Florida Keys water main break fixed, but water pressure could take hours to restore
A water main break in the Florida Keys caused major traffic delays Thursday morning into early afternoon and forced officials to close several schools, two courthouses and county tax collector’s offices.
Residences and businesses throughout much of the Keys also lacked adequate water pressure, even after the pipe was fixed.
The break at mile marker 92 in the Upper Keys area of Tavernier happened around 7 a.m., a day after a pipe burst at mile marker 84.5 in Windley Key that caused traffic to back up on U.S. 1 the entire day.
And it occurred as the Keys water utility, the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, announced a $42 million project to replace four miles of aging pipe in the Village of Islamorada.
Utility workers repaired the leak around 1 p.m., but Monroe County spokeswoman Kristen Livengood said it would be another two to three hours before customers’ water pressure would be restored.
Meanwhile, the problem forced school district officials to close Plantation Key School, Stanley Switlik Elementary School in Marathon, Coral Shores High School in Plantation Key and Marathon High School.
Sugarloaf Key school in the Lower Keys had early dismissal.
And the courthouses in Plantation Key and the city of Marathon closed due to lack of water pressure, Livengood said. The county also closed its tax collector’s Plantation Key and Marathon offices, extending the Big Pine Key satellite office in the Lower Keys until 4:45 p.m.
Krystal Waldner, FKAA spokeswoman, issued the following statement Thursday morning: “FKAA is currently experiencing a transmission leak at mile marker 92. All FKAA customers may be experiencing low pressure to no water throughout the day.”
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement about the broken pipe around 7:30 a.m. Thursday, warning drivers to expect delays on U.S. 1, the only major highway that runs through the island chain.
Boil water notice
By day’s end, the school district said classes would resume Friday, but a boil water notice has been issued for: Coral Shores High School, Plantation Key School, Ocean Studies Charter School, Treasure Village Montessori School, Marathon High School/Middle School, Stanley Switlik Elementary School, Big Pine Academy and Sugarloaf School.
“Parents are encouraged to send their children to school with a bottle of water if possible,” said district spokeswoman Amber Acevedo. “The affected schools will all have bottled water available for students throughout the day. All other schools will have normal water use.”
The FKAA said a “precautionary boil water notice” will be in effect for “critical facilities” like hospitals, schools, day cares, restaurants and “other communal food and beverage facilities” until noon Saturday.
The notice is in effect from Tavernier Creek at mile marker 92 to Spanish Harbor Key at mile marker 35, Big Pine Key, Little Torch Key, Ramrod Key, Cudjoe Key, Upper and Lower Sugarloaf Key, Baypoint, Shark Key and Rockland Key.
“Again, this is a precautionary notice for critical facilities only,” the utility said in a statement.
This story was originally published March 9, 2023 at 9:04 AM with the headline "Florida Keys water main break fixed, but water pressure could take hours to restore."
