8,000 Customers Affected by Water Main Break in North Carolina City

Officials in the City of Lexington, N.C., have declared a state of emergency after a break occurred in a 16-inch water main.

The Dispatch of Lexington reports restaurants and other businesses closed on Monday. City offices closed at noon.

Citizens are urged to boil water. The break, which impacts approximately 8,000 customers, has taken all three of Lexington’s water tanks to an unprecedented capacity level. Tank levels and water pressure will be affected for up to 24 hours. Residents are being urged to conserve water until levels recover.

Public Service Manager Roger Jones said crews received a call of a customer without water around 4 a.m. Monday. While responding to the call, crews discovered a large leak in a main water line.

Lexington is approximately 60 miles northeast of Charlotte.