Four breaks in a city water line Monday and early yesterday morning on the north end of Athens left at least 200 people without water pressure and some without any water at all.
The Athens Division of Water and Sewer fielded more than 200 calls Monday and early yesterday morning from customers complaining of low water pressure or no water, 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 Monday night, and they were working to fix another on Short Street yesterday afternoon, said city Service-Safety Director Ray Hazlett.
The most recent break 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. today 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. 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.
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.
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