Update: Mercer said service has been restored. Scroll down to the bottom of this page for a statement and instructions.
Housatonic — Effective immediately today, Wednesday, Jan. 13, Main Street in Housatonic between Prospect and Hart streets is closed because of a water main break, Great Barrington Department of Public Works Director Sean VanDeusen told The Edge.
VanDeusen asks that motorists seek alternative routes. He did not know how long the repair will take nor how long the road will be closed. Crews and private contractors from Housatonic Water Works, the private water company that serves the village, are on the scene.
Motorists may use Pleasant and Oak streets as a detour, VanDeusen said. Water service has been cut to that neighborhood and possibly beyond, though VanDeusen said it’s not yet clear how many customers are affected.
Just before publication, Housatonic Water Works treasurer Jim Mercer, who said approximately 200 customers are affected, sent the following statement to The Edge: “Housatonic Water has to do emergency work. Please be advised we need to do an emergency water main repair on Main Street in the section between Prospect and Hart streets. We will need to shut off the water to the Prospect, Fairview, Kirk, and Hart street sections of town as we work on the repair. We will begin at 2:15 p.m. and expect this to take 3–4 hours.”
Update from Housatonic Water Works treasurer Jim Mercer at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 14:
Repairs to yesterday’s water main break on Main Street have been completed and service now has been restored to all areas to town. Crews are working on patching Main Street and traffic will be open by early afternoon. Customers may have discolored water due to the interruption.
If you experience discolored water now that the service has been restored, please run the cold water for a few minutes to clear (do not run hot water until the cold water clears.). If discoloration persists, repeat in several hours. The entire system was disrupted and it may take 24-48 hours to completely clear. Disinfection is maintained throughout the system.
Please contact us at 528-1780 with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your patience during this emergency situation.
