UPDATE: From Millbrook Utilities Director Michael Harris: As of 2:30 p.m. crews have dug to a depth of 16 feet and found the break in the main line in front of Food Outlet. This is good news! Now they can begin repairs to the break, and hopefully get water flowing again.
SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Two different agencies that provide water to the area around Millbrook have suffered water main breaks, which is doubling the problems as workers try to repair leaks.
According to Millbrook Utility Director Michael Harris, Five Star Water is a main supplier to Millbrook. That agency had a main water line break in the area of Ingram Road and crews are doing their best to get it repaired. However, a break also occurred overnight in front of Food Outlet on Hwy. 14 and involves a water line that was rerouted by the State about 20 years ago.
“That line is so deep and we are still trying to get to it make repairs,” Harris said. “It is complicated because there is a three-phase power line right on top of it. We are covered up in that area by many different utilities, such as electric, gas, fiberoptic lines, telephone lines and a gas main. So that is causing a lot of issues and we have a lot of different agencies out here working.”
Harris explained that the main line affecting Millbrook was rerouted by state crews many years ago during the Hwy. 14 expansion.
Local crews are having to work around the electric pole, which has been destabilized due to the leak. Bracing trucks were brought in to keep the pole stable, Harris said.
Crews have managed to shut the water off now, but they are still trying to find the break in the line to make repairs.
“We managed to shut the water main off, but we just can’t get water to everyone we need to right now until we get to the problem. For some reason, that line is really deep,” Harris said.
Another contractor has been brought into the Food Outlet area location and is out on scene now offering assistance.
Meanwhile, Five Star Water is dealing with its own issues with a major break in their line in the area of Ingram Road.
“We buy the majority of our water from Five Star, but with them having a break we are unable to get any from them either. However, they are also working on their issues. Once they can give us water, we can start isolating areas and get water flowing again,” Harris said.
Five Star Water pulls their supply from Lake Jordan and then it is distributed to multiple different areas. Millbrook is at the end of that line.
Five Star pumps to the water tank at Grandview YMCA.
“But (Five Star’s) pipe blew out so they can’t send us water. Every water system can have problems from time to time, but two having a major issue at one time is really causing issues,” Harris said.
Harris said he knows the question on everyone’s mind is how long before water is restored?
“I wish I had that answer,” Harris said. “At least the water leak has been stopped, but until we find the problem we cannot begin to understand how to fix it. We know about where it is, but we are still trying to dig, by hand in some cases, to find it.”
Overnight area residents realized their water was either not working, or had little pressure due to the break in the line.
Due to no water, many businesses along Hwy. 14 and Deatsville Highway have been forced to close temporarily. Crews from both the City of Millbrook and Five Star Water have worked through the night.
As of noon, crews had dug down to about eight feet in the Food Outlet area location, according to Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley.
Mayor Kelley said, “We do not have an estimated time for repair, but we have a lot of different agencies working together on solving this problem.”
We will update as possible as we are staying in touch with different officials. You can also check the City of Millbrook page on Facebook for any updates.
