CSWD reports water main break
Silver Valley residents from Pinehurst to Osburn may be affected by a water main break that could take until sometime Thursday to repair.
The Central Shoshone Water District (CSWD) is currently working on repairing the break which is located under the Coeur d’Alene River.
Crews were forced earlier Wednesday to create a makeshift dam so that they could reach the break.
Because of the damage to the line, water has been turned off in the areas from page Road in Smelterville to Osburn.
Although the remaining water left in the lines is safe to drink, the CSWD asks that residents conserve it and use their water sparingly until repairs can be made.
They says that the reserve water that is on hand may run out sometime Wednesday night.
In addition to drinking water being an issue, all the lines running to the affected area’s fire hydrants are dry.
This is what CSWD is most concerned with since drinking water can be purchased at stores.
All of the Shoshone County Fire Districts report that they shpuld have enough water on hand in reserves to last through a standard night.
Reported by KHQ, CSWD employee Chad Nelson stressed this need to get water to the fire department.
“Our main concern is fire protection,” said Chad Nelson with the Central Shoshone County Water District. “We can buy bottled water to drink, but if there’s a fire we may not have the capability of putting it out. Fire districts are pulling from neighboring districts. Fire protection is our main concern at the moment.”
Nelson says that the water district is working as fast as they can to fix the damage, but if the reserves do run out for residential drinking water, the key is to conserve what water you have and keep bottled water on hand.
“What happens in situations like this is everyone starts to panic and fill up bath tubs trying to prepare,” Nelson said, “What that does is actually pulls more out of the tanks.”
Kellogg Joint School District 391 has announced that classes will be canceled Thursday due to the break.
Silver Hills Elementary, in the Wallace school district, posted over facebook that they are monitoring the situation and will announce a closure, if needed, in the morning.