Water off in areas of city

Staff report

March 25, 2008 11:38 am

— Water service was out in many parts of Gainesville after a fire hydrant came off a water line at Highway 82 and Luther Lane in the northeastern section of the city.
City projects manager, Tad Jenkins, said the problem was fixed before 10 a.m. Tuesday.
“Right now, I’m reestablishing my water in the lines and getting water back into the overhead storage tanks,” Jenkins said.
He said the pressure inside water lines is enormous and that it can cause bolts to loosen and shift leading to the failure of structures such as hydrants.
That may have been what happened in this case, he said.
The lack of water apparently caused some problems for businesses and residents.
A representative for the Hampton Inn and Suites, on North Interstate Highway 35, said water was off most of Monday night and that it was still off at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
She said the hotel offered guests refunds and complimentary bottled water and planned to warn any prospective guests about the problem before they checked in.
Water was apparently off all over the city.
Jenkins said the problem is fixed.
“Water is back on inside businesses and residences,” he said.