City of Powell workers fixed a water main break Monday night on South Division Street that led to the water department shutting off water to the area around 7 p.m.

Service was restored at 10:15 p.m., said water superintendent Ty McConnell, when the remaining water valves in the area were opened. The street will open between Friday-Sunday, as workers had to dig into the street to reach the pipe. Sand slurry (pipe bedding) takes approximately 48-72 hours to set up, McConnell said, then road base is added and compacted. On average, it is 4-6 days until traffic can use the road. The asphalt will also need to be replaced by the street department.

At 6 Monday night, the water department’s on-call staff member was notified of water coming out of the street in the 200 block of South Division Street. McConnell said the staffer investigated, called in more workers, and by 7 p.m. water was shut off between Coulter and B avenues. 

At 9 p.m. workers found the point of the leak in the 6-inch cast iron water main – a 2-inch corrosion hole in the pipe. A stainless steel repair band was applied, McConnell said, and pressure was tested. “Most mainline water leaks in the city of Powell are from pipe corrosion creating holes or vertical cracks,” he said.