How long will the boil order remain in effect after the Skokie water main break?

SKOKIE, Ill. — Residents in the north suburbs are facing boil orders and significantly reduced water pressure after a water main break in Skokie caused widespread flooding and road closures on Friday morning.

“This morning the village experienced a major break in its water system, resulting in a shutdown of water service and the issuance of a boil water order,” Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen said during an update from city officials on Friday.

The break occurred in one of the village’s primary transmission mains that serve customers in Skokie from its wholesale supplier at around 5:15 a.m., near East Prairie and Emerson Street.

The break has impacted the water supply in the village and a boil order has been issued for the area and for parts of Evanston as well.

City officials in Evanston released the following map showing where the boil order is in effect:

Mike Charley, the Director of Health and Human Services for the village said all Skokie water customers are advised not to drink their tap water without boiling it until further notice.

Charley said boiling water kills bacteria and other organisms that may be present.

“This boil order impacts all Skokie water customers, including those in all of our ZIP Codes 60076, 60077, and 60203,” Charley said.

Charley advised impacted residents to take the following precautions until further notice:

• Bring all water to a boil for at least five minutes and let it cool before using or using bottled drinking water.
• Use properly boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation until further notice.

Officials said untreated water can still be used for flushing toilets, showering, and washing hands, but non-essential use is advised against and bottled water should be used to the extent possible.

Amid the issues caused by the break, the village is distributing bottled water directly to critical facilities, including senior care and living facilities. 

How long will the boil order remain in effect?

According to Charley, the boil order will likely remain in place through at least Saturday afternoon as the State of Illinois requires that the village collect two clean water samples, which have to be drawn 24 hours apart before the boil order can be lifted.

The boil order can only be lifted after the second clean sample is collected and residents and businesses will be notified once it is determined that the water is safe to drink.

If either of the samples show contaminants, two more sets of samples must be drawn 24 hours apart.

Village officials offered an update on the situation in a press conference on Friday afternoon. The full news conference can be viewed in the video player below.

City officials said they will continue to provide updates to the public about the situation through the village website, Facebook and Instagram pages.