Boil order issued for drinking water in Auburn Gresham, Beverly, Morgan Park as city tests for bacteria

Chicago officials are telling thousands of residents not to drink tap water in the Southwest Side communities of Auburn Gresham, Beverly and Morgan Park unless they boil it first due to concern about bacterial contamination.The boil order follows a leak in a high-pressure water main inside the more than century-old Roseland Pumping Station on Tuesday night. The order affects around 20,000 homes and businesses, an unusually large number for such an incident. By afternoon, dozens of residents were lined up in cars to pick up a free case of bottled water at Ridge Park, 9625 S. Longwood Drive.“One case is not going to last long,” said Linda Sneed, who lives just east of Morgan Park and was lined up for the free water. The boil order affects buildings and homes east of Sacramento Avenue, north of 119th Street, west of Interstate 57 and south of 87th Street and southwest of Beverly Avenue, the water department said.Water needs to be brought to a full boil for at least 5 minutes “to ensure that it’s safe for consumption,” the Chicago Department of Water Management advised. Water then may be stored at room temperature or refrigerated in a closed container.Testing is being conducted to determine if the water is contaminated with E. coli or other bacteria as a result of the mishap.The boil order will be in effect until city officials verify through testing that the water is safe to drink, a process that is expected to last until at least Thursday morning. In the meantime, residents are told to boil the water before drinking it, brushing their teeth with it, washing food or dishes, making ice cubes or any other activity that involves consuming the water.The issue at the Roseland station, built in 1912, raises questions about aging infrastructure and the safety of drinking water, said Meleah Geertsma, director of clean water and equity at the Alliance for the Great Lakes in Chicago.“Water mains are a critical backbone of our drinking water systems,” Geertsma said. “While communities across the country have been replacing older mains over time, many water mains are still past or reaching their useful lives.”The water department has issued boil orders in the past, though they usually don’t affect so many people, said spokeswoman Megan Vidis.“Boil orders are typically isolated to individual blocks due to water main breaks and construction activity in the distribution system,” Vidis said. “It is very unusual to have a boil order that impacts a large area of the city.”Vidis said the order was issued “out of an abundance of caution” and noted the city is not warning of potential lead contamination. Chicago is across the city. Boiling water is not an effective treatment for lead. Water used for laundry, showers and watering lawns is not affected by the order. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is consulting the city on the matter. An agency spokeswoman said the order is required because of the loss of water pressure, which can contribute to the growth of bacteria.“Standard coliform sampling will be required before the boil order can be lifted,” spokeswoman Kim Biggs said.Water pressure was affected in the three communities from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Tuesday.Sneed said she was alerted about a boil order by a city text around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.“It’s something else to worry about,” she said.