The city of Hillsboro will be under a boil order advisory until further notice after a water main line broke at Main Street and Business 21.
City Administrator Jesse Wallis said city officials had noticed moisture at the intersection Wednesday evening (July 4), but the situation got worse Thursday morning, so crews from the city’s Public Works Department closed the intersection and dug up the pavement to get to the source of the problem.
“We’re working on getting it repaired,” Wallis said.
“We’re pumping out the water to gain access to the line.” He said different areas of the city may be without water for longer periods than others.
“We’ve been opening and closing valves to try to get the water shut off to where it needs to be shut off,” he said.
“In certain areas, the water could remain off for the duration of the repairs or it may be restored when it’s determined that the valve can remain open.” One of the affected buildings is the Jefferson County Courthouse, 300 Main St. Because the building does not have water, County Executive Ken Waller and Circuit Judge Victor Mellenbrink, the acting presiding judge while Circuit Judge Darrell Missey is on vacation, agreed to close it through Friday.
All other county offices, including the Administration Center, 729 Maple St., the Administration Center Annex, 725 Maple St., and the Law Enforcement Center, 400 First St., remain open.
“Once the water pressure drops below 20 PSI (pounds per square inch), that automatically triggers a boil advisory,” Wallis said.
He said it’s likely that the boil advisory will remain in effect through the weekend, as it will require two consecutive daily samples of water showing satisfactory results before it can be lifted.
That sampling will begin once the line is repaired and flushed, he said.