On an evening when a host of city of Mercer Island staff members and officials gathered at the National Night Out community event on Aug. 5 at the city hall campus, city crews were assessing and starting to repair a water main break in another area of town.

The break occurred in the 8300 block of East Mercer Way and affected water service for about 50 homes, according to a city social media post. This morning, the city relayed an update to residents that crews have repaired that break, they are flushing the lines and service was estimated to be restored within an hour of its latest post in the 8 a.m. range.

A second water main break also took place and has impacted about five homes near the 7700 block of East Mercer Way, the city added this morning. Crews are presently working to mend that break and residents may temporarily lose service during that time, the city said.

After crews further investigated the second break, city communications manager David Sandler said it is “more extensive than previously thought and will take longer to repair. In the meantime, crews have established alternate, temporary water connections for these homes so they have water service for the duration of the repair work. The water is safe to drink.”

Regarding the 8300 block of East Mercer Way repair — a time-consuming, complex job that required a new section of pipe to fix the break — the city noted: “The water is safe to drink. There may be some discoloration at first and should gradually improve.” If the problem persists, residents can contact customer service to report an issue at (206) 275-7600 or customerservice@mercerisland.gov. If necessary, the city added that it can dispatch technicians to homes to examine water coloration issues.

In a post last night, one resident said his water looked like black tea, to which the city responded: “Some homes near the water main break may experience water discoloration as crews shift the normal flow of water as part of their diagnostic and repair work. This is a common occurrence, and the water is safe to drink since the system has maintained positive pressure.”

The city said that crews worked through the night on the issue and it was arranging to bring a second crew into action to relieve the initial workers on the sites.

“We apologize for the inconvenience. We understand how important it is to restore water,” the city said.

On the road front, East Mercer Way between Southeast 76th Street and the north end of Clarke Beach Park will remain closed to all traffic — including pedestrians and cyclists — until crews can inspect the area.

As noted in a city report on Wednesday, a geotechnical engineer has evaluated the site and recommends that the roadway remain shuttered for at least a week until it dries out and is further assessed.

A Facebook commenter addressed the city’s response to the breaks: “Thank you to all the crew who worked through the night to restore full water service to most of the affected homes! Very much appreciated!”

The Reporter will continue to post updates as it receives more information from the city.

Graphic courtesy of the city of Mercer Island