be refrigerated in a closed container.
The affected area is roughly bounded by Sacramento Avenue, 119th Street, 1-57 and Beverly Avenue. A more precise map is available here.
Residents who have questions about the boil order can visit www.chicago.gov/water or call 312-744-8190.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
