Pullman experiences water service outages and road closures due to water main break

PULLMAN — Lost Trail Drive is expected to reopen Wednesday evening after crews remedied a water main break Tuesday afternoon in Pullman.

Public Works Director Sean Wells said crews were sent to the 1300 block of Lost Trail Drive around noon Tuesday when the city received multiple reports of water bubbling onto the roadway.

Workers excavated an over 10-foot-deep hole to find that a Tee connector to two 10-inch pipes installed in 2008 had failed.

Wells said the road was closed, and water services were shut off for about 40 households in the area. It was restored around 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Services will be shut off to around 30 residences in the area Wednesday while crews finish work.

Wells said the city experiences many breaks around this time of year because of cold cycles and much of Pullman’s utilities being 75 to 80 years old. This one, however, was a rare circumstance.

He said it’s unusual for a Tee connector to fail, especially being a newer installation. The city is still investigating what happened, Wells speculates the break could have been caused by a material issue or manufacturer defect.

While crews are working to repair the break, motorists are asked to avoid the area and detour onto Golden Hills Drive.

Wells said area residents may notice some water discoloration from interrupting services. He added that the water is still safe to drink and any foggy water color should clear on its own after running the tap for a few minutes.

To report any water outages, or for more information, contact the Pullman Public Works Department by calling 509-334-4555.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com