by Ben Kleine, originally posted on June 17, 2016

Running water returned to homes in the McClure-East Cape Girardeau, Illinois, water district Thursday afternoon after a major leak that left hundreds of homes without water during the hottest day of the year.

The water district had shut off water to every home in the district Thursday morning to contain a leak in McClure.

The district turned the water back on about 4 p.m. Thursday, although members still were flushing lines to clear air out of pipes, district secretary Carol Tabor said.

She recommended residents use only small amounts of water and not run washing machines, fill bath tubs or take showers until this morning.

The district is under a boil-water advisory.

Board member Kerry Hill said the water needs to be tested in Carbondale.

The boil advisory likely will last until Saturday, Hill said.

The water district also includes Reynoldsville and Gale, Illinois, for a total of 425 homes.

The district was informed of a problem about 5:30 a.m. Thursday.

A crew worked in the area of Duncanville and Second streets in an attempt to isolate the leak, which was found in a marshy area south of Second Street on Thursday afternoon, Hill said.

The pipe was installed in the 1970s and was not really necessary with the main line flowing along Second Street, Hill said.

Hill, along with the water district’s only employee, James Tabor; contractor Tyler Bruce, who brought a Bobcat; and volunteer Christian Otte capped the old portion of the line.

Spark Ministries, on Grapevine Trail in McClure, received bottles of water from the Red Cross and jugs of water from Shawnee High School.

Church member Sandy Pulley said anyone in the community was welcome to pick up bottled water.

The church is in a different water district with running water.

Pulley said residents could come fill up water jugs and use the restroom if they wanted.

“We’re here for the community,” Pulley said. “We’re a community church.”

Pulley said residents under a boil-water advisory can contact her to receive water from the church.

East Cape Girardeau resident Denea Woods was at the church late Thursday morning.

She was worried about her daughter Autumn, 5, who suffers from seizures brought on by extreme heat.

Temperatures reached the high 90s Thursday, with the heat index well above 100.

Woods said she must have water available for Autumn during high-temperature days like Thursday.

McClure resident Bill McHughs was helping out at the church and enjoying the air conditioning inside.

While he has bottled water, his air conditioner is broken, and repairs could not be scheduled until Monday.

“It’s nice to be anywhere where it’s cool,” McHughs said.