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Glen Carbon remains under boil order after major water main breakGLEN CARBON, Jan 31, 2013 (St. Louis Post-Dispatch - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Water is expected to be fully restored today to residents here after a water-main break late Tuesday cut the village's supply and forced rationing as city workers pinpointed the problem. Village Administrator Jamie Bowden said the damage was found east of the covered bridge near Main Street just after noon Thursday. The repairs should be complete by this afternoon, with the residents on the damaged main receiving water shortly thereafter. "People have been very patient," Bowden said. "But as time goes on, that could change." Village officials became aware of a water-main break about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, but could not find the exact location of the break. Bowden said parts of the system were isolated to rule out areas where no damage existed. Those areas also were able to continue receiving water. Updates were posted often to the village website, and bottled and potable water were distributed from near the police department building. Several operations employees and engineers from Edwardsville's public works department also assisted with finding the location of and repairing the damaged main. Bowden said workers would continue handing out bottled water and filling containers with potable water until the entire system is running. Once the repairs are complete, the boil order in effect for Glen Carbon since Tuesday will be lifted. While dealing with a water-main break was an inconvenience, some residents found ways to make light of the problem. Karen Leitner said all the water rationing had been a learning experience for her two small children. Cooking was done with bottled water, she said. The family showered at Leitner's in-laws' home in Troy. "This is life," she said as a case of bottled water was loaded into her minivan. "It's not that big of a deal. It could be worse. "We do have dishes piling up, though." Retired Glen Carbon fire chief George Abram carried two jugs of water into his home that he had filled up at a tanker behind City Hall Thursday afternoon and planned to use to fill up commodes. He chided his wife of 65 years, Norma, about her needing to take a shower every day. "The way I was raised, you took one on Saturday," Abram, 85, said. "But that was when you had to carry (water) into the house," Norma Abram, 84, retorted. "You don't have to do that anymore." "Yes, you do," George Abram said, pointing to the jugs he had just filled up at City Hall. They both laughed. ___ (c)2013 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at www.stltoday.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |