Expand / Collapse search
☰

Cook County water crisis may cost $1 billion to fix, commissioner says

By FOX 32 News
Published  October 23, 2021 9:39pm CDT
Dixmoor
FOX 32 Chicago

Water crisis continues to plague Dixmoor residents

It's been more than a week since the residents of Dixmoor have had reliable water service.

DIXMOOR, Ill. - It's been more than a week since the residents of Dixmoor have had reliable water service.

There have been times that no water has come out of the pipes at all. Other times, it's barely a trickle.

Residents are having to carry in cases of water and they can't flush their toilets or take showers.

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 CHICAGO APP FOR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

On Saturday, residents remain under a boil order. While water might be coming out of their faucets, it's not safe to drink.

"This isn't just a Dixmoor problem. This is a problem throughout the south suburban communities," said Deborah Sims, Cook County commissioner. "Robbins has a problem. Ford Heights has a problem."

"They wonder why the water bills in these communities are so high. The reason why the water bills are so high is because the water is seeping in the ground."

Sims says it will take millions of dollars, perhaps even a billion, to fix all the pipes in the south suburbs that need to be repaired.