Water quality has improved since Western Springs instituted a sprinkling ban Oct. 21 while one of the village’s deep wells is under repair, according to the director of municipal services.
Improvements were noticed about two days after the ban to curb demand after an unusually hot and dry fall, Matt Supert told the Village Board Monday .
Nov. 13 remains the target date to complete repairs on pipes and other components of a deep well about 1,600 feet below the surface, Supert said.
Village President William Rodeghier called for a water update after he, Supert and other village officials received numerous phone calls from residents complaining about yellow water that tasted bad and left stains on dishes and clothes.
“We did our best to inform residents on the website,” Rodeghier said. “Nevertheless, it’s disconcerting to be drawing a bath for a young one and say ‘what is this.'”
The village also activated an automated phone notification system, leaving messages for residents about the water situation, as well as text message alerts.
Supert said each of the village’s two deep wells have been shut down for repairs other years with smaller amounts of water added from the shallow well, and residents didn’t notice a significant change in the water.
“This was like the perfect storm,” he said. “If this was a typical October with typical usage, we wouldn’t have these issues.”
Despite a Facebook page with more than 700 members discussing water quality and solutions, as well an online petition with more than 300 signatures, not one resident spoke up about the water issue at the meeting.
Supert said no one neighborhood is experiencing more water issues than another.
“We’re tracking the addresses. It’s been kind of scattered. There’s not really any hot spots,” he said. “Some residents have issues one day and they’re fine the next, and vice versa. Things will continue to improve.”
Supert again stressed the water is safe to drink and meets all Environmental Protection Agency standards. The color and hardness of the water, due to the iron and calcium content, are an aesthetic issue, rather than a health concern, he said.
“Our long-term goal is a new deep well,” Supert said. The additional capacity would help make the system more reliable when repairs are required, he said.
A preliminary report is expected in November identifying possible sites for a new well, as well as the cost of pipes to connect it to the treatment plant, he said.
Until repairs are completed by Nov. 13, Supert suggested residents use a water treatment product in their dishwashers, such as Jet-Dry, Lemi Shine or CLR products to counter the effects of mineral build-up.
Some residents have installed filter systems or water softeners, and both are a matter of personal preference, Supert noted. Once the village’s deep wells are back on line and all water is treated through the reverse osmosis system, water quality and hardness should be similar again to Lake Michigan water, he said.
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