Posted Thursday, July 11, 2024

A Big Thank-You to the #WeServeHuntington Team

We need to brag about our #WeServeHuntington team for a minute. Members of the city’s Street Department, City Utilities and Engineering departments got called in on the Fourth of July holiday just before 5 a.m. They spent the next 16 hours repairing multiple water main breaks across Downtown. They did it without hesitation because serving their friends, families and neighbors in Huntington matters to them – and they shined in the spotlight.

The breaks happened after a semi-truck inadvertently ran over a fire hydrant at Washington and Jefferson streets around 4:30 a.m. on July 4. We believe a sudden pressure change caused a “water hammer” that broke six mains. Crews’ quick reactions and hard work prevented a citywide boil water advisory, which was instead contained and limited to the immediate Downtown area. The advisory was lifted early Sunday afternoon.

The Huntington Police Department did great work to identify the truck and make contact with its driver and representatives. The operator acknowledged driving through Huntington that morning but was unaware of running over the hydrant. Last week’s situation calls for a measure of grace and understanding, and we appreciate the driver’s and trucking company’s ongoing cooperation in the matter.

Thank you again to the #WeServeHuntington team for coming together and doing excellent work in difficult circumstances to restore water service to our Downtown area.