FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A boil water order continues to be in effect for the area in and around Fort Lauderdale, days after a water main break disrupted water service for hundreds of thousands of residents and guests.
The city resumed water distribution on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the following three sites for customers affected by the rupture:
- Beach Community Center (3351 NE 33rd Ave.)
- Mills Pond Park (2201 NW 9th Ave.)
- Riverland Park (950 SW 27th Ave.)
Broward County is also lending a helping hand with a water distribution location Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park near Fort Lauderdale. It closed at 7 p.m. but is set to reopen at 8 a.m. on Sunday.
The water main break took place on Wednesday when, officials said, a sub-contractor for Florida Power and Light broke a 42-inch pipe that supplied water from the well fields to the water treatment plant.
The break affected not only Fort Lauderdale but areas like Port Everglades, Oakland Park, Davie, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Sea Ranch Lakes, Tamarac and Wilton Manors.
Fort Lauderdale city officials said a temporary fix allowed water to slowly be restored to everybody in their city.
“We managed to put a partial patch in the hole of the water main,” said Mayor Dean Trantalis. “Water pressure began increasing as a result.”
However, with a boil water order in effect until further notice, many businesses are being affected.
Signs lined Las Olas Boulevard letting customers know that their stores were closed for the day, Thursday.
“Something went wrong,” one sign read. “We are closed.”
However, a few businesses like Floridian Restaurant is making things work in order to stay open.
“We had to go to paper plates and paper silverware,” a worker told 7News. “Business been still steady.”
Over at Lester’s Diner in Fort Lauderdale, 7News cameras captured the restaurant full of customers drinking bottled water.
Dan McConnell, who works at the restaurant, said, “We have to deal with it. We’re not gonna close.”
McConnell said the restaurant is boiling the water first before making coffee or cooking.
“Fountain service, which is usually what we serve our sodas out of, we’ve stopped doing that,” he said. “Just can sodas and bottled water we serve to the customer. We don’t serve regular water now.”
Tom Zavalis goes to the diner every day for coffee.
When asked if he was worried he would miss his Lester’s coffee, he said, “I did. I did. I said, ‘What am I going to do if it’s closed? I’m done. I’m finished.'”
At Empanada Top, a tapas restaurant on Las Olas Boulevard, employees brought in a small portable ice machine and filled it with bottled water to help keep customers cool.
Resident Natasha Mehandru said she is happy that things are beginning to return to normal.
“It’s so much nicer,” she said. “All of the restaurants and bars and everything were closed. There was no one out at all, so it’s so nice to see everyone back again on Friday night hanging out.”
Meanwhile at the three water distribution sites across the city, dozens of residents lined up in their cars to get bottled water.
Governor Ron DeSantis ordered more than 70,000 water bottles to help until the problem is permanently fixed.
Feeding South Florida, a local non-profit, delivered eight trucks of water to one of the three sites, Friday.
“I’m in line to get some water for drinking,” said Anthony as he waited his turn. “Normally I would put it in the thing and filter the water, but I didn’t wanna do that, so I said, ‘Let me come here and get some.'”
Jackie Burke, who has four grandchildren in her care, said she stocked up on bottled water instead of boiling it because it was easier.
Her and the grandchildren have used hand sanitizer to clean their hands.
“Rinsing with everything, brushing our teeth and washing down … ‘But grandmomma, how long we have to go through this?’ ‘Just a few more hours. ‘Just a few more hours,'” Burke said. “People in the store were buying water like a hurricane was coming.”
Residents expressed how they sometimes take clean water for granted.
“It reminds me of how lucky we are that we have good water,” said Andresa Hart, flanked by her husband.
The couple said they haven’t noticed anything odd about their water, though admittedly, they’ve been conserving it.
“I haven’t even noticed that it’s different color or smelly, but we’re not really running it that much either,” Mike Hart added.
Until the boil water notice is lifted, residents are advised to boil the water for a full minute before consuming.
The water distribution is scheduled to take place again on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Fort Lauderdale locations and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park.
A 24-hour neighbor hotline has been established to help those affected by the water main break. The hotline can be reached at 954-828-8000.
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