Water returning in Nashville after shutdown caused by broken valve

NASHVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Town of Nashville says water is slowly coming back after being shut off because of a water main break.

Officials said water is expected to be back by midnight, and a boil water advisory is in effect.

"The water valves are level with the street surface, and they have a cap on them, and it'll be like water bubbling up. I mean, it's not a geyser, but it is water coming up that'll fill a road ditch pretty quick," said Town Manager Randy Lansing.

Lansing said the problem started with a water leak that led to a valve loosening when crews went to fix it.

The town manager said he believes this was a coincidence and didn't have anything to do with the recent storm.

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He noted that they are working to make improvements to the system.

"It's an aging system," Lansing said. "Our infrastructure isn't new. And this was in one of the older parts of town. So it's one of those things where it doesn't leak until you turn it or mess with it, and then begins leaking. So that was the cause of it."

Water wars?

Earlier, Nashville officials suspected the cause of the issue came from a water main break in Rocky Mount, where Nashville purchases some of its water. City of Rocky Mount officials quickly rejected that theory, saying, "Any service interruption experienced by the Town of Nashville resulted from leaks within their own system, downstream of the City's wholesale metered connections, and was not related to the City of Rocky Mount's water supply or system operations."

Rocky Mount officials also said that though the city "has experienced isolated water leaks within our system due to recent winter weather, continuous water service has been maintained throughout our entire service area, including service to all wholesale customers, to include the Town of Nashville."

Why are fire hydrants gushing?

Nashville residents may notice some fire hydrants spouting water around town. This is intentional, officials say, and part of flushing the water system following the recent repairs.

Flushing helps remove air from the lines, clears out sediment and rusty water, and restores normal water quality.

This is normal and necessary, town officials said, and will continue until the system is fully stabilized.

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