Riverwoods officials seek soil borings after three water main breaks in Thorn Gate subdivision

Village staff told trustees three leaks occurred in the northern main of the Thorn Gate subdivision over the weekend; staff suspects a lightning strike may have caused the recent breaks and said the village is investigating broader system issues. Director of Community Services Steve Witt said staff wants soil borings to evaluate subsurface conditions, bearing capacity and soil corrosiveness. A preliminary estimate from one contractor for 20 borings was about $27,000; staff said it will seek additional bids and return to the board with a contract for approval. Trustee Jamerson asked how many borings were included in the quote; staff said the estimate covered 20 borings and noted the testing firm previously performed soils work for another village project. Trustees asked for competitive bids. Staff reported the pipes in Thorn Gate are primarily ductile iron, with some PVC in the system, and noted multiple past incidents: five breaks in the last five years and three additional breaks going back to 2011; another staff count noted 13 incidents over the last 18 years. No expenditure was approved at the meeting; the board directed staff to obtain competitive bids and return with a recommended contract for formal board action.