Village's North Avenue standpipe back on-line after repairs
Lombard's 1.6 million gallon water storage tank, located on West Road and North Avenue, has been put back on-line after being out of service for approximately one and a half years.
The standpipe was built by Chicago Bridge & Iron in 1955. Originally, a 1,500-foot deep well was also located on the site, but in 1992, the Village sealed the well because the well pump broke and the Village was switching to lake water. The standpipe is 110 feet tall and 50 feet in diameter. The standpipe not only serves as a water storage facility to enable Public Works to meet consumer and fire demand, but it also acts as a shock absorber to stabilize the pressure in the water system. While the standpipe was out of service, the Village experienced approximately 20 more watermain breaks than average.
The exterior of the standpipe was scheduled for painting in June 2010 because the lilac paint had faded. As the roof was being power washed, holes appeared in the roof. When several attempts to repair the holes created more holes, the Village decided that it was more prudent to replace the roof than to chase repairs.
In January, 2011, the village contracted with Chicago Bridge & Iron to design and construct a new roof.
The new roof was constructed on site and is considerably flatter than the original roof. The flat roof is self-supporting which eliminated the need for roof beams that were the source of failure in the original roof. The original roof was lifted off and the new roof was lifted into place in July, 2011.
The village entered into a new contract to complete the painting project in August, 2011.
Although the project is not 100% complete, enough work has been completed so that the standpipe could be filled, disinfected, tested and put back on-line the first week of December. The standpipe will be emptied in Spring 2012 for the contractor to complete the job.
Residents should not be concerned if they detect a higher than typical chlorine smell due to the changes in water flow.
Contact the Public Works Department at (630) 620-5740 with any questions about this project.