Tennessee American Water making repairs
A patch has been worked out on a problem that caused Tennessee American Water to ask all water customers east of Missionary Ridge to restrict non-essential water usage as the company worked on a major repair. This includes East Brainerd, East Ridge, Highway 58 and Lakeview.
Officials said Wednesday night, "Tennessee American Water has implemented measures that have restored water to affected customers. Since water is restored, customers are no longer being asked to refrain from using water for non-essential purposes.
"We have put into service an emergency connection in cooperation with Eastside Utility District and the Chattanooga Fire Department and put a temporary pipe at the site of the broken valve. On Friday, weather permitting, we will install the new valve during the overnight hours to have minimal impact on customers."
Tennessee American Water had sent a notification Tuesday evening to customers via CodeRed telephone software letting them know that they could possibly experience low water pressure or no water service.
“Currently we have customers who are experiencing low water pressure or no water service. We apologize for the disruption this has caused and ask for your understanding while we work safely and as quickly as possible to solve the underlying issue,” said Director of Operations Kevin Kruchinski at the time.
The alert was sent because of a 24-inch valve that has broken. Because the valve cannot be opened, it is affecting the water flow for two of the water system’s pressure zones east of Missionary Ridge. This area includes East Brainerd, East Ridge, Lakeview and Highway 58.
“While we are actively working through a solution, the water pressure and outages may continue off and on and affect different areas, depending on where we are working,” said Mr. Kruchinski. “Our ultimate goal is to replace the broken valve. We are working safely to restore water service to all customers as soon as possible.
The restrictions were intended to curtail non-essential water usage by customers like outdoor watering, filling swimming pools, washing cars or children using a hose or sprinkler for fun. This request does not pertain to essential water use by residents. This request is not intended to impact businesses such as restaurants, car washes, laundries and industries dependent on water usage for production and revenue.
Tennessee American Water making repairs