tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post7387088516860679209..comments2024-03-28T07:48:39.396-05:00Comments on Every goddamn day: 03/28/24: Flashback 2011: The Main Event—Replacing city's century-old water mains Neil Steinberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-46805952234597123462022-03-07T13:09:39.398-06:002022-03-07T13:09:39.398-06:00I don't discount your opinion, Grizz, I was ju...I don't discount your opinion, Grizz, I was just curious about whether it was particularly common, which is why I started googling.<br /><br />While I realized that the "burning river" thing was an outdated cheap shot, it wasn't used because I'm out-of-touch or was low on ammo, but because it's a well-known reference that is humorous. (Probably the same reasons why Great Lakes Brewery named one of its 5 main beers "Burning River," for instance.) <br /><br />People are very excited that the Chicago River "has fish in it, and wildlife along its banks, and people routinely kayak on it, even downtown" too, but it still stinks on many days and is occasionally used for sewer overflows and I'm just as quick to besmirch it as the Cuyahoga, so there's that. Not that it matters, but "a lot cleaner than it used to be" and "clean" are two different things. <br /><br />Thanks for responding, though! : )Jakashnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-32159840131247036542022-03-06T22:40:40.219-06:002022-03-06T22:40:40.219-06:00You had me until you touched on "the industri...You had me until you touched on "the industrial nature of Cleveland, the burning river and all that." That's like saying: "the violent gangster nature of Chicago, Al Capone and all that." Cheezus Chrysler, the last notable Cuyahoga River fire was in 1969, and the image that ran in TIME that summer was from 1952, because the '69 fire wasn't big enough for any memorable photographs to be taken. <br /><br />The Cuyahoga was cleaned up years ago, and its former filth was why the EPA was created, in the Nixon Era. It now has fish in it, and wildlife along its banks, and people routinely kayak on it, even downtown. That whole "burning river" thing is an out-of-date snark that means an out-of-touch user is getting low on ammo. <br /><br />And anyway, our drinking water (and the water for the beer) comes from several miles out in relatively clean Lake Erie, not from the the river. And we have filtration plants, so it's no different from Chicago in that respect. Cleveland has placed fairly high in some "best city tap water" contests, but I couldn't tell you where, or when, or which ones. <br /><br />I've been here almost thirty years now, after 36 years in Chicago, and I know which water is better. If you want crappy water, look for a place that gets it from underground. I've lived in two such places...in Illinois and in Michigan...and the " egg-and-iron-filings" taste of well water was horrible.Grizz 65https://www.blogger.com/profile/02892702223228764894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-47897002768219250232022-03-04T12:27:35.380-06:002022-03-04T12:27:35.380-06:00I've long thought that Chicago was known for i...I've long thought that Chicago was known for its quality drinking water. Which is one of the reasons that about "125 far-flung suburbs" buy it, I would imagine. <br /><br />Googling "best city tap water" turns up varied results, of course. But Chicago is mentioned in a number of them, while I saw no mention of Cleveland. The link I've cherry-picked for my own purposes puts Chicago at # 3. (Not that Journeyz . co is the most compelling arbiter of the question! To wit, the same site has a different article where Chicago is not mentioned among the 8 top cities highlighted...)<br /><br />I do agree with Ken that at certain times of the year, the algae do cause a problem. But not all year, and Lake Erie has its own algae situation. <br /><br />I'll just note that Great Lakes Brewing Co. (in Cleveland) also seems to think that the Lake Erie water they use is something to brag about, which I always found odd, given the industrial nature of Cleveland, the burning river and all that. But their beers *are* excellent, and beer is almost all water, so there you go!<br /><br />https://journeyz.co/top-10-us-cities-with-the-cleanest-drinking-water/Jakashnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-62944573254986992512022-03-04T08:45:46.817-06:002022-03-04T08:45:46.817-06:00I don't think it's the chlorine that's...I don't think it's the chlorine that's bothering me. I used to like it but several years ago it started getting an off taste. There were some newspaper articles then, to the effect that invasive species (zebra mussels, or quagga mussels) had filtered the lake water so effectively that sunlight was penetrating deeper, promoting algae growth on the bottom, which was getting into the water intake. The proposed solution was to move the intake farther out into deeper water. Ken Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01764089325464070048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-5471249513869922982022-03-04T08:04:35.799-06:002022-03-04T08:04:35.799-06:00All you have to do is fill up a container with wat...All you have to do is fill up a container with water, put it in the refrigerator for 24 hours, and the chlorine and its taste will go away.