Newport’s water lines feeling the strain of age – Big rupture at 101 @ 54th Saturday
Newport’s aging distribution system suffered another outage Saturday evening at around 6:40pm. Highway 101’s western pavement-edge buckled and began streaming water toward the right shoulder, coursing under 54th and down along the ditch paralleling Highway 101. It’s the Agate Beach area, where public works has been working to replace aging water lines and to erect a new water tank to enhance fire protection in the area.
Public Works Crews are on scene focused on shutting the water off and then getting to wherever the break is which is likely just north of 54th.
No word yet if anyone is going to be without water or for how long. We’ll try to get that information out to the community.
7:42pm. Water is out north of Lighthouse Road, east of 101. Crews trying to track down water routing to re-route and restore service. They’re still also looking for the line or valve malfunction.
8:15 pm. Water is back on east of 101 at 54th and throughout the area. Two homes west of 101 will remain without water until a valve can be replaced. No estimate on when that might happen.