Water Main Breaks

The Street Department does a lot to help our residents, but sometimes things happen outside of anyone's control. Water main breaks are one of these. They can happen without warning and are usually the result of ground shift or main deterioration. 

The Street Department makes necessary repairs as quickly and safely as possible.

Do You See a Main Break?

If you see bubbling water accumulating in the street or the parkway, that's a sign there could be a water main break. Call the Public Works Department and be prepared to report what you saw and location details. Once the Department has been notified, a crew will be scheduled and sent out to work on the problem.

Repairing the Main

  • Confirmed water main breaks are submitted to JULIE because all potential underground hazards have to be located before work can begin.  A JULIE locate may take several hours depending upon the utilities involved, but this is done for the safety of our residents and infrastructure.
  • A member of the Street Department will be sent to the area to begin a repair. The time and size of the main repair will vary depending upon the severity of the break. Regardless of severity, the street or parkway will have to be dug up. 
  • If the exposed leak is minor, it can sometimes be clamped and sealed without the need for a shutdown of water. 

Water Shutdowns

If the leak requires a water shutdown to repair, repairs generally take 2-4 hours to complete. There are isolated cases when a complete shut-off of the water main cannot be achieved. The crew works on each valve in the system. Location will determine how many residents the issue will affect.

Notifying Residents

Notice of the repair may also be put on our homepage. You can also sign up for notifications for these types of alerts. Please note that due to staff availability, the severity of the break, and the time in which a break may occur, a post on the website may not always be possible. 

Water Service Restoration

During and after a water main break situations, water may show sediment or discoloration water.  The discoloration in the water is usually sand, rust, or other minerals that have come out of the water. If you experience discoloration, run the cold water tap in the lowest location in your house until the water runs clear.