Several areas face water main breaks, leaks as temperatures rise

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Several cities around the Tennessee Valley were experiencing water main breaks or other issues on Monday.

Tennessee American Water and other companies request that residents keep their water running lightly when temperatures drop well-below freezing. This can help prevent breakages and leaks.

“When temperatures stay below freezing – allow a small trickle of water to run. The cost of the extra water is typically lower than the cost of repairing a broken pipe. Plus you can collect the dripping water with a bucket to use later to water indoor plants.”

There were two water main breaks in the city of Chattanooga, according to the division of transportation (CDOT).

Chattanooga

As of 3 p.m. on Monday, CDOT said there was a water main break, causing the closure of the southbound lanes of Tunnel Boulevard at the Wilcox Boulevard intersection. Tennessee American Water crews were on-site repairing the break. CDOT asked the public to take other routes at this time.

Copperhill

The City of Copperhill first reported they had major leakage on Friday, and asked residents to reduce their water use. On Sunday, they started asking citizens to report any leaks. Sunday night, the city said they would be without water until sometime Monday.

On Monday, many Copperhill businesses were affected by the water outage. Additionally, the city did not run trash pickup as those employees helped locate and fix water leaks. City officials instructed residents not to use their water without boiling it first.

The city is continually posting updates to their Facebook page.

Pikeville

The City of Pikeville reported on Monday that the area was experiencing low water pressure.

They asked citizens to check all unoccupied buildings for water leaks and to call City Hall if one is found.

Signal Mountain