A portion of Westleigh Road in Lake Forest was closed for several hours on Feb. 13 after a water main break near the intersection with Wallace Road — the second break reported in the same general area since October.
City crews responded to the break early that morning, and by 7 a.m. an approximately three-quarter mile stretch of Westleigh Road between Wallace and Ridge roads was closed to traffic. The closure remained in place for several hours while repairs were completed and the roadway was restored. Traffic reopened later in the afternoon.
Only two properties immediately adjacent to the break experienced a temporary water service disruption, according to city spokeswoman Dana Olson. Water service for the rest of the community remained stable throughout the incident.
Officials said the affected section is part of a transmission main that does not directly impact the broader distribution system. Because system pressure remained strong during the repair, no precautionary boil order was issued.
By 12:30 p.m., the city reported on its website that the main had been repaired and road restoration work was underway.
Olson wrote in an e-mail the damaged section of pipe was installed around 1949 or 1950 and has experienced some breaks over the past 15 years. She noted that while there is often no single definitive cause for a water main failure, winter temperature swings can lead to ground movement that stresses older pipes.
“This upcoming summer, the city will be analyzing this and other stretches of transmission main pipe to determine which sections need to be replaced,” Olson wrote. She added that the city will also evaluate its booster station to determine whether aging pumps should be replaced to improve system hydraulics.
City officials use multiple factors when deciding which portions of the system’s roughly 166 miles of water mains are replaced each year, with break history being only one consideration.
The city did not issue a communitywide emergency alert. Olson said notifications are typically limited to directly affected properties, but broader notice was shared in this case because of the road closure.
“System pressure remained well above state requirements during the repair,” she wrote. “Boil water orders are issued only when pressure drops to levels that could affect water quality, which did not occur in this case.”
The incident follows another nearby break in October at Westleigh and Waukegan roads that prompted a two-day precautionary boil order. Olson said the two events are not considered part of a developing pattern.
“In this case, the city’s monitoring systems and valves worked exactly as intended, allowing crews to isolate a very small section of main while maintaining normal pressure and service everywhere else,” she wrote. “The October break had broader system impacts. This incident was much more limited and does not indicate an emerging system issue.”
The City Council is scheduled to consider final approval of a 6.75% across-the-board water and sewer rate increase at its Feb. 17 meeting, with part of the additional revenue designated for expanded evaluation of the water system infrastructure.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
