Water Main Failures and Lead Alert Disrupt Supplies in Eight U.S. Cities

Water service disruptions rippled across the United States on 14 July as utilities dealt with lead contamination in Illinois and a series of water-main failures stretching from Texas to Utah. The incidents triggered boil-water advisories, pressure losses and service outages in at least eight communities. In Peoria, Illinois American Water issued a city-wide drinking-water notice after 14 of 103 samples exceeded the federal action level for lead. The company urged residents to use certified filters or bottled water while additional sampling is conducted. Infrastructure failures dominated elsewhere. The Trinity Bay Conservation District ordered customers in Anahuac, Texas to boil water after a contractor struck a main, while Venetian Isles in New Orleans and several neighbourhoods in Hanover County, Virginia imposed similar precautions. A separate advisory covering New Hope, Crystal and Golden Valley, Minnesota was lifted Monday evening after Minnesota Department of Health tests showed the supply was safe. In North Philadelphia, a 12-inch main ruptured, flooding Thompson Street and cutting service to roughly 50 homes before crews stemmed the flow. Utah saw two high-profile breaks: corrosion in a Provo pipe sent a geyser of water and debris an estimated 100 feet into the air on Saturday, damaging about 15 cars and multiple businesses, and a ‘pretty bad’ rupture in nearby Centerville left residents flushing their systems and waiting for repairs. Veolia Water meanwhile gave customers in Lower Paxton Township, Pennsylvania the all-clear after earlier concerns. Utilities and regulators said repair work, sampling and pressure tests will continue this week and urged affected customers to follow local guidance on boiling or flushing water until formal rescission notices are issued.