Warm Springs water line break prompts boil-water notice

A water line break on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation Wednesday morning led to a partial loss of water pressure, a boil-water notice and a need to shut down the system in Warm Springs at midday to make repairs, officials said.

The water distribution system lost partial pressure due to a break in the main water line near the Shitike River crossing, officials said in the boil-water notice. A loss of pressure increases the chance that untreated water and harmful microbes can enter the system, they said.

The Branch of Public Utilities crew began making repairs and said it’s expected they should be completed within 24 hours, though recharging the system will take another 5-6 hours after that, officials said. Random water samples will be taken for bacteria levels after the repairs are completed.

Officials said on the tribes’ Facebook page that the Agency Area could epect a water shutoff around noon Wednesday in order to isolate the line break and conduct repairs. That will include homes and businesses in Warm Springs, including the post office, a gas station, the detention center and tribal courthouse.

It’s the third boil-water notice in Warm Springs in recent weeks, though the previous ones were related to tests that found high turbidity levels in the water after heavy rains in the area. Another water line break in the same area prompted a boil-water notice last November.