Grand Prairie Water Main Break: City In Danger Of Running Out Of Water

A Grand Prairie water main break has sent more than half the town’s water supply gushing into out of a giant pipe, leaving residents in danger of running out of clean water.

The city declared an emergency Monday night after a 60-inch pipe ruptured, spilling out half of the city’s water supply. Officials advised residents only to use water for “essential hygiene” and use bottled water for drinking.

Officials said Grand Prairie, a city of close to 180,000 people, uses 40 million gallons of water on a typical day. After the water main break the city’s total capacity fell to 17 million gallons.

The city received a bit of help, with nearby Fort Worth and Irving reducing their water levels from a shared pipeline to feed more into Grand Prairie.

Though water levels recovered a bit on Tuesday, the situation remains so dire that officials said the town could run dry if residents ignore the warnings and turn on hoses to water their lawns.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” said Ron McCuller, Grand Prairie’s director of public works.

McCuller said Mondays and Tuesdays are very popular days for residents to water their lawns in the sun-scorched town. There are water restrictions during the weekend, he noted.

The Grand Prairie water main break took place in the 500 block of Camp Wisdom Road, and crews are expected to have the pipe fixed by sometime on Wednesday. But it will still take at least another day before pressure is restored and water tanks refilled, officials said, and could stretch longer if residents use too much water.

Some local businesses shut down after the Grand Prairie water main break, and several more have said they’re considering closing on Wednesday. Others, like a local outlet mall, are preparing to bring in drinking water and portable toilets if water is shut down completely.