DuPage County's Public Works Committee renewed a trenchless pipeline rehabilitation contract with Insituform Technologies on Tuesday, Aug. 4, eight days after a contractor drowned inside a Downers Grove storm sewer while performing trenchless pipe rehabilitation work.

The committee voted to extend two contracts with Insituform Technologies under the county's Omnia Cooperative Agreement for the period of Feb. 13, 2027 through Feb. 12, 2029, according to the county's meeting record. Committee Chair Michael Childress moved both items; member Jim Zay seconded. Both passed and were sent to the Finance Committee for final approval.

The contracts cover trenchless rehabilitation and maintenance of pipeline infrastructure, a method that involves inserting a new liner inside deteriorating pipes without excavation. Workers must enter large-diameter pipes to install the liner, creating confined-space hazards.

Neither contract lists a dollar amount.

No committee discussion of the July 27 death or the ongoing OSHA investigation was noted in the meeting minutes.

The July 27 incident

Ivan A. Perez, 33, of Pasadena, Texas, drowned Monday, July 27 after floodwaters trapped him inside an 11-foot-diameter storm sewer beneath downtown Downers Grove, NBC Chicago reported. Perez worked for Houston-based Vortex Lining Systems, which had been rehabilitating the 2,200-foot-long concrete culvert carrying St. Joseph Creek since 2025.

A second contractor was rescued roughly 200 feet from the entry point and hospitalized in good condition. Both workers were members of Laborers Union Local 68.

DuPage County Coroner Judith Lukas identified Perez on July 30 and ruled the probable cause of death accidental drowning, pending toxicology. In a statement that day, as reported by Patch, Lukas said her office wished to "express our deepest condolences to Ivan Perez's family, friends, and coworkers."

OSHA launched an investigation into the incident and has up to six months to determine whether the company followed safety procedures and protocols.

Different contractor, same technique

The Downers Grove project used Vortex Lining Systems, not Insituform. But both companies perform trenchless pipe rehabilitation, and the county's Insituform contracts operate under the same Omnia Partners cooperative framework (bid #23-065-PW) that DuPage County uses as lead agency. A separate $48,400 pipe rehabilitation contract with Hoerr Construction under the same Omnia agreement was also approved Aug. 4 by the county's Stormwater Management Committee.

DuPage County previously used the Insituform/Omnia contract for a trenchless rehabilitation project completed in December 2024, which was later featured in Trenchless Technology Magazine.

The meeting minutes do not specify a ceiling for the Insituform renewal, though county procurement rules classify the items as exceeding $30,000.

What's next

The Public Works and Facilities Management FY 2027 operating budget presentation was postponed to Aug. 18 at 9 a.m. No county officials have publicly addressed the Insituform renewal in the context of the OSHA investigation. The OSHA probe could conclude as late as January 2027.