By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
CONSTANTINE — A boil water advisory is in place for the time being after a water main break was repaired Monday, along with a gas line rupture that occurred and was repaired during the work.
Constantine village officials reported on Facebook Sunday afternoon that a 10-inch water main break occurred at 1020 S. Washington St., near the Constantine Launderette. Because of the break, officials announced that repairs would be done the next day, Monday, beginning at 8:30 a.m., which required a shutdown of the village’s water system.
Because of the water shutdown, classes at Constantine Public Schools were closed Monday.
Interim Village Manager Jim Bontrager said in an interview Monday that no water pressure was lost during the break, and that there was “no danger at all in that sense.”
Just before 10 a.m. Monday, the village announced on the social media platform that a gas line rupture occurred at the site of the water main repair, and emergency services were on scene. Bontrager said the rupture occurred while water main repairs were being done, as a perpendicular gas line was in the area of the break.
“They were digging in there, and I don’t know exactly what happened, but it looks like it may have nicked the line or something like that,” Bontrager said.
“We put a notification out there, double-checked, and we put emergency services that responded right away to make sure there was no danger to the community, and we kept in touch with that,” Bontrager added. “From my understanding, there was no danger to the community.”
At 10:37 a.m., village officials posted that the gas leak because of the rupture was secured, with SEMCO on site to complete repairs to the gas line. Almost an hour later, the repairs to the gas line were complete, and that water main repairs would continue. Bontrager said the water main repairs were completed just before 12:30 p.m. today.
A boil water advisory was put in place after the work wrapped up, and will continue until further notice. Residents are advised to bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using or use bottled water.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
