'I can bathe my son': Bellwood residents relieved boil order is lifted
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The water is flowing once again in west suburban Bellwood.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave the village clearance to lift the boil order enacted last Saturday. The situation has been a real hardship for thousands of residents, especially over a holiday weekend.
CBS 2's Shardaa Gray reports from Bellwood, where residents said the news is a big relief. The mayor of Bellwood said a water tower is one of the main reasons thousands of residents had to boil their water.
For the first time in a couple of days, Tasha Taylor is able to use her water without having to boil it.
"I know I can continue to go through the process of where I could be able to make sure I can bathe my son, make sure I can wash my face," Taylor said.
Bellwood got clearance from the United States Environmental Agency (EPA) to lift the boil water order. The village said the EPA tested 29 water samples, collected from locations around the village.
The mayor said the thermocouple, which sends water pressure out, froze inside the water tower. Mayor Andre Harvey said freezing temperatures also caused at least one water main break.
The break affected about half of the suburb of nearly 19,000 residents.
"That mechanical failure, coupled with the water main breaks brought our pressure, PSI under 20. So anytime your pressure falls under 20, you have to have a boil order, and get your water tested," said Harvey.
Taylor didn't cook Christmas dinner because of potentially tainted water. But she still boiled water so her six-year-old son could take a bath. Unaware of the boil order being lifted Tuesday, she still planned to boil her water.
"I'm just trying to make sure that I'm able to still provide for my kids with food. And make sure the water is not contaminated and stuff like that, for us to be able to eat on a healthy angle," Taylor said.
The mayor said if the water break happened any other weekend, they would have had the issue fixed that day, but since it was a holiday weekend, that slowed down the process of getting the water tested.