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Pilsen Fire Hydrant Overflowing for a Week With No Fix, Neighbors Say

By Chloe Riley | July 16, 2014 4:10pm
 A fire hydrant at the 1300 block of West Cullerton Street has been overflowing for a week, neighbors say.
A fire hydrant at the 1300 block of West Cullerton Street has been overflowing for a week, neighbors say.
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DNAinfo/Chloe Riley

PILSEN — Residents along West Cullerton Street are riled about a gushing fire hydrant they say has been spewing water for over a week.

"We called and nobody ain't doing nothing about it," said Pilsen resident Robert Sternal, who lives along the 1300 block of West Cullerton Street. "We called 311 last week. They said when they get a chance they'll send somebody and that was it. You know where that water's going? All on our water bill."

Some people Chloe spoke with argued that this wouldn't happen on the city's North Side:

Francisco Lassio, 25th Ward city service manager, said the city's Water Department has been made aware of the hydrant and the issue should be resolved by Thursday afternoon.

Lassio said the ward was not aware of the issue until Wednesday afternoon.

"I looked at the system and the only request I have was from today. So, no, no one called us," he said Wednesday. 

Other residents along the street confirmed that the hydrant had been running for about a week. Several said they'd also reported the hydrant to 311.

Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said it was "unusual" for a hydrant to be open that long without being addressed.

"If a hydrant is wide open, we don’t like that," Langford said Wednesday. "One, it’s a waste of water first of all, but also it’s dangerous in that the high pressure going out in the street can do all kinds of damage." 

Langford said he would be following up with the city's water department to get the Cullerton Street hydrant fixed as soon as possible. 

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