Wednesday Pipe Break On South Main St. Created Muddy Waters

Tap water in homes along S. Main Street and Pleasant Street may have looked a little dirty Wednesday following a water main break.

Pleasant Street resident Peter Maranci noticed. "It pretty much looked like mud on the bottom," said Maranci, when he drew water from his faucet Wednesday morning.  

Water Department Supervisor Mike Asselin said a broken water main along S. Main Street was the cause of the dirty water. Repair work likely stirred up temporary sediments in neighborhood's water system, he said. When that happens, "All they've got to do is run the water a little bit and it'll clear up."

Asselin said taps in the area should have cleared within about 15-20 minutes of running. Anyone whose water is still running murky should call the water department, he said, at 401-767-2482. 

Maranci's water didn't clear up that quickly, he said. By 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, his water was still coming out of his tap looking like weak tea.

Maranci said he was surprised the city didn't have a system to warn people their water might be affected - a quick e-mail warning earlier in the day when the break happened would've worked, he said.

"Anyone who stepped into their shower this morning would've had a nasty surprise," Maranci said Wednesday.