Will County Health Department Recommends Testing Water after Flooding

As temperatures rose earlier last week the snow began to melt. As the snow melted the surrounding bodies of water, such as the Kankakee River, began to rise. According to The Herald News, the water along the Kankakee River in Wilmington got so high that a few residents had to evacuate their homes.

The flooding was mostly caused by a seven-mile long build up of ice. According to Will County emergency responders, at about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday morning February 6, the ice jam broke significantly. As responders surveyed the Wilmington area, they assisted about 10 residents in evacuating. According to The Herald News, “At its highest, the river reached 13.2 feet Tuesday morning.”

“The Kankakee River, most seasons, develops ice on the river. This season, a lot of ice had formed,” said Harold Damron, the director of the Will County Emergency Management Agency, during a news conference Wednesday.

According to The Herald News, emergency officials monitored the flooding throughout the day, even flying over the area to look overhead at additional ice that may be traveling downstream. By about 3:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon residents were allowed to return home.

While the water had subsided a few lingering issues remained. Following the flooding, the Will County Health Department Environmental Health Division advised Wilmington residents to test their water, mainly residents of the Phelan Acres subdivision west of Wilmington.

According to The Herald News, the department also recommends testing after the flushing of the wells from chlorination treatment. The Will County Health Department's main building is located at 501 Ella Ave. in Joliet. Residents can pick up materials between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more information on treatments or how to perform these procedures go to: Disinfection of Private Water Well Instructions.