Craigsville water is flowing again, but boil water advisory is still in effect
CRAIGSVILLE – Last night, Craigsville Major Richard Fox was hoping for the best.
Fox is recovering from back surgery and while he’s “having a hard time,” he is working with city staff to get water flowing through the town again.
On Monday, a pipe break caused residents and local schools to lose water access. The outage also affected inmates and staff in Augusta Correctional Center. Complications with repairs kept crews busy, and Fox was nervous it could be late Friday or Saturday before water was restored.
By Thursday evening, initial break was fixed. Crews turned the system back on. It wouldn’t be long before it had to be shut back down.
“The pressure in the line shattered the pipes and caused two breaks,” Fox told The News Leader.
Two more leaks, two more fixes. The next time the system was turned on, it was good news.
“Once we got things flowing the right way around 10 o’clock, things moved real easy all night,” Fox said. “When the boys got back on at 6 [a.m.] this morning, everything was still good.”
Water is flowing, why the boil water advisory?
The Craigsville water system has two 500,00 gallon tanks, one for the town and another for the Augusta County Correctional Center. As of 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Fox said the Craigsville tank has “about a foot” of water and the Augusta Correctional tank has “about 11 feet.”
The town remains under a boil water notice issued by the Virginia Health Department. Water can be used to shower or wash clothes, but should be boiled before anyone drinks or cooks with it. According to Fox, the tanks need to fill and be tested before the boil water advisory can be lifted.
Fox explained, “That might be a couple of days, whatever it takes to fill up the tanks.” In addition to the sheer size of the tanks, crews are limiting how much water goes into the tank because of the two secondary line breaks.
“We’ve throttled them back so there’s not as much pressure going through,” Fox explained. “That’s the reason it’s going to take a couple of days to fill them, we’re doing it slowly.”
Bottled water is available
Bottles of water and five-gallon bags of water are available today between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at town offices, 18 Hidy Street.
“I appreciate the patience of the people of the community,” Fox said. “I appreciate all the help they’ve given us. They brought food, they brought water, they’ve done everything they can do.”
Although most of the response has been understanding of the situation, Fox also acknowledged frustrated residents who want water restored.
“A few people got upset, and I understand,” Fox said. “You turn the spigot on and you’re getting water, you’re happy. If you turn the spigot on and you don’t, you’re not happy. We’re doing the very best we can, as quick as we could, to get on top of it.”
Fox also thanked the town’s crews for their efforts, calling them “a great bunch of people to work with” whose “number one objective of the town here is to take care of” the town residents.
Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith called for donations on Facebook, writing, “In an effort to assist those without water; we are asking the community to bring bottled water to the Sheriff's Office at 127 Lee Hwy., Verona. The ACSO deputies will transport all donated water to the Town of Craigsville to be distributed to those in need in our community. You can drop off water at any time; we will have pallets in front of the office for the water. If you are handicapped, elderly or unable to drive, please reach out to the Sheriff’s Office at 540-245-5333 and we will arrange delivery. Thank you in advance for everyone who is willing to help.”
Lyra Bordelon (she/her) is the public transparency and justice reporter at The News Leader. Do you have a story tip or feedback? It’s welcome through email to lbordelon@gannett.com. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
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This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Craigsville water is flowing again, but boil water advisory is still in effect
