Water main break in suburban Dixmoor forces two schools to close as crews work on repairs

A water main break in the south suburbs forced the closure of two schools Thursday in suburban Dixmoor.

The break occurred near 147^th and Seeley Avenue Thursday morning, and while officials say the main has been repaired, it did impact area residents.

Jimmy Pratt woke up Thursday morning to low water pressure in his home and said he hasn’t been able to shower.

“You ain’t got no water, you ain’t got no hot water,” he said. “It’s ridiculous.”

He moved into his home nearly 20 years ago and said this is a reoccurring problem every other winter on his block with the water main.

“I just hope they get it fix soon, pray that this won’t happen no more,” he said. “I’m just frustrated.”

Crews spent most of the day working on repairs. The village said between 20 to 50 homes were impacted, as were two schools nearby, as Rosa Parks Middle School and Martin Luther King Elementary had to close for the day.

The village president first got the call about the water main break around 5 a.m.

“I’m asking them to continue to be patient. This infrastructure is very very old it’s over 100 years old,” said Fitzgerald Roberts, Dixmoor Village President.

Roberts told NBC Chicago in a couple of months the plan is to replace the aging infrastructure on Seeley Avenue, which he said is long overdue.

“I was just out here with Build Up Cook two weeks ago and they actually got the map, and they did the surveys where they got to come out to do the cuts,” he explained. “The pipe is going to run from 147^th Street all the way down to 145^th and tied to the new existing pipes that they put in.”

The village president said they’re getting funding from the state, federal, and county to help with the replacement and to address the aging infrastructure.

“The county also has provided us with a new water tower, the county and the state working together the pump house—so we’re moving forward,” he said.

Back in 2024, village officials celebrated and marked the completion of a new water line. As residents wait for new pipes to be installed on the stretch of Seeley Avenue, the village president said he understands their frustrations.

“I just pray that the people and residents continue to work with us on this because trust me, I’m working very hard at this,” he said.

The water main break was repaired by 4 p.m. The village said school is back in session Friday for students at Rosa Parks Middle School and Martin Luther King Elementary. No boil order was issued.