For More Information Contact:
Lance Robertson, 984-4716 or 729-7690
Eugene Water & Electric Board

April 29, 2009

Update: Water service restored to most residents in southeast hills

Eugene Water & Electric Board crews have restored water service to most of the 196 affected customers in the southeast hills of Eugene. The remaining customers are expected have water service by the end of the day.

However, EWEB is still asking those customers to not use the water for cooking or drinking until tests of the water are completed. Results of the tests may take 24 hours. The affected customers can take showers and use water for sanitary purposes, such as toilet flushing.

A 12-inch water main broke about 2:30 a.m. near Barber Drive and South Shasta Loop, draining several hundred thousand gallons of water from a nearby reservoir. Crews quickly shut off the water and began repairs. Water service was restored beginning mid-morning on Wednesday. The exact cause of the water line break has not been determined.

The water-consumption alert is purely precautionary, due to the drop in pressure and potential for contaminants entering the water system. EWEB has been going door-to-door in the affected area Wednesday morning, handing out informational flyers.

The specific area affected by the outage includes portions of Barber Drive, South Shasta Loop and East 43rd Avenue. EWEB serves almost 200,000 people and businesses in the Eugene area.