Water Main Break Prompts Early Dismissal For Eastern Middle School [Update]

Updated 6:20 pm

Aquarion Water Co. reports it completed repairs to the water main break on Hendrie Avenue in the Riverside section of Greenwich.

Original story:

A water main break on Hendrie Avenue forced an early dismissal for and resulted in the disruption of water service to 30 to 40 homes in the neighborhood earlier Friday.

Lorraine Bukowski, spokeswoman, said the break was reported by someone who saw water bubbling up from under the pavement. She said water company crews were  dispatched immediately and discovered that an 8-inch main had ruptured.

The crews, she said, excavated the area around the break Friday morning.

"We then contacted the principal at Eastern Middle School and informed him that in order to make the repair, service would have to be shut off to the school," Bukowski said. "As a result, the principal made the decision to have early dismissal."

About 11 a.m., Greenwich Public Schools announced an early dismissal with students sent home at 12:35 p.m.

The repair requires that one lane be closed to traffic. Bukowski said the water company had its crews suspend work from noon to 1 p.m.. and move equipment out of the way so that buses and other vehicles could have normal access and egress to the school during student pick-up.

Bukowski said the water company expects the repairs to be completed in about six hours, which means water service should be restored by 6 p.m. She said between 30 and 40 customers on Hendrie Avenue, Hendrie Lane and Coventry Lane are affected.