A number of South Jacksonville rural water customers will be without water service for the next few days.
A break in the river line that was detected earlier today is in a worse place than officials first feared. Public Works Superintendent John Green says it took crews roughly six hours before they were able to locate the break in the line that provides water to rural customers.
Green says now due to the location of the break, a portion of the line will have to be shut down because the working area around the break, has become too dangerous.
“That break is in the middle of the ditch, at the bottom of a hill, next to a field with busted field tile and it’s running so hard into the hole, we cannot keep it pumped out enough to even get to the water main to fix it.
And I’m not going to jeopardize the safety of my guys with the walls caving in and we can’t keep it pumped out, I’m just not going to put them in that kind of situation.”
Green says the Village of South Jacksonville remains clear with no boil order needed because the break is on the backside of the treatment plant and can be shut down without affecting other customers.
Green says unfortunately the shut down means that roughly 15 houses on the Village of South Jacksonville rural line will be without water until further notice. Green says the areas affected are homes on Cox Lane, up to and including Route 100.
Rural Water Customers along the line in the area of Phillips Ferry Road that do still have water, remain under a boil order until further notice.
Green says his crews hope to have the repairs made as soon as possible, however without being able to access the break due to the large amount of water rushing into the hole, they still do not know the full extent of the damage until the water is shut down.