Keller water line repaired after ‘significant' break, Keller officials say

The city says the break happened after a private contractor dug into a water line near Mt. Gilead Road

Water service was restored to a Keller neighborhood Tuesday afternoon after a subcontractor ruptured the line and cut off service to about 200 customers on Monday.

According to a Facebook post from Keller Mayor Armin Mizani, a Spectrum subcontractor installing telecommunication equipment dug into and ruptured a 16-inch water line 15 feet deep, dumping about 5,000 gallons of water per minute near Mt. Gilead Road.

The city's public works department said that at about 3:30 p.m., the line had been repaired and was being pressurized. They added that they hoped to have Mt. Gilead Road between Bourland Road/Marshall Ridge and Roanoke Road patched Tuesday evening and that a permanent repair would come after Thanksgiving.

"As you turn your water back on, it will be safe to drink right away, but you will want to flush your lines for a bit to dispel any cloudiness caused by oxygen in the pipes," the public works department said. "Area residents will see Public Works crews doing the same, flushing the lines by opening fire hydrants."

Mizani said the subcontractor did not call for authorities to locate the water line and was working outside the permitted area.

"Making matters worse, if it wasn’t for a mindful resident, the city would not have been made aware of the water break. This is absolutely unacceptable and asinine," Mizani said.

The mayor said the city would keep an accounting of the repair costs and expects taxpayers to be reimbursed.

"While water shutoffs like these are always emergencies, we understand the additional stress created by losing water during the week of a holiday, with children home from school and friends and family coming into town," Keller officials said.

Although the break was isolated, the city estimated that on Monday, about 200 homes were affected by low or no water pressure. On Tuesday morning, that number had dropped by more than half.

The city thanked residents for their patience while crews repaired the ruptured line.

"Thank you again to everyone who assisted with this emergency, from staff to volunteers," the city said.