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Crews repair cracked water main in Wading River

Some Wading River residents are seeing discolored water flow from the tap after a significant water main break occurred earlier Thursday.

A tree branch fell on a power cable on Wading River Manor Road at about 7 a.m., and caused the power cable to land on water main cover on the corner of Francis Street, according to Tom Kruger, the assistant water district superintendent for the Riverhead Water District. The electricity then cracked an underground water main, which led to flooding.

According to a public notice from the Riverhead Water District late Thursday afternoon, the water main break was isolated an hour later and crews began repairs.

Water service had to be shut off during the repairs, but has been restored.

“Probably about 50 people were out of water,” Mr. Kruger said.

The water district said the water main break affected customers in the area of the Wading River Manor Road/North Country Road intersection to the north and Wading River Manor Road to the south to Wading River Elementary School, though the school and the homes on Francis and Leonard Streets were not affected.

Electricity also had to shut down for many residents while the repairs took place, he said.

Workers had to continue digging to ascertain the extent of the damage, Mr. Kruger said.

Low pressure was reported in the area and has been corrected, according to the public service announcement from Mark Conklin, the water district superintendent.

Discolored water has also been reported. Water district crews are continuing to work to correct the problem, the PSA said.

“These operations may dislodge sediment within a water main and cause a temporary discoloration,” Mr. Conklin said in the PSA, which offered instructions on what to do.

“If you are experiencing discolored water, let your cold water tap run sufficiently until the problem clears. This may take up to 20 minutes. If this doesn’t clear your water, please wait an hour and try running the water again.”

Those wishing for more information can call 631-727-3205 or 631-727-3200 ext. 234 during normal business hours.

Falling trees and branches have wreaked havoc in Wading River this week.

On Tuesday, a tree fell on power lines on Sylvan Drive in Wading River, and created a situation where the line was no longer grounded, which caused fires in seven homes in the area, one of which led to significant damage.

Photo caption: Riverhead Water District employees repairing a cracked water main in Wading River Thursday. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

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