Water main line turns into downtown gusher
A new water main line located downtown and the method for sanitizing it created a stir Monday when crews flushed the line and water gushed higher than most of the downtown buildings.
Crews working with Broom Construction, a contractor that is doing water line work in conjunction with the $5 million downtown revitalization project, opened the 12-inch line Monday morning.
That caused concern among those who witnessed water shooting into the air. Reports of a water main break were initially rumored and a police presence was even requested.
“It was shooting up pretty high for a few minutes,” the city’s Water and Wastewater director Carl Davis said of the activity, adding their was no cause for concern.
Davis said crews were “blowing off” a line in order to sanitize it.
“The line had been installed, filled and tested. The water had been in there a while so they flushed that water out and refilled it with a high concentration of chlorine. That sits for 24 hours and then they do a bacteria test. That disinfects the line,” he added.
The event occurred near the East Main Street Dollar General.