A water main to Anna Maria Island has broken, officials say. Here’s what to know
Residents on Anna Maria Island will have to limit their water usage while crews work to replace a water main that collapsed into the water from the Manatee Avenue bridge, Manatee County Government said in a press release Tuesday evening.
According to officials, the water main fell from a series of hangars that held the pump under the Manatee Avenue Bridge.
The 1,000-foot, 16-inch iron pipe now sits on the bottom of the Anna Maria Sound.
County officials were made aware on Friday, June 16, of problems with the hangars, but a repair crew wasn’t able to get out to fix the issue until Monday, and by then the water main had fallen into the water, the release said.
“This was a supplemental line,” Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge said in the release, who pointed out that a 24-inch main located under the Cortez Bridge is functioning as designed, maintaining about 80% water pressure to the island. “Quick response from our County crews helped preserve that service.”
Nearly 4,200 Island residents were notified Monday of a possible interruption to their water services through a reverse 9-1-1 call.
Now, a local repair contractor and engineers are coming up with a plan to repair the water main. However, a timeline hasn’t been determined.
“The repair time is being estimated in weeks,” Manatee County Utilities Director Evan Pilachowski said in the release.
In the meantime, boaters should stay in the channel when passing beneath the Anna Maria Island bridge.
Holmes Beach police are advising boaters to steer clear of the downed water main, which has buoys tied to it, and to navigate using the center crossing. Notices of the downed main will be posted at nearby boat ramps.
This story was originally published June 20, 2023 at 12:08 PM.
