At 2:10 this morning, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews restored service on a broken 16-inch water main at University Village. The crews cut out a 16-foot section of the pipe, spliced a new piece into place, and turned the water back on. The broken section of pipe will be examined in an attempt to determine the exact cause of the break.
The age of the pipe is estimated to be 80+ years – middle-aged by local standards.
Customers experiencing brown water are advised to let the water run until it is clear before drinking it. The discolored water comes from internal pipe rust and sediment getting stirred up. When this happens the water is still safe, although it may be unappealing.
Try running the cold water for a few minutes to see if it is clearing or still discolored. If the water does not clear, let the water sit for an hour. Then run the water for a few minutes and flush the toilet a couple of times.
Avoid running hot water if the cold water is still discolored. This will minimize filling the hot water tank with turbid water. If you are washing clothes at the time, it is better to stop the cycle while it is full and wait until clean water is available to finish. If you allow the water to empty from the washing machine and go into the spin cycle it is more likely to cause permanent staining to the laundry items.
