Boil order issued for thousands of Southwest Side residents after century-old pumping station loses power

A boil order was issued Thursday afternoon after a Southwest Side pumping station shut down for about an hour, affecting thousands of people in Morgan Park and Beverly.

The 110-year-old station lost power from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. after maintenance by Commonwealth Edison, according to Richard Guidice, executive director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

The outage largely affected people in the Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods, officials said, adding that the cause was being investigated.

Department of Water Management

Buildings as far west as Albany Avenue, north of 119th Street, and west of I-57 to southwest of Beverly Avenue, are under a boil order. The boil order was issued “out of an abundance of caution” while the water is being tested, according to Andrea Chang, deputy commissioner for the Department of Water Management.

People who live in the affected area should bring water to a full boil for at least five minutes before drinking it or consuming in any way — like brushing your teeth, making baby formula or washing dishes. The boiled water can safely be stored at room temperature or refrigerate in a closed container until needed.

The order was expected to last until Friday morning, Chang said, because the testing takes about 24 hours.