The Niagara Falls Water Board says at this point, it does not know how long it will take to fix a broken water main that supplies much of the city of Niagara Falls.
The break was identified Friday, in the vicinity of 47th Street and Niagara Falls Boulevard, in a 36-inch transmission line. Three valves also failed, which the Board says has greatly increased the difficulty of repairs.
Crews have been on-site since Friday and expect the repair "will be massive" and require "substantial concrete work" - which is beyond the current capacity of the Board. So the project has been bid out.
However, customers should expect to experience low pressure for some time. Niagara Falls High School remains closed Tuesday because of the problem.
“We’re working diligently to resolve this situation and bring in additional outside crew," said Rolfe Porter, executive director of the Niagara Falls Water Board, in a statement. "At this point, no specific duration has been determined for how long the fix may take or how long the related low pressure situation will continue, but we’re working as efficiently as we can. Extensive community outreach has been underway to inform and educate all affected parties, which includes both residential and commercial customers.”
"Probably only marginally helpful, but avoiding unnecessary water use not a bad idea," tweeted Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster Monday.
