A water main break shut down Annapolis High School and the school system?s central office building as well as affected water supplies for thousands of residents Thursday, officials said.
The break, which was restored by midafternoon, happened overnight at the Wilelinor Community entrance at Lakeshore Road, across from Admiral Cochran Drive, said Tracie Reynolds, spokeswoman for Anne Arundel?s Department of Public Works.
“The cause was probably just normal wear and tear,” Reynolds said, of the break that caused a nearly 15-foot sinkhole.
“At this point, we don?t believe it was weather-related.”
The break came during a winter storm that dumped a few inches of snow on Annapolis and the region.
The water main break only shut down Annapolis High and the Parham Building; all other schools and offices in the Anne Arundel school system opened two hours late, schools spokesman Bob Mosier said.
DPW officials estimated that 15,000 houses in the Riva Road corridor in Parole and Edgewater had low water pressure as the water was redirected away from the line.
Only two customers didn?t have any water throughout the day and were given bottled water, Reynolds said.
Customers still will have discolored water as the pressure returns to normal, but the water is safe for drinking and cooking and will return to normal water quality as repairs are completed, Reynolds said.
“We?re still asking people to conserve, so we can get the water tanks back to normal,” she said.
“It?ll take about a day.”
Officials estimate water loss at 5 million gallons, Reynolds said.
“I applaud the DPW for its effective, prompt response to the water main leak and regret any inconvenience that county residents may have experienced during this incident,” said County Executive John R. Leopold in a statement.
