Spotsy water main break impacted some area businesses.
A locally owned ice cream stand sat empty over the weekend because of a broken water main in Spotsylvania County, potentially costing the business thousands of dollars in revenue, owner Jim Troyer said.
Jimmy T’s Soft Serve on Courthouse Road closed early Friday afternoon, when the county advised many residents and businesses to boil water before using it after the water pipe broke off U.S. 1, Troyer said.
A restaurant in Cosner’s Corner, for instance, served bottled water and a fast-food chain sold canned soda instead of fountain drinks.
Troyer said he does not need water to make ice cream, but does need it to regularly wash off the stainless steel cups used to mix his product.
Other establishments stayed open but took precautions.
The restaurant’s soda fountains have water filters, but the local health department “didn’t feel comfortable with us using the water,” said Dan Wallace, who owns Arby’s franchises in the Fredericksburg area.
Employees sanitized the drink system after the county lifted its advisory, he said.
“We’re just thankful to be back in normal mode again.” Troyer said a health department official dropped by his stand early Friday afternoon to hand out a flyer about the advisory.
He said she recommended closing if employees there could not boil water.