Water service has apparently been restored to the Town of Estancia after a cleanup contractor reportedly damaged a main supply line. The town’s website had a one-sentence update (“Water has been restored!”) posted above an announcement of the outage.
In a post on the town’s Facebook page, Councilor Albert Lovato wrote that the mishap occurred at the site of a recently burned building. “Individuals working on the cleanup excavated in the alleyway without first obtaining the required utility locates and markings for water, gas, and fiber lines,” he wrote, adding that the incident caused the loss of about 15,000 gallons of water.
Town employees, Lovato wrote, contacted 811, completed the necessary reports, verified utility markings, and quickly began repairs to the damaged line.
Unfortunately, those responsible for the damage did not report the water leak after it occurred. As a result, the Town lost approximately before the issue could be identified and addressed.
The town administration building was closed, and staff worked remotely. The closure is expected to last through today but will not impact elections with all polling locations remaining open in Estancia.