The tap ran dry for several residents and businesses in James City County after a waterline break Thursday afternoon.
Contractors working the Longhill Widening Project on the intersection of Longhill and Olde Towne Road hit a waterline during construction around noon on Thursday, said Doug Powell, general manager of the James City County Service Authority.
Residents and businesses in the nearby area were contacted through an automated phone message and made aware of the outage.
Powell said the area impacted includes the 7-Eleven, the Spotswood Commons Apartments and several business offices near the waterline.
Powell said he’s unsure sure how long it will take to fix the waterline break. Correcting the break depends on multiple factors, including the depth of the line and how long it will take to excavate.
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“Unfortunately, it’s not just a quick and easy fix,” he said.
He added that he’s hesitant to assign blame for the incident because there is the possibility the waterline was not properly marked. According to WYDaily archives, the contractor for the project is Branscome, Inc.
An investigation of the incident will follow to make sure the waterlines were marked correctly, Powell said.
“We will restore the service as quickly as we can,” Powell said. “We’ve got a crew out there and [they’re] doing their best.”
