139 restaurants near Tacoma Mall told to check water after main break
UPDATE AS OF 5:30 P.M.: Tacoma Water said it has isolated the affected area and will run a bacteriological test before fully resuming service. All customers in and around Tacoma Mall have water but some remains discolored. The utility has tasked four crews to continue flushing lines “until we get our water clarity back to normal,” according to an update on Facebook. Normal water use should resume “within the next few hours.”
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PREVIOUS REPORT: More than 130 restaurants may need to close after a contractor hit a water main in the Tacoma Mall area around 11 a.m. Thursday. Water may appear “discolored or cloudy,” according to Tacoma Public Utilities.
The affected area spans from South 38th Street to South 56th Street and South Yakima Avenue to South Tyler Street.
The incident occurred near the Krispy Kreme on the east side of the mall nearest Interstate 5, according to Rebekah Anderson, communications manager at Tacoma Public Utilities.
“A contractor damaged a water main,” Anderson confirmed to The News Tribune. “Our crews are focusing on getting service restored and we should know more details in the next few hours.” She expects to issue an update after 5 p.m.
The Krispy Kreme had no water as of 9:45 a.m., according to the manager. She was told it was an accident during construction in the shop’s parking lot. The situation appeared to be improving, per her conversation with workers addressing the issue, but she does not know when they can re-open.
MOD Pizza on Steele Street also has been closed since about 10 a.m., despite having “completely clear” water. An employee said the restaurant was originally given a five- to six-hour window for repairs.
Tacoma Water first posted on Facebook and Twitter about discolored water around 2 p.m. It added an hour later added that there is no boil-water advisory in place.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department first alerted dozens of food-service establishments in those bounds to the potential of brown water on Twitter at 2 p.m. Communications manager Edie Jeffers said restaurants — including food retail and coffee shops — that notice sediment in the water are required to close immediately.
In an official alert, the health department emphasized that the water system in that area “has sediment,” rendering it unsuitable for dishwashing, drinking, food preparation or handwashing. Any business with ready-to-eat food or drink must turn off and drain any machine — such as an ice maker, soda fountain or dishwasher — that draws water during use. They cannot reopen until water runs completely clear from all faucets.
Jeffers said she did not expect another update on resolution until later Thursday evening.
Residents in the affected area can contact Tacoma Water at 253-502-8207 until 5 p.m. and at 253-502-8344 after-hours for more information. Discolored water comes from river silt particles, which are “harmless,” the agency says on its website, where The News Tribune was directed for more information.
Food-service establishments will adhere to updates from the health department.
This story was originally published January 2, 2020 at 3:38 PM.