<br /><br />john tatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10088632798195131329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-12111004690622877192022-03-03T20:52:48.086-06:002022-03-03T20:52:48.086-06:00The drinking water in Chicago is so chlorinated th...The drinking water in Chicago is so chlorinated that it tastes like it comes from a swimming pool. Folks can make fun of Cleveland all they like, but our Lake Erie water tastes better than anywhere else I've ever lived...and I've lived in six states. I don't miss Chicago water at all.<br />Grizz 65https://www.blogger.com/profile/02892702223228764894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-91418362989862112372022-03-03T18:47:12.787-06:002022-03-03T18:47:12.787-06:00What I really wish they would do is make the water...What I really wish they would do is make the water taste good again. How much would THAT cost?<br />Ken Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01764089325464070048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-22978926466962717292022-03-03T11:36:56.040-06:002022-03-03T11:36:56.040-06:00I missed this column, but I have to belatedly cong...I missed this column, but I have to belatedly congratulate Rahm for actually looking out for the future, not the hallmark of the Daleys.tatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10088632798195131329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-72905559787831651742022-03-03T08:46:12.744-06:002022-03-03T08:46:12.744-06:00My work has taken me under the street from time to...My work has taken me under the street from time to time. Mostly contracting water service replacement. This is a very expensive proposition and would make the price per mile of replacing main pale in comparison. Up until recently, the vagaries of city responsibility for services has been basically that it's the responsibility of the property owner unless it can be proved that the service has failed at least beneath the sidewalk or parkway.<br /><br />There's been an announcement that the city will pay for new services for residential customers until they're all copper instead of the old lead. It's supposed to take decades and will cost billions of dollars. I believe in the first year of operation only a few hundred homeowners qualified and only a few dozen have been replaced within the city program at City expense. <br /><br />If you want a new service, be prepared to pay over $20,000 and foot the bill. And if you have a commercial property and that includes multi-unit residential dwellings your SOL.<br /><br />As far as sewer lines, they're not located near the mains for obvious reasons, so replacing them at the same time is logistically impossible.<br /><br />The thing that really amazes me is that in a world where water is a precious commodity, we use drinkable water for everything. To water our lawns wash our cars out clothes, Even to put out fires.<br />If they were starting over today, there'd be gray water and potable water lines and the sewers wouldn't mix stormwater with wastewater but to set up the best system would cost trillions at this point. So we ended up with the deep tunnelFMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06829632906445535928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-47209782691341765892022-03-03T07:06:11.906-06:002022-03-03T07:06:11.906-06:00If Rahm ever asks you to write about him in the fu...If Rahm ever asks you to write about him in the future, I'd love to learn the full story of his relationship with the water department. Like the hows and whys of its patronage workers being responsible for getting him on the congressional ballot. And how aware he was of its racism, <a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/08/20/north-park-neighbor-who-had-black-lives-matter-sign-removed-from-yard-by-city-worker-wants-accountability-from-city/" rel="nofollow">now</a> <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-chicago-water-department-lawsuit-met-0630-20170629-story.html" rel="nofollow">widely</a> <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2019/8/1/20750517/lightfoot-department-of-water-management-lawsuit-racist-emails" rel="nofollow">known</a>, and whether that influenced his decision to outsource of the billing department. Water pricing may be democratic, but the distribution of benefits seems hardly so. kganderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005895232135682751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-6030725937208964452022-03-03T05:56:20.364-06:002022-03-03T05:56:20.364-06:00The water main on my Rogers Park street was replac...The water main on my Rogers Park street was replaced about 7 years ago. But they flushed the new main for a week, by setting a fire hydrant in the street & running water through it all that time. Then they removed the hydrant & connected all of us to the new main.<br />But they also should've replaced the century old combined sewer at the same time, which is too small & backs up in heavy rains, which would've saved them money, as then the street would've only needed to be rebuilt once.<br />They also should've replaced all the poisonous lead service lines to the houses & apartment building then, as it also would've saved money.<br />Typical city operation, doing everything more complicated & wasting money!Clark St.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09634234069783123180noreply@blogger.com