Signs of a Water Main Break

• Significant drop in water pressure
• Saturated ground during dry weather
• Leak near a water meter or fire hydrant

If you have any questions or need to report a problem, please call the Public Works Department at 785-587-4530.
After business hours, please call 785-587-4550 to report any problems.

About Water Main Breaks

Water mains can break at any time, in any place. The breaks are usually the result of shifting of the earth near the main or the deterioration of the main itself, although accidents can occur during onsite construction projects.

Repairs

When a water main break occurs, our Water Distribution crews are notified. They are on-call 24/7 and will respond within one hour. Crews will first attempt to reduce water pressure to repair the pipe. If the pipe requires replacement, water service may be shut off, but crews will do everything they can to reduce the area affected. City crews will remain on site until water service is returned to the area — sometimes that means working well into the night.

Effect on Residents

Please be patient if a break occurs in your area. Crews will leave door hangers at the residences that they anticipate could be affected by their work. The amount of time water service is low or off depends on a variety of factors including severity of the break and the steps crews must take to make repairs safely. Crews will work as quickly as possible to return service.

Once water service is returned, there should be no adverse effect on water quality.