Friday afternoon is hoped to bring the return of residents who saw very little of their homes in a 143-unit condominium building in Schaumburg during August due to a pair of breaks to its private water main.
Brian Lynch, community association manager for the Country Lane Park Condominiums, said village inspectors were on site at 1463 Mercury Drive Thursday to facilitate the final steps in that process.
The private water line at the building near the intersection of Irving Park Road and Fairfield Drive has been replaced, but is still undergoing testing, according to village officials. That includes a disinfecting chlorination process to the water main.
“Two water tests are performed 48 hours apart and are sent to a lab for analysis,” Schaumburg spokeswoman Josie Beecher-Crotty said. “Once both tests pass, potable water will be restored in the building.”
The fire suppression systems in the building also are in the process of being restored to service, she added.
“Village staff continues to monitor the project to ensure inspections are completed and requirements are met before water can be restored and the building can be approved for occupancy,” Beecher-Crotty said.
Though the private service line is the financial and maintenance responsibility of the property owners, the village’s role is to ensure its replacement and the occupancy status of the building meets municipal standards.
The original break occurred Aug. 6, causing water damage to the nearest first-floor units, according to village officials. Water was shut off to the entire building until the following week, but interrupted again by a second break Aug. 20.
Lynch said it was always the intention to replace the line, not just repair it. But due to the hardship residents were facing, an attempt was made to restore water before the replacement with residents being made aware of the risk. However, the second break occurred before replacement could.
The cause of the breaks was unknown, Lynch said.