"Complex" Tewksbury water main break may leave apartments without water for week or longer
TEWKSBURY – It may take longer than initially expected to fix a problem in Tewksbury that has left some people without water.
One water main break cut off service to two neighborhoods on Friday, with more than 300 apartments and around 50 homes, leaving people without water on a warm holiday weekend.
Town Manager Richard Montuori told WBZ-TV the town is dealing with "two complex issues" from the break.
The water main is located on private property, and a contractor is waiting on the correct permits before beginning to fix it.
There is currently no water in the Ames Pond apartment complex. Montuori said this will "take time to address" because the water main break is 15 feet deep and under a box culvert.
"It's not very good, having to jump in a pool to bathe is all I can do. No water, I have to go brush my teeth with just bottled water and things like that. Just no fun," said Ames Pond resident, Bob Chase. "The pool is closing tomorrow, so we can't cool off. So that's a negative. I'm just going to have to go to a friend's house or go to work shop and shower and bathe there."
The town installed large water tanks outside the for drinking water on Monday.
Residents are instructed to boil any water that they are able to get in their apartments, for at least a minute. The town also said to throw away anything made with tap water collected on or after 6:00 p.m. on September 2, including ice, formula and more.
The town is collecting bacteria samples and says it will let residents know when they no longer need to boil their water.
In the Catamount Road neighborhood, there has been low pressure and in some cases no water at homes.
"I got three kids, you know? So they're happy to not have to take showers as often as they need to, but it gets a little challenging you know? Dishes and clothes, and it piles up very fast," said Catamount Road resident Josephine Haney.
"It's incredibly hot, and you don't realize how much you rely on water until you don't have the water. I mean, even brushing our teeth we haven't been able to do without a bottle of water, we can't wash dishes, we can't work because then we can wash the dishes or have the water to cook. It's just been an absolute nightmare," said resident Lyndsay Robinson.
The town installed a booster pump on Monday to temporarily help with water pressure to houses on Catamount Road.
