Rock Hill water service that affected 120K in York Co. fixed: Boil advisory remains

The broken water line in Rock Hill that affected more than 120,000 customers in York County and forced the closure of schools is now fixed, officials said.

But a boil advisory remains in effect until at least Friday when water can be tested and found to be safe, officials said.

The 20 inch main line that cracked Wednesday near the city’s main water treatment plant on Cherry Road was fixed after midnight Thursday morning, city officials said. The city’s water plant, shut down for hours during the repairs, was fully operational a couple of hours later.

Water service that was either lost or down to a trickle for tens of thousands of people across York County should improve Thursday, officials said.

The city issued an update Thursday morning . It stated:

“The broken 20 inch pipe was repaired at about 1 a.m. this morning, with the water plant coming fully online by 3 a.m. Customers should start seeing water service restored, although will experience very low water pressure at first. Throughout the day, as more water is produced to fill the distribution system, pressure will increase.”

City officials also said that testing of water for safety will begin Thursday but results will not be ready until Friday. The boil water advisory could be extended past Friday, officials said.

“Field crews will flush hydrants throughout the day (Thursday) to remove air and any sediment that settled from the lines. We’ll likely start filling elevated water tanks early this afternoon. We’ll take samples throughout the system to monitor water quality, but since full results won’t be complete until tomorrow (Friday), the boil water advisory remains in effect through Friday, Oct. 11, and may be extended depending on test results.”

Water pressure will increase Thursday for more than 120,000 customers in Rock Hill, York County, Fort Mill, Tega Cay, and Lake Wylie who either had water service lost or pressure reduced, city officials said. The county and municipalities buy water from Rock Hill.

The broken pipe and concerns about safety forced the closure of schools across York County, as well as area colleges.

York County opened most offices Thursday morning after the city’s quick repair, Trish Startup, spokesperson for York County, said.

Piedmont Medical Center was operational Wednesday after the water break through Thursday, but canceled elective and outpatient surgeries for Thursday, hospital officials said.

At least 12 million gallons of water was released when the pipe broke, officials said.

The water break also caused havoc to traffic on Cherry Road near the water plant at the intersection of Mount Gallant Road during repairs. Motorists were detoured to Anderson Road, Eden Terrace, and other routes during repairs.

Cherry Road southbound re-opened Thursday morning, with northbound opening expected later Thursday morning.

How to Purify Bacteria Contaminated Water by Boiling:

• Bring water to a rolling boil and keep it there for at least 1 full minute. Then, let it cool before using.
  
  
• Stop using appliances and equipment that use drinkable water, such as dishwashers, icemakers, tea brewers and coffee makers.
  
  
• Use disposable paper, plastic or foam plates, cups, forks, etc.
  
  
• Prepare food using water that has been boiled.
  
  
• Wash hands with water that has been boiled and cooled.
  
  
• Wash, rinse and sanitize pots, pans and other equipment with water that has been boiled and cooled.
  
  
• Brush your teeth with either boiled or bottled water.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

This story was originally published October 10, 2019 at 7:29 AM.