The village of Dixmoor’s approximately 100-year-old water infrastructure might finally getting a major overhaul through a village-wide water meter replacement program.
The primary purpose of the program is to modernize the village’s water system, eliminate estimated billing and improve service reliability, village officials said in a news release.
Dixmoor Mayor Fitzgerald Roberts said the modernization effort is long overdue in a village where residents have experienced repeated issues with water delivery.
“Upgrading is mandatory, but the previous administrations never updated anything. They just left it as was without taking care and making these improvements. … It was just a lose-lose situation,” Roberts said.
He said the program is being paid for by state and Cook County grants, as well as funding from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Residents will not be charged for the new meters.
Roberts said switching to digital systems will make it easier to track leaks and notify residents if they are using too much water. They also will enable the village to deploy digital tracking systems and smart sensor networks that make it easier to track potential leaks and pipeline breaks.
John Thompson, Dixmoor’s economic development director, said that the village has been hampered by not knowing how much water was being used and could also not determine if water was being treated or not.
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“Everything was kind of falling apart for the infrastructure of the city, (and) the village itself,” Thompson said.
Dixmoor’s water system has been plagued by numerous water line breaks over the past several years. Most recently, a Feb. 1 water line break at 139th Street between Dixie Highway and Thornton Road affected nearly 1,000 residents.
Other major water line breaks included two in 2022 that left 3,500 residents without water and another that caused West Harvey-Dixmoor District 147 schools to close for two days.
Cynthia Mossuto, a resident of Dixmoor’s Smith Mobile Home Park, said she has watched utility prices increase over the years and has not drank the village water since 2019. She’s also experienced continuous problems with water pressure in her home.
“If you ride around the village, you will see where they have fixed the water and water leaks and where they just throw stone over the street,” Mossuto said.
She said she knows people who were told they were getting new water meters but that she has not heard anything further.
Roberts said the village is trying to address residents’ concerns.
“Just continue to work with us, and we’re going to continue to make this a better place to live and a better place to be,” Roberts said.
According to village officials, workers from Calumet City Plumbing are conducting door-to-door water meter surveys in the village on weekdays. Depending on site conditions, installers may replace meters during the initial visit, they said.
Village Clerk Juanita Darden-Thompson said in a news release that residents can ask installers to verify their identities and affiliation with the company but that all plumbing representatives will present official company identification upon arrival. Residents who would rather schedule an appointment with Calumet City Plumbing can do so by calling the company at 708-868-0074.
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