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Water Main Leak Could Affect North Austin Residents

Fixing the water main will take about three weeks. Meanwhile, a small detour route has been set up near the repair site on MLK.
Photo by KUT News
Fixing the water main will take about three weeks. Meanwhile, a small detour route has been set up near the repair site on MLK.

Reduced water pressure in North Austin is a concern for Austin Water Utility as they begin repairing a leak in a 6-foot water main on Martin Luther King Dr. They reassured us today that so far, the pressure drops are virtually unnoticeable.

"We had to shut that main off and reroute water through some different transmission mains, so there could be some reduction in pressure on weekends," Austin Water Utility spokesperson Jill Mayfield said. "But last weekend there was no noticeable drop when we shut it off. We expect this will be the case throughout the repair."The repair should take about three weeks. Fire, EMS, traffic control, and public schools have been informed of detour routes around the repair site. Meanwhile residents of North Austin are being asked to reduce their weekend water use, particularly if they own automatic irrigation systems.

"Typically those run in the middle of the night, when folks are not aware, so we suggest keeping it off for the winter season," says Mayfield.

You can read more on Stage 2 watering restrictions on their site.