Geneva dealing with spate of broken water mains

Geneva residents had to deal with water woes of the non-rain variety Thursday when five water mains broke in different parts of town.

Although water remained safe to drink, city officials asked residents near the breaks to avoid doing laundry, so as to put less strain on the system and avoid having rusty water stain their clothing.

City officials believe the cases all were related to the initial break, which happened around 6 a.m. on a 12-inch main on Western Avenue. That break filled Western with 2 to 3 feet of water in spots but was repaired by late Thursday afternoon.

The break was severe enough to cause water pressure to drop quickly. The sudden change caused a pressure swing elsewhere in the system, according to city spokesman Kevin Stahr, breaking a 16-inch main on Dodson Street, an 8-inch main on Woodward Avenue, an 8-inch main on Forest View Drive near Route 31 and a fifth main on East Side Drive.

Residents with questions can call the public works department at (630) 232-1501.

Residents needing to report water main breaks after normal business hours should call the Geneva Police Department nonemergency number at (630) 232-4736.