About 90 properties near Keller are without water on Tuesday after a water line was ruptured near Mt. Gilead Road on Monday afternoon.
Water service was restored to a Keller neighborhood Tuesday afternoon after a subcontractor ruptured the line and cut off service to about 200 customers on Monday.
According to a Facebook post from Keller Mayor Armin Mizani, a Spectrum subcontractor installing telecommunication equipment dug into and ruptured a 16-inch water line 15 feet deep, dumping about 5,000 gallons of water per minute near Mt. Gilead Road.
The city's public works department said that at about 3:30 p.m., the line had been repaired and was being pressurized. They added that they hoped to have Mt. Gilead Road between Bourland Road/Marshall Ridge and Roanoke Road patched Tuesday evening and that a permanent repair would come after Thanksgiving.
"As you turn your water back on, it will be safe to drink right away, but you will want to flush your lines for a bit to dispel any cloudiness caused by oxygen in the pipes," the public works department said. "Area residents will see Public Works crews doing the same, flushing the lines by opening fire hydrants."
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Mizani said the subcontractor did not call for authorities to locate the water line and was working outside the permitted area.
"Making matters worse, if it wasn’t for a mindful resident, the city would not have been made aware of the water break. This is absolutely unacceptable and asinine," Mizani said.
The mayor said the city would keep an accounting of the repair costs and expects taxpayers to be reimbursed.
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In a statement from Spectrum representatives, they apologized to Keller residents for the disruption caused by the break, and said they are actively working with city officials to restore the water services as quickly as possible.
"We understand the significant inconvenience this has caused, especially during a holiday week. Additionally, we are taking comprehensive steps to ensure that similar incidents do not occur in the future," Spectrum said.
Although the break was isolated, the city estimated that on Monday, about 200 homes were affected by low or no water pressure. On Tuesday morning, that number had dropped by more than half.
On Wednesday morning, contractors working to repair the break received their asphalt delivery earlier than expected. The public works department reclosed Mt. Gilead Road between Bourland Road, Marshall Ridge Parkway and Roanoke Road to allow for pavement repairs.
The city said they expect repairs to be completed and the roads to reopen later Wednesday afternoon.
"While water shutoffs like these are always emergencies, we understand the additional stress created by losing water during the week of a holiday, with children home from school and friends and family coming into town," Keller officials said.
The city thanked residents for their patience while crews repaired the ruptured line.
"Thank you again to everyone who assisted with this emergency, from staff to volunteers," the city said.
