Published: November 25, 2009 10:05 pm      

Water line break disrupts service to much of city

JOHNSTOWN — A 20-inch transmission line between the new Coopersdale Bridge, which opened Saturday, and the old span broke around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, affecting customers who receive water from the gravity-fed portion of the Greater Johnstown Water Authority system.

Jeffrey Smith, operations manager for RDM Johnstown, which manages the system, said workers stopped the leak within 40 minutes and rerouted water to all customers via other main water lines.

The break occurred at the site of the bridge project, where workers are installing a new culvert to carry a stream under Broad Street, he said.

It is believed that the line ruptured due to a lack of earth supporting the line during the excavation, Smith said.

The water authority, in anticipation of such a problem, had installed a shutoff valve nearby, he said.

Customers from East Conemaugh through the city and into Lower Yoder, Brownstown and West Taylor Township were affected, he said.