PORT ANGELES — As of 8 p.m. Sunday, a contractor working to repair a leak in a major water transmission line in Port Angeles was preparing a new water pipe to replace the damaged section.
City officials were hopeful that the water main would be repaired, sealed, and backfilled by midnight, according to a city press release issued Sunday night.
The 24-inch water main, which was leaking at the rate of about 150 gallons per minute Saturday afternoon, is the connection between the city’s water treatment facility and its reservoirs.
Officials ensured that the reservoirs were full before work began, they said, since once the water main has been isolated, the reservoirs cannot be filled again until repairs are finished. So officials urged residents to limit their water usage while the leak from the large transmission line is repaired.
Once the repair work is done, it will take two to three hours to flush, disinfect and refill the newly repaired water main, according to city officials.
If this work remains on schedule, water samples are expected to be taken for testing at about 3 a.m. Monday. It will then take about 18 hours to receive test results.
City staff will inspect reservoir levels late Monday morning. The issuance of a precautionary boil water advisory will be dependent upon the reservoir levels and the amount of water conserved after the water main was shut down Sunday afternoon.
A portion of the Olympic Discovery Trail was closed at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. The segment, located between the 18th Street and Kacee Way Trailhead and Lower Elwha Road and Kacee Way Trailhead, was to be closed until water main repairs were completed.
To view original announcement, see www.cityofpa.us.