UPDATE -- A broken water main is all patched up in Luzerne County.
Pennsylvania American Water says repairs to the big pipe under Linden and Luzerne streets in West Pittston are finished after it broke Monday afternoon.
The company is now getting the taps flowing again to the two dozens homes and businesses that were affected by the break in Luzerne County.
WEST PITTSTON – Repairs are continuing on a water main break in West Pittston.
A sewer line crew broke through a 20-inch water main on Monday.
Pennsylvania American Water hopes to begin repairs Tuesday night, bringing in special parts to minimize the number of homes and businesses impacted while crews repair this main.
Once those parts are installed, customers only in the immediate area of the break should be impacted.
Pennsylvania American Water estimates that when those special parts are brought in overnight, only about 25 homes and businesses should be without water. Crews hope to have this main repaired by Wednesday afternoon.
For Paula Viccica and 7-year-old Carlos, it was a morning of low pressure and cloudy water.
"It's tough. It's tough because you have to get moving and don't brush your teeth, don't drink the water, that type of thing, but we manage."
And if that wasn't enough, it was tough sleeping with pumps and generators operating nearly below her bedroom windows.
Crest Cleaners is open for pick-ups and drop-offs.
"My business here, i need the water for steam for pressing. I need the water for my washing machines, my dry cleaning machine is water-cooled. Without water, I can't operate at all," said Michael Lanunziata.
Plus, runoff from the broken main has made Crest Cleaners an island -- a challenge to enter and exit.
Even though the water main break is at Luzerne and Linden in West Pittston, the effect is felt over a wide area, including Exeter, Wyoming, and Forty Fort -- about 700 homes and businesses in all.
It was also a challenge driving through this area. All that runoff overwhelmed the storm sewers along Wyoming Avenue. The busy street was down to one lane for the morning rush.
It took hours to start the repairs. A spokesperson for Pennsylvania American Water says shutting off the water was not an easy process.
"There are a lot of valves associated and these valves are over 100 years old. They're not worked very often and it's something we have to do very slowly so we don't have any other problems in the system," explained Pennsylvania American Water official Susan Turcmanovich.
The broken pipe was installed in 1890. It's been trouble-free. The investigation is underway as to how the sewer installation crew broke it open. They do not know when repairs will be complete.
The Wyoming Area Intermediate Center in West Pittston was closed Tuesday due to the break.
