A software glitch may have caused four water main breaks in Northfield on Friday that left dozens of homes without water, officials said.
At the same time, water service to some homes unaffected by the actual breaks is being cut to allow for repairs to be done, said officials.
The village recently upgraded the software it uses to monitor and regulate the water system, and some of those upgrades were made on Friday immediately before the water line breaks, said Northfield Village Manager Stacy Sigman.
“We think there was a chance that the computer caused some unbalance within the system and caused the breaks,” she said. “We’re still working to determine that definitively.”
All the main breaks are located west of Wagner Road, and because water pressure has been maintained it is safe to drink tap water, Sigman said, adding that there is currently no boil order in effect. She said properties east of Wager Road are not affected. She also said residents in affected areas are being asked to fill containers now with water that they may need through the night.
“One break has been repaired on Sunset Ridge Road, and we have crews at all other three locations,” Sigman said. “We brought in an emergency contractor to assist us.”
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“We have our own village crews at the other sites and we are being assisted by the village of Winnetka,” she added. “We’re shut down as need be to service the main. We try to shut down the smallest necessary to affect the work.”
She said the village expects that water service to all homes will be restored by tonight, and that repairs “are going really well.”
Brian Cox is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.