THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 8, 1994 TAG: 9407080601
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
A break in a downtown Elizabeth City water main early Thursday drained two elevated water tanks and forced some businesses to temporarily close in order to help the city conserve water.
Residents also were asked to limit water use until the water line could be repaired.
Elizabeth City water officials noticed water levels dropping at the two tanks about 4 a.m. and located the break in a 10-inch main on Elizabeth and Poindexter streets about an hour later.
Public Works Department employees worked all day and into the evening to reach the water line.
Despite the leakage, water continued to flow into city residences and businesses - but with very little pressure.
``So far at the plant we are maintaining a good reserve of water, so we don't foresee any problems of running out of water,'' said Debbie Clow, superintendent at the Elizabeth City water and wastewater treatment plant.
``We are having difficulty cutting through the concrete and asphalt to get to the pipe,'' she said late Thursday afternoon. ``But we are progressing and will work around the clock until it is fixed.''
The two elevated tanks, located on Halstead Boulevard and behind City Hall, each held 500,000 gallons of water, Clow said. City reserve tanks currently contain 3.5 million gallons of water. They can hold up to 4 million gallons.
Many Elizabeth City residents Thursday morning experienced low water pressure that prevented toilets from flushing properly and slowed shower streams to a trickle.
``It took me 45 minutes to get a bathtub full of water,'' said Shirley Hunter, an assistant manager at Shoney's Restaurant on Hughes Boulevard. ``I couldn't get enough water to take a shower.''
Shoney's was one of several city restaurants to close for a couple of hours Thursday in order to help the city conserve water.
``Most of our customers are probably home trying to take care of their own water problems,'' Hunter said.
Other eating establishments remained opened with few complications. ``It just really kind of slowed down water going to our restrooms,'' Kim Martin, manager of Tuck's restaurant, said Thursday afternoon.
The dishwashing system at Tuck's operated without incident, but coffee makers were slower to fill. ``So we haven't been selling a lot of coffee today,'' Martin added.
The 21st Century Laundromat at the Edgewood Shopping Center saw an increase in business Thursday when Holiday Inn, unable to wash their linens in-house, brought their bedding to the laundry center.
``The washers don't fill as quick,'' said Thad Bobbitt, who manages the 21st Century Laundromat. ``But everything's working all right.'' by CNB