Apr. 12—Water supply has been restored to downtown businesses that were effected during a water main rupture.

A man who threw a large rock into a creek accidentally broke a downtown water main Sunday. The break caused a water outage for two businesses and low water pressure for eight homes in the area. City crews worked to remedy issues related to the incident, and are now consulting engineers to find the best path forward.

A man in his 20s was throwing rocks off the Kamiaken Street Bridge into the south fork of the Palouse River around 2:30 p.m. Sunday. A large rock flung from the bridge hit the water main, causing it to rupture. The man was unaware there was a main in the creek and didn't mean to cause the break. The Pullman Police Department will not charge the man for the incident.

The city received eight calls from residences within the area reporting low water pressure, and Heros N Sports as well as Via Family Chiropractic reported not having access to water.

City crews were able to isolate the break by shutting off two valves up and down the stream to stop water leaking out of the main. Water pressure was restored to Pullman homes around 6 p.m. Sunday, but the businesses were still without water.

Crews worked Tuesday morning to reroute water supply to the two businesses, said Matt Young, communications coordinator for the city. They were able to restore water to the businesses, fixing all issues associated with the break.

Although crews remedied immediate issues, the water main remains broken. The city is unsure when the main will be fixed. Young said the city has consulted engineers to see how the main impacts the rest of Pullman's water system. They'll assess if the main is necessary or if the system will be impacted without it. Engineers will develop a plan for the system and present options to the city.

Crews took eight samples of water within the area where residents reported low water pressure. Young said all samples came back clean and the water is safe to drink.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com