Operators at the water department in Plainfield have been working over 12 hours every day since Wednesday to restore water service.
That’s after a wall of water rushed through town, destroying homes, roads and bridges, and leaving hundreds of people without running water.
Most customers in town now have their water restored, but around 50 homes on a handful of roads south of the Winooski River — Barre Hill, Brook Road, Creamery Street, Hudson Avenue and Mill Street — still do not.
“Our goal is within the next couple of days, as long as we don’t run into too many snags,” said Tristan MacGregor-Stewart, chief system operator for the town. “We’re hoping all those areas will be this week.”
Then, those customers will be on a boil water notice until testing confirms the water is safe to drink.
About 25 miles away in the village of Barnet, a similar story played out Wednesday night, when the Stevens River overflowed for the first time since 1927 and gushed into town, tearing out roads and bridges.
“There was this huge rumble that I felt — I felt the suction in my house,” said Lisa Bowden, who works for the town. “I can’t describe it, but I knew that our water system was gone, because that’s the only thing that could cause that sensation is the water being siphoned out of our house.”
The floodwaters and debris took out a 200-foot section of water line that runs from the village treatment plant to a pump station, which impacts about 60 customers. The town is still waiting for a temporary repair, according to Bowden, who’s helped with the village water system for a decade.
In the meantime, the village got tanks with several thousand gallons of water delivered from another treatment plant. The water is not safe to drink without boiling for a minute, and the town is asking residents to conserve their use.
“If people use their normal routines, it’s just not enough water,” Bowden said.
Several dozen customers in McIndoe Falls, in the southeast corner of Barnet, and the school building are also under a boil water notice, according to the state.
Separately, the health department has advised anyone whose wells might have been impacted by the flooding to test their water. They’re offering free test kits on their website.
Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message.
_
