Some Water Works customers may experience discolored water after break in 42-inch main
Some Columbus Water Works customers may experience discolored tap water after crews isolated a leak Tuesday in a 42-inch water main at the North Columbus Water Resources Facility on River Road.
Vic Burchfield, a spokesman for the Water Works, said pressure had returned to normal for about 32,000 customers impacted by the leak, which was discovered around 8 a.m. The broken pipe sent a significant amount of water overflow running into the river. Crews were able to isolate the section of pipe that was leaking by 1 p.m. and allow water pressure to return to normal.
Due to the break in the water main and change in water pressure, Burchfield said some customers are advised to flush their water for 10 to 15 minutes until the line clears if water is discolored. If your water is not clear by this morning, customers should call the Water Works.
“We advise customers to flush until it’s clear,” he said. “That is the recommended follow-up anytime you have discolored water. Always flush until it is clear. That way, you will be ensuring you are getting the freshest water coming from the water main.”
From the time of the break, it will take about 24 hours for the system to stabilize. The impact area was roughly from J.R. Allen Parkway, south to the Muscogee County line and 10th Avenue east to the country line, he said.
Burchfield couldn’t state how long it would take crews to repair the break.
“It’s going to take some time to actually repair that—to dig down in it and make those repairs,” he said. “That is ongoing now.”
Isolating the leak has given the Water Works time to make the repairs.
“It just depends on exactly what’s involved in that repair,” he said. “The important thing is we do have it isolated so it won’t leak out of the break. We got time now to repair it.”
The pipe is made of ductile iron and meets standards for water utilities across the country. The life of the pipe depends on soil conditions and whether the pipe was under stress.
Repairing the pipe is a high priority for the Water Works crews.
“We are accustomed to that,” Burchfield said of the broken pipe. “That is what the Water Works does all day long.”
Customers who experience discoloration problems that are not resolved early today may call 706-649-3400, officials said in a release.
Staff writer Chuck Williams contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Some Water Works customers may experience discolored water after break in 42-inch main."