Dixmoor has identified a problematic valve as a possible reason for the lack of reliable running water in the south suburb, an issue that has left residents in crisis for nearly a week.

       In a Friday news release, Village President Fitzgerald Roberts said crews found a valve on Wood Street that is stuck and not turned on.

       Dixmoor residents, left without a reliable water source, have expressed dismay since Oct. 16 when the town’s water supply was first affected. Roberts has said the problems stemmed from leaks in the pipes, but the village had been unable to fully diagnose the problem.

       Workers trying to resolve a water crisis in suburban Dixmoor cut into Wood Street at Sibley Boulevard to reach a water main in the nearby town of Harvey, which supplies water to Dixmoor. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

       With the identification of the faulty pipe on Wood, crews are digging up the valve to manually turn it back on, according to the news release.

       Meanwhile, Dixmoor’s water pressure remains low and schools and businesses are closed. A boil order is still in effect.

       Bottled water is available at Village Hall and seniors can call the village at 708-389-6121 for water delivery, the release said.

       Dixmoor buys its water from Harvey, which supplies water it buys from Chicago to several other south suburbs.

       Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle held a news conference in Dixmoor on Thursday and said her staff called officials in Harvey to request technical help.

       “This isn’t about assessing blame. It’s about trying to fix a problem that’s a result of the fact that we have real infrastructure needs, not just here in Cook County but across the country,” she said.

       mabuckley@chicagotribune.com

       Dixmoor identifies problematic valve in ongoing water crisis, but water pressure remains low, and schools and businesses still closed

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