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Businesses Hit Hard By Water Main Break

SCRANTON — At Gerrity’s Supermarket, people from across Scranton have been loading up their grocery carts with water, trying to prepare for this mas...

SCRANTON -- At Gerrity's Supermarket, people from across Scranton have been loading up their grocery carts with water, trying to prepare for this massive water shut off.

But it's not just homes that are taking a hit while the water company works to repair the broken pipe. Several businesses say this shutoff is breaking them, too.

Running water is something this Scranton salon can't run without

“We have to have water, I mean, in a split second when you’re doing hair colors, highlighting, perms any type of chemical services, loosing water can be life threatening,” said Kurt Lowry at the Hez Salon.

But with a 36-inch water main break in Scranton, the Hez Salon and many other businesses are closing, news this new business isn't too excited about.

“Being hit with the flu, and being hit with the snowstorms and the cold weather, losing water today really kind of broke us.”

At Gerrity’s on Meadow Avenue, Aisle 9 has been a popular place.  Store clerks say they’ve been having a tough time keeping gallon jugs of water on the shelves. Clerks have been stocking, and restocking their supplies.

Michael Lanzo of Scranton picked up four jugs of water. His home will be without water and hopes the shut off doesn't cause bigger problems.

“I hope it’s not too long. They say a couple of days. You got to watch because of the heat, the boiler, conserve your hot water,” Lanzo said.

Staff at Scranton Heath Care Center have 43 residents to care for. They say their emergency plan went into place the moment they found out they too would be cut off from water. They won't be evacuating the center and jugs of water were put in every resident's room. This nursing home says they're prepared but say it's still not easy.

“How long, that is the toughest part, is not knowing how long because it’s frustrating.  You don’t realize how important water is until you’re without it,” said Scranton Health Care Center administrator Lorree Levulis.

Many businesses in Scranton are hoping this repair won't take days but according to the Pennsylvania American Water Company that could be the case.

For locations where you can get water, click here.

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