WATERBURY, Conn. (WFSB) – The Waterbury community came together on Saturday after more than 100,000 people were without water, four days after a water main break on Thomaston Avenue.
Water continues to spill from the ground at the break site on Thomaston Avenue, where construction crews have suspended work for the night. The break has triggered boil water advisories in Waterbury and caused water impacts in Wolcott, Watertown and Prospect.
Volunteers from Rubicon and the National Guard distributed truckloads of water bottles to hundreds of families at Municipal Stadium Saturday.
“It’s a blessing. It’s truly a blessing,” one resident said.
The water distribution center was set to reopen at 9 a.m. Sunday. Additional distribution sites were expected to open at Crosby High School and St. Vincent de Paul.
Paul Wagner, whose Waterbury home is without water, turned to grocery stores for supplies, purchasing four packs of water bottles.
“I woke up and I actually had a decent amount of water to shower and go to work this morning. Then I came back and the water is gone,” Wagner said.
Many restaurants have been ordered to close because water is not safe to use. Hindsight BBQ, located near the water main break, has water and remained open.
“We’ve had a lot of new customers coming in to eat and get something to drink and just being able to enjoy a warm meal,” said Nicole Minard, manager at Hindsight BBQ.
Parts to repair the water main are on their way, but problems could continue until next week, officials said.
“While this is a very serious incident right now, we are working very hard and we’ve got plans on how we are going to address the needs of citizens right now. We’re working very hard that we can get water service returned as quickly as possible,” said Mayor Paul Pernerewski.
Car washes appeared unaffected by the water shortage. Evan White of Waterbury said his car wash experience seemed normal, though he believes water should be prioritized for homes, hospitals and commercial buildings.
“Everything did seem like it was working properly… I think we should prioritize getting water to important places like homes, hospitals and commercial buildings that need it,” said White.
City officials advise residents with questions about how the water main break affects their families to call 311.
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