City continues to work on repairing broken water line; second leak occurred Tuesday morning
City of Breckenridge employees working around the clock have patched the main water line that broke early Monday morning and left the entire city without water for more than 24 hours. They are slowly recharging the system, and City Manager Andy McCuistion said, if everything goes right, they will start to refill the water towers as soon as possible.
The leak that drained both water towers in 11 minutes at about 1 a.m. Monday and eventually drained the water tower at the Walker Sayle prison unit was discovered in area off of North Dubois Street.
“I was over there this morning, and they located the pipe and located the part of the pipe that was split. It was in that 100-year-old line, the 14-inch line that went to the water plant,” McCuistion said. “And, they cut out about a 15- to 20-foot section. When I was there, they had the pipe there and the clamps on it and were starting to tighten them up when I left.”
He said they are recharging the system slowly in the hopes that the pipe won’t split further or in a different place. “But sometimes when you shut the water off and turn it back on, on those old lines, you find problems you didn’t know you had, or it creates new problems,” McCuistion said. “But, if everything goes all right, then we should start feeding the water towers, and the system should start pressuring up again.”
This morning, the west water tower had some water in it, so residents serviced by that tower, as well as some people who live near the water plant, had a little water today. McCuistion said he hopes to have water to the entire city soon. “By this afternoon, if that patch holds, people should be able to flush commodes and take showers,” he said.
Additionally, the city had another break that occurred about 6 a.m. today in front of TSTC on North Breckenridge Avenue. “We had to turn some valves off in that area, and we’re trying to patch it,” he said.
Even after the water service is restored to Breckenridge residents and businesses, the boil water notice will remain in effect until the water has been tested and approved for consumption. For more information on what to do during a boil water advisory, click the link below to view/download an information sheet from the United States Center for Disease Control.
What-to-Do-During-a-Boil-Water-Advisory-1-CDC
Story by Tony Pilkington and Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
Cutline, top photo: City of Breckenridge employees work on a second water line leak that was discovered early Tuesday morning in front of TSTC on North Breckenridge Avenue. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
