Water main break temporarily shuts down State Route 31, disrupts water service to Metaline Falls customers

A water main break Thursday afternoon in Metaline Falls forced the closure of state Route 31 and disrupted water service to customers, according to the Pend Oreille County Public Utility District. 

The highway reopened Thursday night but water customers were told to boil their water, said Joe Hathaway, public information officer for the utility district. He said residents were able to retrieve water from Pend Oreille County Fire District 2, which provided water Thursday night. 

The broken water main near Sullivan Creek bridge caused water to flow over the highway, making the road slick with mud. 

Several agencies, including the utility district, responded to control traffic.

The main break was reported at about 3 p.m. Thursday and utility district crews finished repairs at about 4 a.m. Friday, Hathaway said. The cause of the leak was under investigation. 

Hathaway said the Washington State Department of Health was testing water samples Friday to determine whether the water met standards to lift the precautionary boil notice. Hathaway said contaminants can get into the water when a water pipe breaks, which prompted the notice. 

About 200 customers are on the Metaline Falls water system, Hathaway said. 

“We understand that the disruption of water service and boil water notice is challenging for our customers, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to resolve this issue,” Hathaway wrote in a statement. 

He thanked the city, county and state agencies for their assistance. 

This story is developing