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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">FOR RELEASE</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">:
<br>
February 19, 2025 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">PRESS CONTACT</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">:
<br>
Deanna Shoss, Communications, 773.478.8417 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">OIG Urges Transparency and Improved Communication from Department of Water Management on Water Mains and
Sewers Built Too Close Together<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) has published an advisory detailing a lack of public transparency from the Department of Water
Management (DWM) surrounding extensive water main and sewer line construction work that failed to comply with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Title 35 regulations.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">Title 35 of the Illinois Administrative Code establishes environmental regulations for Illinois, including the separation of water and sewer infrastructure
to mitigate the risk of drinking water contamination. Subject matter experts told OIG that there is not necessarily an acute health and safety risk posed by water mains and sewer lines being too close together, with pressurization critical to keeping contaminants
out of the water supply. OIG notes, however, that there have been occasional and recent incidents in which the system has lost pressure and DWM issued orders that Chicagoans boil water before drinking it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif;color:black">In 2019, DWM discovered widespread noncompliance with IEPA requirements for the minimum horizontal and vertical
distance between underground water mains and sewer lines. DWM has subsequently cooperated with the IEPA to develop a remediation plan and continues to correct noncompliance when it discovers it during its regular work, which can add unexpected time and cost.
The City had paid a company over $288 million between 2013 and 2023 to ensure that contractors correctly installed water mains. Even after widespread noncompliant work was discovered in 2019, the City continued to pay that same company millions of dollars
annually for its services. The City demanded that contractors who constructed noncompliant water mains conduct corrective work, resulting in litigation by two contractors against the City.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif;color:black">OIG recommended that DWM improve the information available to the public and members of City Council about this
issue. Additionally, DWM should coordinate with relevant City departments to provide accessible, proactive public education on how City residents should respond in the event of a water main depressurization event to avoid health and safety risks.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif;color:black">In its response to OIG, DWM “affirm[s] that the public water supply is safe.” DWM reported that it “recognizes
the importance of transparency, particularly in connection with the safety of the drinking water supply” and that “information about this issue, including [DWM’s] reports to the IEPA regarding the discovery of non-compliant locations, is not confidential and
may be requested by anyone who is interested.” DWM’s response provides information about and context for the City’s efforts to promote and maintain water safety. DWM disagrees, however, with OIG’s recommendation that it proactively provide public information
on water main and sewer separation issues, writing that “where residents do not need to take any action, such elevated public communications may dilute the desired impact of City communications when there is a confirmed risk and actions by residents is actually
needed, for example during boil orders.”</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">“Reliably providing safe drinking water is one of the most basic and important government functions. Providing clear and readily available information in which people have reason to be
confident is another,” said Deborah Witzburg, Inspector General for the City of Chicago. “Transparent government does not ‘dilute’ government communications, it gives people a reason to believe what they’re told. Chicagoans are entitled to know where their
water mains and sewers are too close together, what the City is doing about it and how much it will cost, how long and how often their streets will be torn up, and what they should do to keep their families safe if something goes wrong.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif;color:black">Read the Report
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="https://igchicago.org/publications/advisory-non-compliant-water-mains-sewers/">Read the full report,
released on February 19, 2025.</a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">Deanna Shoss</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">(She/Her)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">Director of Communications and Outreach</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">Office of Inspector General</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">231 S. LaSalle Street, 12th Floor<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">Chicago, IL 60604<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><a href="mailto:dshoss@igchicago.org"><span style="color:#0563C1">dshoss@igchicago.org</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">(773) 478-8417</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">You know your city. Talk to us about making Chicago government better.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">(833) TALK-2-IG |
<a href="mailto:talk2ig@igchicago.org"><span style="color:blue">talk2ig@igchicago.org</span></a> |
<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.igchicago.org/__;!!B24N9PvjPQId!Z_DAkp5uIQ4eGvUpxbN8y5bUuGNlV1b3QitWrOOQyjEHq2l7tR02zPFHS7bNjaNVKW7DTIdKU-n24pDdDQthXfZHp3E$">
<span style="color:blue">igchicago.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Nova Light",sans-serif">The information contained in this communication may be confidential or subject to a legal privilege. Unauthorized use,
disclosure, or copying of this communication or any part thereof may violate a federal, state, or local law or may be prohibited by a City of Chicago rule or policy. If you have received this communication in error, please do not read it and notify me immediately
by return e-mail. I may ask you to destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. Thank you.</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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