-
The North Hopkins Water Supply Corporation building is located on Highway 19 North and serves over 7,600 people. Staff photo by Todd Kleiboer -
A leak was found on the main water line at FM 71 and FM 2285 Monday night, but according to the North Hopkins WSC, the search for more leaks is still ongoing. Courtesy
Sheriff ’s Department, VFDs aiding in effort
Water has been on and off for North Hopkins Water Supply Corporation’s customers as the city of Sulphur Springs cut off its supply Friday night, restoring it Saturday morning, cutting it off again Sunday night and then restoring it Monday morning again.
The back-and-forth nature was caused by city measures taken to avoid high usage as water leaked from an undiscovered main break. Customers were given short notice Saturday night as the city, through city manager Marc Maxwell, notified through social media channels about 10 minutes before the water was to be shut off. It was restored at 4:30 a.m. Sunday, and the city warned they would “turn them back off if they don’t find the leak.”
At around 8 p.m. Sunday, the city once again notified through social media that they would cut off their supply to the NHWSC starting 9 p.m. Sunday with restoration for only two hours a day “until such time as North Hopkins produces a plausible plan for locating the leak(s).”
Then again at 10 a.m. Monday, the city turned back on the water, noting “they can’t find leaks if the water is not on.”
In the same Monday announcement, a reward of one million gallons of water for locating a main break was set along with a reward of 100,000 gallons of water for people locating a leak on a service lateral to a vacant building or home. The city would back up the reward through NHWSC.
“Management and board members of North Hopkins Water Supply Corporation want to let their customers know that we are working around the clock to try to find any problem or leak on our system,” a Monday statement from the NHWSC said. “The Sheriff ’s Department and our Volunteer Fire Departments are also helping us look for leaks.”
NHWSC urged residents to conserve water and reminded them about the active boil water advisory issued Friday.
A leak was found on a major line on FM 71 Monday night, but the search is still ongoing, according to the NHWSC. Other leaks have been located as well.
The service disruptions caused the Monday closure of two county schools: North Hopkins and Sulphur Bluff ISDs. Both schools were returned to operations Tuesday.
Water cases are also being given to NHWSC customers at the Joe Bob’s gas station at the intersection of Highway 19 and FM 71.
The county also declared a local state of disaster Monday because “extraordinary measures must be taken to alleviate the hardship of people.”