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Residents of Robbins looked up at their town’s water tower last week and watched as hundreds of gallons of water cascaded down from the top.
When a water main broke July 28 and increased the flow of water into the tower, it triggered the emergency overflow system used to prevent the water tower from bursting. It also resurfaced questions about why the state’s leadership isn’t doing more to upgrade the community’s infrastructure.
“If the governor really cared about the people, he’s a billionaire. He could fix all of Illinois himself,” said Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant, who is asking lawmakers for $40 million for his town to conduct infrastructure upgrades. “Put a billion to it, governor, if you want to run for president.”
In December, Bryant and other south suburban mayors gathered to call on more federal investment in water infrastructure.
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The town’s water has been shut off sporadically since the valve broke late that night. The area was also under a boil water advisory for a portion of the week while technicians worked to patch the leak.
Emani Hollingsworth, water superintendent for Robbins, was one of the first people on the scene July 28 when the main break triggered an alarm. He and his team worked to slow down the flow. He said this was no random accident.
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“Our infrastructure is going over 40, 50 years old. It’s to a point where every week or so we are having problems,” Hollingsworth said. “You can tell what an old pipe looks like and you’re seeing cracks.”
Last year, the village of Robbins received $20 million from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to create a stormwater park to mitigate flooding and provide opportunities for recreational development. Town leaders say the next step is repairing the infrastructure.
The village provided photos of two of the valves that were used to distribute water in the town, showing them caked with rust and 40 years of wear. A village spokesperson said the image depicts the dire situation of the town’s water distribution system, which has gone largely unchanged in almost half a century.
“The village of Robbins is in a precarious situation because we don’t have enough valve control,” Bryant said. “Our infrastructure is so outdated, instead of being able to shut off two to three blocks, we got to shut off half the town or even the whole town.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
“We’re on edge until the next break until we get the money,” Bryant said.