CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- For the third time in two months - the second time this month - thousands of Southwest Side residents were temporarily without water Tuesday morning, after a water pumping station lost power.
According to the Chicago Department of Water Management, the Roseland Pumping Station experienced two power issues that affected the pumping pressure for drinking water in Beverly and Morgan Park. This occurred twice between 9:15 a.m. and 10:10 a.m.
The station was back online and fully pressurized by 10:30 a.m., the Department of Water Management said.
Alderman Matt O'Shea, 19th Ward, said he wants answers.
"Our phone lines here at the 19th Ward started lighting up about 9:20 a.m.," said Ald. O'Shea.
Ald. Matt O’Shea said his residents are "beyond frustrated" that there continue to be issues with the 110-year-old Roseland Pumping Station.
Unlike the earlier outage this month at the Roseland Pumping Station on May 6, no boil order was issued "because of the temporary nature of the issue." Out of an abundance of caution and in consultation with the Illinois EPA, the city will be performing its standard low pressure water sampling survey throughout the neighborhood.
The Chicago Department of Water Management said there will be an investigation to determine the exact cause of the outage.
An outage hit the same station on May 6 and a boil order was issued for a day. City officials said then that the outage occurred during maintenance performed by Commonwealth Edison, though the utility said it was not responsible for the problem.
"May the 6th, the Chicago Department of Water Management was pointing the finger at ComEd, which ComEd was calling me and saying, ‘It was not us.’ ComEd has already called me today to say, ‘This is not us," Ald. O'Shea said.
"I have asked for an investigation. I have asked the Inspector General to investigate. At this point, all I know is I am sick and tired of the Roseland Pumping Station going down and getting an explanation that, ‘We don’t have a problem there.'"
The Chicago Department of Water Management said residents who have questions can call the department's Water Quality Surveillance Section at 312-744-8190 or 311.
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