Residents Might See Rusty Water During Testing of New Stevens Street Water Main

The city of Geneva plans on testing a new water main installed on Steven Street from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7, which may produce rust in water for some residents.

Residents living along First Street/Route 31 from the city's northern boundary to Hamilton Street could be impacted by the water main testing Aug. 7. If a resident has rusty water he or she should refrain from washing clothes and notify Geneva's Public Works Department by calling 630-232-1501.

The water is safe to drink, but residents are encouraged to let their faucets run for a few minutes beforehand to flush them out.

The new 10-inch main on Stevens Street, which runs from First to Sixth streets, will be replacing a smaller 4-inch main. The smaller main was built in 1945, has deteriorated in spots and has had trouble keeping up with current peak demands and Fire Department emergencies at the same time. 

The city will fill the Stevens Street water main slowly to reduce the chances of rust being stirred up as part of the testing process. 

All services are expected to be connected to the new water main by Friday, Aug. 23. Additional road replacement and drainage improvements on Stevens Street will continue into September.

SOURCE: City of Geneva press release