Water looking better for Boulder Hill

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Crews are working extra shifts to complete the repairs on Well 14. When the well pump broke down in November, it led to rusty water flowing into the homes of some residents.

Updated: February 19, 2012 8:14AM

Residents in the Boulder Hill area say they are seeing an improvement in their water quality.

While the area is in the unincorporated area of Kendall County, residents get their water from the village of Montgomery.

Last week, residents complained about the water quality at a Village Board meeting and brought pictures of children with orange hair, damaged pipes and water sample results that documented the iron content was some three times the normal level.

This week, after action taken by the village, residents say things are looking up.

“It is looking better, this is good news,” Karol Armbruster, one of the residents affected by the rusty water, said Tuesday.

Her daughter has had to visit a hair salon on two occasions due to the rust in the water, she said. “It was turning orange and a had a little green tint,” she said,

“It doesn’t seem to be as bad,” said Debbie Way, another resident.

The water problems began Nov. 19 when the motor that runs Well 14 broke. At that time, village officials began sending water to the area from other wells.

The rust is the result of a change in direction of the water flow in the pipes.

“The cause of the rust was a build-up of iron deposits inside the pipes for some 50 years,” said Michael Pubentz, Montgomery public works director.

The village has taken on an expedited resolution to the water well problem. A new motor has been installed in the well, and pending testing, it could be back in operation by the end of the week.

The current improvement seen in the water quality could be from the change that was made to bypass Well 14 all together, Pubentz said.

Construction began last week — with crews working overtime and weekend shifts — and as of Monday, the new motor had been installed at the well.

“Well 14 is working and officials are taking two bacteriological tests. That water is being discharged into the storm sewer at the well site and not being put into the village water supply,” officials said.

“We hope to have those results in a few days. Assuming they are OK, we can put the well back on line Friday,” Pubentz said. “It won’t be an immediate change, it will be gradual and will take time for the system to rebalance.”

Motors for wells do not break regularly. Pubentz said with normal maintenance and repair a motor can last some 40 years. The well that broke last fall has been in service for only eight years. It has been sent in for testing to see where it failed.

Pubentz said letters were sent to 700 homes because of the water problem. He said about 90 people have specifically reached out to the village to discuss the issue. He did not have an exact number of residents involved.