Baldwin County schools to close Monday over water problem

Baldwin County public schools will be closed Monday due to a broken water main.

The main was expected to be fixed Sunday evening, but due to potential contamination from lost pressure, a boil water advisory will remain in place until Tuesday.

St. Stephens Day School will also be closed Monday, according to the Milledgeville Police Department Facebook page.

Mayor Gary Thrower said the broken water main would likely be repaired Sunday evening, but it could be Monday morning before everyone's water is fully restored.

Everyone on the city water system is asked to boil any water to be consumed at least until Tuesday. It will take that long for tests to come back to ensure the water is safe to drink.

The repair was expected to take longer at first because the pipe that broke was a 14-inch cast iron pipe believed to have been installed prior to 1950. A compatible replacement was not readily available, and at first the city thought the parts would have to come from West Palm Beach, Florida.

But Pyles Plumbing and Utility in Macon came to the rescue. The company had the needed parts on hand to make the fix Sunday, which sped up the repair.

"We were elated when we found that out," Thrower said.

Thrower was not sure how many residents have been without water, but he said the majority of the city has had water.

The boil water advisory will remain in effect through Tuesday because once a water system loses pressure, it can cause contamination. Samples will be taken when the system is fully operating again, and it will take a day for those tests to come back. If the tests do show contamination, it will mean water will have to be boiled past Tuesday.

City officials first issued the notice to conserve and boil water Saturday evening.

To contact writer Wayne Crenshaw, call 256-9725.

This story was originally published April 10, 2016 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Baldwin County schools to close Monday over water problem ."