Rock thrower breaks Pullman water main
Apr. 11—A man who threw rocks into a creek accidentally broke a downtown Pullman water main Sunday afternoon.
A large column of water was sent into the air after a water main ruptured in the creek near the Neill Public Library. The break caused a water outage for two local businesses and low water pressure to residences in the area. City crews worked to isolate the rupture, and water pressure was restored to homes. But some businesses were still without water Monday afternoon.
Pullman Police Sgt. Greg Umbright said around 2:30 p.m. Sunday a man in his 20s was throwing rocks off of the Kamiaken Street Bridge into the south fork of the Palouse River. One of the large rocks that was flung hit the main and caused the break. Umbright added the man was not aware there was a main in the water, and didn't mean to cause the rupture.
"What possessed him to throw a large rock into the river? Maybe to see a big splash?" Umbright said. "It seems kind of silly to me."
The city received eight calls from residences within the area reporting low water pressure, said Matt Young, Pullman communications coordinator. He added Heros N Sports, as well as Via Family Chiropractic, reported not having access to water.
Pullman Public Works crews responded to the site and isolated the break, said Young. Crews shut off two valves to stop water leaking out of the main. He added after the valves were closed around 6 p.m. that day, and water pressure was restored to homes in Pullman. But some businesses' water supply was not restored.
The city is not sure when the main will be fixed, said Young. City crews and engineers will be visiting the site to assess damages and create a plan. Maintenance crews are working to restore water to businesses, and estimates it should be fixed by Monday evening.
The city doesn't believe the break has affected Pullman's water quality, and assumes its water is safe to drink, said Young. Out of precaution, the city will test the water to make sure it hasn't been impacted by the incident.
Young said crews took eight samples of water from the area where residents reported low water pressure. The samples are still being processed but the City expects results to be back by today.
"City water is super important and it needs to be known it's safe to drink," said Young. "We want to take measures to ensure the safety of our water system, even if it's unlikely it may have been impacted. But being prudent is definitely something we need to do at this point."
Engineers will be visiting the site to see how the main impacts the rest of Pullman's water system, said Young. They'll be assessing if the main is necessary and if the system will be affectted without it. He added if the main is not needed, engineers will develop a plan for the system going forward.
Crews will also check if the rupture impacted fire hydrants in the area. Young said they will make sure hydrants are functioning and working properly for the fire department to use if needed.
Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com
