FIXED: SCOTT CITY WATER LEAK IS REPAIRED

SCOTT CITY -- Workers on Monday sealed a leak in a Scott City water line that left many residents without water over the weekend.

Public Works Director Harold Uelsmann said the leak was in a newly-constructed 10-inch water line leading to the Nash Road industrial park on the north end of the city.

"It looked like the line had just blown out," Uelsmann said. "The ground was saturated and it just gave way."

Uelsmann said the break likely was brought on by last week's heavy rains and flooding. Construction of the line was completed just last month.

"I'm sure it had to be related to the storm we had," said Uelsmann. "If it didn't it was a heck of a coincidence."

The water supply to the industrial park was turned back on at noon Monday, he said.

On Friday and Saturday, city crews searched for the leak, shutting off the water supply to several areas of town in the process. Uelsmann said the leak began Thursday morning.

Water was turned back on Saturday afternoon to other areas of town.

Uelsmann said city crews had trouble locating the leak because the ground above the line had been soaked by last week's rains.

"It was in a field next to Ramsey Creek. Water stands in that whole area after a rain, and that's why we couldn't find it," he said.

Before the leak was found, the city was loosing about 500 gallons of water per minute. Officials estimated millions of gallons were lost.

A marked drop in water pressure was first detected Thursday morning. City crews worked around the clock to find the leak, which was first thought to be in a line crossing a creek or an underground cavern.

Residents of what was formerly Illmo were without water from 6 p.m. Friday until Saturday afternoon. Other parts of town had limited amounts of water, and several businesses had to shut down temporarily. All residents were told to boil the water they did use. The boil-water order was lifted Sunday.

Uelsmann said workers drained the line leading to the industrial park Monday. He said the fact that the line has a tremendous amount of pressure could have contributed to the break.

After turning the water back on, workers were able to spot the leak by walking the ground above where the line sets.

"We're back to normal now," Uelsmann said. "We drained the lines and cleaned them, and our pressure's up."