Watch CBS News

Progress Made In Fixing Georgetown Water Main

GEORGETOWN, Colo. (CBS4) - A boil water order remains in effect for the entire town of Georgetown after the town's water supply became contaminated due to a water main break under Clear Creek.

Tuesday was the fifth day the town was under the boil warning, but progress is being made with the help of Denver Water.

Tap water is still okay for bathing, washing dishes and flushing toilets. It's not safe to use tap water for drinking or cooking.

Tourists were still flocking to the mountain town.

"With it happening during the Fourth, it was a fairly big inconvenience," Town Administrator Tom Hale said.

"We just knew that the water tasted funny, so we started drinking bottled water, that's how we knew," Texas tourist Peggy Faulkner said.

Denver Water is helping by installing a new shut-off valve that will allow crews to isolate the break.

The water main that broke under a bridge over Clear Creek is impossible to see or repair because it's exposed to high, rushing water.

"We suspect that the rocks are being sent down from the upper creek hit the line and fractured the line," Hale said.

Once Denver Water installs the shut-off valve and the break is isolated, Georgetown will be able to flush out its entire water system. Samples will be taken and sent to a lab. If the water tests clean, residents could be back on municipal water that's certified as safe by late Wednesday.

The plan will allow getting everybody back on the system without having to repair the break since they are isolating the broken water main. In order to repair the main, crews need water from the creek to recede so they can get to it. That might not happen until sometime in September.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.