UPDATE: Water service was restored on July 6.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Manatee County Utilities customers on Anna Maria Island are being asked to curtail their water use after part of a water main collapsed.
Manatee County officials say around 1,000 feet of a 16-inch iron pipe fell from a series of hangars that held the water main under the Manatee Avenue Bridge.
The county was alerted to a potential problems with some of the hangars on Friday. But by the time a repair crew was in place on Monday, the water main had fallen to the bottom of Anna Maria Sound.
“This was a supplemental line,” Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge said. “Quick response from our county crews helped preserve that service.”
Van Ostenbridge said a 24-inch main, located under the Cortez Bridge, is maintaining about 80% water pressure to the island.
Nearly 4,200 residents were notified of the service interruption Monday through a 911 call.
County officials estimate it could take weeks to complete the repairs.
