Aqua Ohio’s Marion Division said they discovered Friday that recent extreme cold temperatures have damaged the water main that serves the Village of Prospect. While repairs are needed, the company delayed the repair until after the weekend because it will require an extended service interruption for approximately 450 customers in the Village.
“In order to fix the break, we need to close a valve upstream of the Village,” said Scott Ballenger, Area Manager for the Marion Division. “We know the repair may take up to ten hours and, as long as it doesn’t get any worse, we expect to be able to delay the repairs until Monday February 23 while most people are at work.”
An Aqua Ohio spokesperson said Monday morning that while the break in the line serving Prospect did get worse over the weekend, the company was able to keep the water flowing. They report that water service was shut off at approximately 9:10am Monday.
The line that serves the Village of Prospect is twelve inches in diameter, and runs south on Gooding Road to State Route 47. The break is in the vicinity of Gooding Road at Newmans Cardington Road West. That area may experience periodic traffic delays.
Once repairs are complete, and service is restored, Aqua will issue a Precautionary Boil Water Advisory (PBWA) for the Village of Prospect for at least 24 hours. During the advisory, water used for drinking, cooking and oral hygiene should be brought to a full boil for a minimum of one minute.
The PBWA will be issued as a precaution with a customer’s best interests in mind. It’s possible, but unlikely, bacteria could enter the water system when pressure in the line drops below 20 psi. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms that may be present in the water.
During the PBWA period, the company will continually test for the presence of bacteria in the system and will only lift the advisory once they have had no bacteria readings for at least 24 hours. Stay tuned to local media over the weekend for updates on the situation.
Customers who have questions may call Aqua’s 24-hour Customer Service Center toll-free at 877.WTR.AQUA (877.987.2782).
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