More than 1,400 Jefferson County Public Water Supply District C-1 customers in the Otto area were without water for at least 7 1/2 hours Tuesday (April 7), district manager Lynne Edwards said.
She said a water line had to be moved for the road project underway at the intersection of Old Hwy. 21 and West Four Ridge Road north of Otto in central Jefferson County, and because of the age of the line, the coupling that was supposed to be used no longer fit.
As a result, there was no water service for customers who live from West Four Ridge Road south along Old Hwy. 21 to Tower Road while a coupling was found to use on the pipe, which was at least 40 years old and likely the original line, Edwards said.
Edwards said customers began contacting the water district at about 2 p.m. because they had no water. She said service was restored at about 9:30 p.m.
“When they did this (move the water line), they were hoping customers would experience low pressure for a short amount of time,” Edwards said. “If we know water is going to be off for any length of time, we notify all of the customers in the area.
“This was hard on the customers, and we understand that. It is back on, and the water is safe.”
Gershenson Construction Co. in Eureka is the contractor for the Jefferson County road project, which is will realign the intersection at Old Hwy. 21 and East Four Ridge and West Four Ridge roads.
The county project, which will cost an estimated $2.4 million, started in mid-November and should wrap up sometime this fall, depending on the weather, Jefferson County Public Works Director Jason Jonas said.