“Waterpocalypse” hits Pullman

Photos show some of the flooding along N. Grand Avenue in Pullman early Tuesday morning. A water main burst near Dissmore's around 5 a.m. causing nearby water towers to dip to low levels and several homes and businesses to be without water. Some businesses in Tractor Town Square, shown here, were flooded inside as a result of the parking lot flooding. Other businesses on the north end of town were closed Tuesday due to a lack of water. A boil water order was issued Tuesday afternoon, and residents were also asked to conserve water usage until the towers could be refilled.

-Shane Carnahan Photos

Pullman traffic on N. Grand Avenue in Pullman was blocked much of Tuesday by flooding after a water main burst. The street was blocked off between NW Ritchie Street and Stadium Way and then later only blocked from Nye Street to Stadium Way. The break hit about 5 a.m. near Dissmore's. Pullman city crews isolated the 12-inch section of the main.

The ruptured water main was repaired as of Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. Crews, according to a City of Pullman news release, were repairing a hole on Grand Avenue in front of Dissmore’s that was dug to repair the main. According to that news release, crews filled the hole with gravel and are expected to repave that portion of Grand Friday.

As a result of the break, Pullman water reservoir tanks on College Hill and Military Hill were drained to low levels which caused water pressure to also drop to low levels. Some homes and businesses had no water pressure. According to the City of Pullman news release, more than a million gallons of water was released due to the rupture.

Residents were also asked to minimize water use for two days to allow the reservoir tanks to fill, and the City of Pullman Tuesday afternoon issued a boil water order.

The boil order came from City of Pullman Maintenance and Operations Superintendent Art Garro. The boil order applied to all homes and businesses on Military Hill and some on College Hill, with the exception of the university. The boil order outlined that water used for drinking, brushing teeth, preparing food, making ice and washing dishes all needed to be boiled before use. Garro, in the news release, also outlined health risks of consuming water that could have possibly been contaminated.

“When a loss of pressure occurs, it is possible that contamination from the environment or from human or animal waste may be drawn into the water system. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms,” the news release said.

The boil water order is expected to end today, April 21, as does the request to conserve water, pending water tests. Pullman officials said the city needed two days to refill the tanks which were drained.

NW Ritchie Street intersects with the west side of N. Grand across from the Cougar Country Drive-In. The drive-in was closed Tuesday because it did not have water service. Other restaurants on the north end of the city were also closed due to not having water.

Dissmore's was open for business, but the deli department was out of service until water service to the store was improved.

Early morning Facebook photos on Tuesday showed water pouring across parking lots and down N. Grand in the area. Businesses in Tractor Town Square sustained flood damage as a result of the water that poured into the parking lot there, and those businesses were all closed Tuesday, and some are still closed. Megan Hammer, facility director at Snap Fitness, said all the businesses in Tractor Town Square had “serious flood damage” and were filled with three to six inches of standing water. She noted improper drainage at the street level.

Pullman Public Works Director Kevin Gardes Tuesday night said the rupture was a result of a failure in a joint between two pipe sections. Gardes said the entire main will need to be replaced.

He also said a similar rupture occurred in the same line eight years ago, though the rupture Tuesday was not in the exact same place.