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Watermain
Repairs
In
addition to ice and snow, cold weather brings on another winter
worry - water main breaks. Uneven freezing and thawing of the
ground can cause high stresses on water mains, eventually causing
some of them to crack and break, especially the older, less
flexible cast iron water pipes.
Residents
are encouraged to call Public Works at 630-896-9241 if they
suspect a water main break. Signs of a possible main break include
unusual amounts of water flowing down the road gutter, an unusually
wet area in a yard, or a significant drop in water pressure.
After normal work hours, residents may call the Montgomery Police
Department at 630-897-8707 to report a possible main break.
In
the event of a water main break, the first goal of the Public
Works crews is to provide safe roadway conditions for motorists.
Occasionally this necessitates streets being closed until the
break is repaired. Once a safe area is established, crews will
expose the water main to locate the leak and repair the pipe,
then backfill the area with crushed rock up to the level of
the street. These areas will be patched once warm weather returns.
One
of the biggest inconveniences to residents during water main
break repairs is the loss of water pressure to their homes.
During the repair process, water main valves must be shut, and
nearby homes temporarily lose their water service. Village crews
will try to schedule repairs to avoid shutting off water during
the high-use periods such as early mornings. On large leaks
or emergency repairs, however, crews may need to shut off water
immediately upon arrival at the site. Public Works will give
their best effort to properly and efficiently repair these breaks
and restore water service as soon as safely possible.
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