Why did thousands of gallons pour out of a Robbins water tower?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It was a sight to see in Robbins.
Thousands of gallons of water poured out of the village's water tower for hours.
The village said this happened because of a water main break. CBS 2's Shardaa Gray reports.
"That stuff is crazy."
Water overflowing from a Robbins water tower Sunday left Will Edwards baffled.
"I didn't know what was going on. Apparently, it was a water pipe issue or something going on. But that's unusual in Robbins."
Village of Robbins spokesperson Sean Howard said a pipe valve started to crack on Friday, forcing them to shut down the entire water system.
"From that three to four hours, we did a lot of shifting, but we did get that particular leak repaired," Howard said.
The Village of Robbins said since the water was shut off for three to four hours, the water pressure built up. It flushed from the top of the water tower.
"It must have been a sight for many who have never seen that, but it's quite natural in the world of public works that might happen," Howard said.
But on Monday, Howard said there was another water main break in a different part of the village. Edwards said there's a constant back and forth of the water being turned off and turned back on.
"Water lines are breaking almost every day. They have to cut the water off every other day for hours. It's just an ongoing problem," Howard said.
"It's a humiliating problem to continue to put a small bandaid on something when our state and federal government must apply some form of help or relief to the village of Robbins," Howard said.
He said the village is under a boil order for 24 to 48 hours.
"Crews are out right now working, trying to ensure that there are no other leaky valves in town, but we're pretty confident we can stay on top of the bandaid approach," Howard said.
So who will pay for all of that wasted water? The residents.
"All that money. They're about to charge us for."
"This is unfair to the taxpayers. It really is."
"Unfortunately, we're going to have to pay for it. But what can we do? We just need help," Edwards said.
The village said it'll continue to ask for help from the state and federal governments.
In the meantime, if another water main break happens, the village will continue to put a bandaid on it.
The condition of the Robbins’ Water Tower. The Village is seeking assistance from County, State, and Federal Leaders to help solve a $40-million dollar infrastructure problem.
Posted by The Village of Robbins Illinois on Tuesday, August 1, 2023