Water main break drags on; should be fixed late tonight, RR says

Update: This story includes new information from the city of Rio Rancho about the water main break.

RIO RANCHO — The city of Rio Rancho told residents Sunday that a water main break in the Western Hills Drive area should be repaired by "late" that day or early Monday.

The reason repair completion times keep getting pushed back is because "crews continue to find more damaged pipe" as work is being done to fix the issue, the city stated on its website.

But through "distribution system adjustments," water was routed to areas previously experiencing no water pressure, the city said in a 6:30 p.m. update on its website.

The city added, "some customers may still experience lower than normal water pressure until repair completion and full system recharge occurs (estimated Monday, November 24)."

The latest announcement by the city comes more than two days after it first reported the break around 6:30 a.m. Friday, leading to the cancelation of area schools. City officials estimated Friday afternoon that repair would take 10-12 hours.

KOAT reported one homeowner said his residence was a total loss as a result of the incident. Rio Rancho Deputy City Manager Peter Wells wrote in an email that he could not confirm the loss but stated the city made contact with a homeowner that experienced property damage. City officials are waiting to hear a response on the homeowner's immediate plans, according to Wells.

Though by Sunday, there were signs of progress. Parts of Western Hills Drive Southeast that were flooded Friday were clear of water.

Sunday also saw more signs of work. A portion of the road that intersects with Lema Road Southeast was cordoned off to through traffic, and crews were seen working on repairing the break.

In an interview Sunday, Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull said the city has "deployed all available resources" to fix the break. This includes specialized welders from outside the city and state, he said.

Hull, who called the break "a bad one," said he believed the water main broke due to age. On his official Facebook page Saturday, he called the incident a "catastrophic failure of a 60-year-old water main."

Hull said he did not know the amount of water the incident had produced or the cost of repairs. He said the city would know the answer to those questions once the break is fixed.

Rio Rancho Public Schools spokesperson Wyndham Kemsley wrote in an email Sunday that schools will be able to reopen only if the water main is repaired. The schools impacted by the break are Rio Rancho Elementary, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary and Lincoln Middle School.

Carol Sandoval, who lives off of Southern Boulevard, said that she has experienced little to no water pressure since the break. She used water in reserves from a previous incident and went to Walmart to get more once she ran out.

"I'm sorry it happened," Sandoval said. "Hopefully, this will make the government realize this is a priority."

She also said water outages are "part of life" and "people need to calm down and let the city do their job."

Sandoval noted that the lack of water led her out to dinner Saturday.

"All the restaurants in town seemed crazy busy, so I think everyone had the same idea I did," she said.

One local business, Turtle Mountain Brewing Company, reported on its Facebook page that the break led it to close its doors Saturday "until the water line is repaired and water pressure returns." By Sunday, Turtle Mountain said it was able to reopen and avoid "what could have been a financial catastrophe."

Fire Station 7, 641 Rockaway Blvd., offered residents free water — two bottles per person — and the ability to fill their own containers throughout Sunday.

At Fire Station 7, Rio Rancho Emergency Manager Rose Martinez said since the break, the station has given out three pallets of water. A fourth pallet was delivered Sunday.

"Friday, nobody was really coming by, but (Saturday), it was a pretty steady pace. I'd say one vehicle was coming every minute for a while," Martinez said.

The station limited water bottle consumption to two per person.

"(They can use it) however they see fit," Martinez said.

The station's hose was used for people to fill their own larger personal containers of water, ideal for flushing toilets or bathing, she said.

Meanwhile, Rio Rancho Aquatic Center, 745 Loma Colorado Blvd., offered residents free showers.

Wells wrote in an email Sunday that since 8 a.m., five people had used the aquatic center's showers.

Updates to this story will be available at rrobserver.com.