Many Darien Main Breaks In 1 Neighborhood: City

DARIEN, IL – Many of Darien's water main breaks in the last five years have occurred in one neighborhood, the city reported Monday.

Hinsbrook in northeast Darien has accounted for about a third of the breaks annually for the last five years, with the total averaging at 37, according to city numbers.

Hinsbrook is one of the city's oldest subdivisions. In 1969, its residents joined other neighborhoods in founding Darien.

Overall, the rate of Darien's water main breaks is slightly above the national average, a city official said.

"Do we need to start replacing water main? The answer, in my opinion, is no," Dan Gombac, the city's municipal services director, told the City Council.

But he said Darien needs to monitor the situation more, particularly in Hinsbrook. In that neighborhood, he said, the city will likely seek soil samples.

If the testing indicates high soil corrosivity, the city would align its road paving with replacement of mains in the neighborhood, Gombac said.

Hinsbrook's water mains are cast iron, which is not the best quality, Gombac said. But other subdivisions have such mains without any problems, he said.

Gombac said Darien's water main maintenance programs are "top-notch."

"We have monitoring controls in place," he said.

Handling a water main break costs about $5,000 to $7,000, while replacing a mile of main is estimated at nearly $1 million, according to the city.

Gombac's report was in response to a request from Alderman Thomas Belczak, whose Ward 7 includes Hinsbrook.