Reporter: Rachel Schaerr | Videographer: Steven Smith
Lynchburg, VA - A slew of water main breaks shut down roads, flooded yards and left hundreds without water.
Lynchburg's Director of Water Resources says all but three water main breaks have been repaired. Tim Mitchell says crews are still working on Trents Ferry Road, Parkland Drive and Woodcrest Drive.
Drastic changes in temperature can sometimes cause breaks, but the city says that wasn't the case Tuesday.
While crews dug along residential streets, drivers detoured around the mess.
"Eight is the most that we've had at once," said Tim Mitchell of the water main breaks. "Our crews are stretched pretty thin right now."
The problem started Monday afternoon on Ivylink Road. Mitchell says crews were repairing a water main break there when debris ended up clogging a pressure-reducing valve, causing a pressure spike in the area. It's being blamed for seven other water main breaks in the Boonsboro/Rivermont area.
On Trents Ferry Road, crews had to cut into a home's driveway to pinpoint a leak.
Water had to be shut off to hundreds of homes and about 250 received a boil water advisories. Anyone who receives one should bring all tap water to a rolling boil for one minute before using it. It should be lifted in the next 36 to 48 hours.
"When we have a main break and we lose complete water pressure in an area, there's a chance contaminants can be pulled back into the water system," Mitchell explained.
The health department says contaminated water can cause hepatitis, salmonella and other gastrointestinal problems.
John Edmunds was one homeowner inconvenienced.
"You can't wash dishes, and you can't make another pot of coffee," Edmunds said.
But it wasn't enough to keep his son home from school.
"I told him to toughen up and get in there with a drippy shower and he did," he said.
Trents Ferry Rd. Tuesday
