Frozen City Pipes Leave Residents Without Water

Some Chicago residents have been without water for days due to frozen city pipes.

Jerrold Sims hasn't had water in his South Side home for five days, forcing him to collect snow and melt it for his pets.

"I'm just totally frustrated. Basically I have no water. I'm bottling water," Sims said.

Sims says several calls to 311 haven't helped.

"She tells me it might be three days, four days, it might take five days ... unknown," Sims said.

Sims is one of 400 similar frozen pipe calls the Chicago Water Department is trying to handle from all over the city.

Mark Wille has had the same problem in Andersonville for nearly a week, and has been using bottled water to clean dishes and flush his toilets.

"There has been a lack of communication, and really, the front line is 311, which essentially has no information," Wille said. "That more than anything has really been the struggle."

Officials with the water department say they're working hard to fix the problem, and suggest all residents allow water to trickle out of their faucets to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Contact Us