Four breaks in a city water line yesterday and early this morning on the north end of Athens left at least 200 people without water pressure or any water at all.
The most recent break, which Hazlett predicted would be fixed by 4 p.m., prompted city officials to temporarily shut down water service while crews repaired the line. The city has issued a boil order until 2 p.m. tomorrow for 43 streets from Roosevelt Street down to Second Street. A boil order indicates that water must be boiled to make it safe for consumption.
The Athens Division of Water and Sewer fielded more than 200 calls yesterday and early this morning from customers complaining of low water pressure or no water at all, said Kelly Clemons, an administrative assistant who fielded the calls. All the calls were related to four breaks in a water line near Roosevelt and Short streets, she said.
City repair crews fixed two breaks on Roosevelt Street and one on Short Street late last night, and they were working to fix another on Short Street this afternoon, said city Service-Safety Director Ray Hazlett.
City water lines typically break when temperatures rise above freezing in the winter because the ground shifts as it thaws, putting additional strain on water pipes, Hazlett said. But the breaks in the Roosevelt Street area were not consistent with breaks caused by shifting ground ' they were more consistent with breaks caused by a sudden stop in the water being pumped through the city's water lines, he said.
We're suspecting that we may be having a control problem on a pump
Hazlett said. It doesn't look like a normal weather break.
That's not to say the city hasn't had its share of weather-induced water problems this year. The city has recorded 19 water line breaks since Jan. 5, and the Water and Sewer Division received 55 calls in the two weeks prior to this one reporting frozen pipes and other problems, Clemons said.
Residents experiencing water problems from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. can call the city's Water and Sewer Department at 593-7636. After normal business hours, residents can call the water treatment plant at 592-3344 to report a problem.
However, the city is responsible only for problems that occur from the curb line to the street. For all other problems, individual households should call a plumber, Hazlett said.
We do it up to the water meter and they do it from the water meter to the house he said.
Those wondering whether a street is under a boil order can call 594-5078, a 24-hour hot line that lists affected streets, or look at the city Web site, www.ci.athens.oh.us/boilorders.
The areas affected by the boil order, which expires Wednesday at 2 p.m., are:
Boyd Street
Brown Avenue
Briarwood Drive
Bryan Road
Cable Lane
Central Avenue
Columbia Avenue
Earich Street
Elizabeth Drive
Ellis Avenue
Fairview Avenue
First Street
Forest Street
Fort Street
Garfield Avenue
Hanlin Avenue
Highland Avenue
Jones Wood Drive
Lancaster Street
North Lancaster Street
Ludlow Avenue
Madison Avenue
Mound Street
Northwood Drive
North Point Subdivision
Old Peach Ridge Road
Orchard Lane
Peach Ridge Road
Pine Place
Rardin Drive
Ring Street
Riverview Drive
Roosevelt Drive
Second Street
Short Street
Slaughter Drive
Strouds Run
Sunset Drive
Third Street
Valley View Drive
Walker Street
West Hills Drive
Woodward Avenue
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Matt Zapotosky
