SCRANTON, Pa. — UPDATE FRIDAY: Crews began to restore water service Friday morning to about 20 homes and businesses affected by the break.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Water poured into the streets of West Scranton Thursday morning after a 16-inch water main burst along West Linden Street.
Homes and businesses in the area were without water.
With no water, the kitchen inside Sheetz closed Thursday morning.
Several school districts, including West Scranton, were forced to hold classes virtually.
All Saints Academy is on a two-hour delay Friday due to the water issue.
Geisinger's Mount Pleasant clinic could not see patients in person.
The facilities parking lot was mostly empty; a water wagon stood near the entrance.
Patients coming in for appointments were turned away by a sign on the door apologizing for the inconvenience.
Geisinger told Newswatch 16, pediatrics and women's health staff tried to reschedule appointments and surgeries.
Staff contacted many patients to meet appointments through telemedicine.
Right around the corner, Perrotti Dental Care had to cancel about a dozen appointments Thursday morning, with no water coming through the sinks.
"This time of year, we're very busy," said Dr. P. Joseph Perrotti. "Everybody is off from school, and they're coming in from college, and we're trying to fit everybody in where we can. So it hurts."
Perrotti said his water kicked back on after a few hours.
The supply coming straight from the city is still dark brown, but the filtered water in the sinks runs clear, allowing the office to open back up for patients.
"We use a very special filtration system, so we eliminate a lot of the particulate," Perrotti said. "Secondly, in our office, we use a type of a system where when we do dental surgery procedures, it's sterilized isolated water. It's not connected to Scranton's water system. So we don't have to take a chance with our patients at all."
Perrotti said he's been through this before, and his staff will adjust.
"I have great staff. They're great girls, they work hard," he said. "They'll sneak everybody in. They'll get the job done, definitely."
If your water is discolored, Pennsylvania American Water asks customers to run cold water for three to five minutes until it runs clear.
A company spokesperson said repairs were completed overnight, Thursday into Friday. However, crews are still working to stabilize the ground under the pipe before service can be restored.
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