Galveston residents asked to conserve water Galveston fears leak may drain storage supply

Residents ordered to cut back on usage until pipe is repaired

A massive waterline leak in Galveston has put the city at risk of running out of water, city officials said Sunday, a day after declaring an emergency water shortage.

Residents were asked to cut their water usage after a 42-inch underground waterline began leaking at a high rate early Friday.

Water was still flowing up to the surface Sunday, flooding an undeveloped area near Texas City Wye and Interstate 45, said Eric Wilson, managing director of municipal infrastructure for the city of Galveston.

The line was steadily leaking around 5,000 gallons a minute, enough water to fill a pool every three minutes, he said. Crews were working to pump the water into Galveston Bay as they prepared to begin repairs to the waterline today.

Some water was continuing through the line, but it wasn't enough to match demand and began cutting into the city's storage supply, Wilson said. Galveston, Tiki Island, Bayou Vista, Santa Fe, Dickinson, League City, Hitchcock and La Marque are all affected by the leak.

Water restrictions

In declaring an emergency water shortage, Galveston officials prohibited watering lawns and washing vehicles. Residents violating the restrictions could be fined up to $2,000, Wilson said.

"It's not to a point to where it's anything that's going to be a major hassle," said Thomas Musquiz, a Galveston resident and manager of Strand Grill. He said the restrictions wouldn't affect business operations, although restaurants might cut back on water usage where they could.

Officials said the city's ground storage capacity, if the public cooperates fully, should be sufficient to maintain the island's water supply.

Schools and resorts had agreed Sunday to stop watering lawns and gardens on their properties, Galveston spokeswoman Alicia Cahill said.

A small leak was discovered on the line more than two months ago. It was previously scheduled to be repaired today, said David Sauer, general manager of the Gulf Coast Water Authority, which owns the pipe.

But Galveston last week requested more water from the Gulf Coast Water Authority's water treatment plant, which could have exacerbated the problem, Wilson said.

"That additional load in the line could have caused the leak," he said.

Repairs start today

Repairs will start on the line today, although they will be significantly more involved than previously expected.

The pipe, 42 inches in diameter and lined with concrete on the inside and outside, will need to be repaired by workers from Hanson Pipe, which designed it, Sauer said.

Gulf Coast Water Authority crews have so far created a dam and began pumping out water from the land and excavating the damaged pipe. It could be repaired as early as Tuesday, Sauer said. No roads have been closed and officials said residents were unaffected by the shortage so far, aside from being asked to cut back on water.

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