UPDATE 10 PM: The water main has been repaired, restoring service to around 2,ooo households in Princeton. Water Department Finance Director Tracy Muscove says a boil water order is in effect until further notice. She says it will probably be lifted some time on Friday.
Roadway access has also been restored to the KY 139/KY 293 truck route through Princeton, according to KYTC public information officer Keith Todd.
UPDATE 4:30 PM: Water Department Finance Director Tracy Muscove says workers have isolated the water leak. She says if nothing goes wrong, water will begin pumping again in 3 to 4 hours. Brown water will need to be cleared out of people's lines at that point. Muscove says a boil water order will be in effect until sometime Friday.
Most of the city of Princeton is without water as the water department crew works to repair a main line rupture. Water Department Finance Director Tracy Muscove says a 10 inch line underneath the city's Public Works building broke sometime overnight. She says crew members are working on bringing in parts from Paducah in order to fix the break.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 households are without water right now. Muscove says water services are still flowing to the northern end of town, and to the hospital and industrial area on the south side of town.
Current estimates say water service could be restored by very late tonight. Muscove says if water comes back tonight, a boil order will also be in effect through Friday morning.
Muscove says she could not pinpoint the cause of the leak. However, she says the pipe was very old, and recent extreme heat followed by heavy rain could have put added stress on it.
From Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Keith Todd:
We have an EMERGENCY CLOSURE on the KY 139/KY 293 TRUCK ROUTE through the City of Princeton due to a water line break. A water line has ruptured beneath the street and a building along the south leg of the truck route closing it to all traffic.
The KY 139/KY 293 Truck Route/South Seminary Street is closed to all traffic at KY 139 mile point 11.403 near the intersection with Vine Street and Railroad Street. This route carries truck traffic around a Railroad Viaduct with LOW CLEARANCE on KY 139/KY 293/South Jefferson Street between Vine Street and Edwards Avenue.
Work to repair the water line is expected to take 24 hours or more to complete.
