Drones and Thermal Imaging Used to Locate Elusive Monee Water Main Break

Monee Village Board Meeting | January 14, 2026

Article Summary: A stubborn water main break on Route 50 required a multi-agency high-tech search operation to locate. Public Works officials utilized thermal imaging drones from Will County EMA to find the leak after ground crews were unable to pinpoint the source for two days.

Monee Village Board Key Points:

• The Leak: A SCADA system alert notified Public Works of a leak on December 29, but ground searches failed to find it.

• Tech Solution: After the local EMA camera failed to spot it, Will County EMA deployed a drone with a thermal imaging camera.

• Discovery: The leak was found on New Year’s Eve pouring directly into a drainage ditch near Williams Street, which had camouflaged the flow.

• Repair: Crews spent five hours on New Year’s Day repairing the line.

It took three days and advanced aerial technology to solve the mystery of a water main break along Route 50, Trustee Doug Horne reported to the Monee Village Board on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

The Village’s monitoring system first detected the leak on the morning of December 29. However, initial ground searches by the Department of Public Works (DPW) yielded no results. On the second day, the Monee Emergency Management Agency (EMA) assisted using an “eye camera” from elevated positions, but the leak remained hidden.

On the third day, December 31, the village called in the Will County EMA, which deployed a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera.

“At approximately 2:00 p.m. on December 31st, the leak was located along Route 50 near the intersection of Williams Street,” Horne reported.

Horne explained why the leak was so difficult to find: the water was pouring directly into an adjacent drainage ditch that already contained flowing water, effectively hiding the break from visual inspection.

DPW crews worked on the holiday, January 1, completing the repair in approximately five hours. Horne credited the cooperation between DPW, Monee EMA, and Will County EMA for resolving the issue.