The “catastrophic” collapse of one of two water mains to Anna Maria Island spurred quick action from Manatee County.
But it could be a week or more until normal service is restored.
About 1,000 feet of a 16-inch water main attached to the underside of the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue collapsed around 4 p.m. June 19, falling into Anna Maria Sound after the hangers holding the pipeline “failed unexpectedly,” county information outreach manager Bill Logan wrote in a June 22 email to The Islander.
The water main was installed in 1982 under the bridge roadbed, which is inspected every three months by the Florida Department of Transportation.
The pipeline also is monitored by the county, which inspects all pipe crossings after major storms, but will reevaluate inspection frequency and make “any adjustments necessary” following this water main’s collapse, according to Logan.
County utilities director Evan Pilachowski said at a June 20 news conference that the county was notified June 16 that some of the pipeline’s support hangers had failed.
The county hired a repair crew out June 19 to make fixes but the water main had fallen by the time they assembled the equipment and materials and returned to the bridge.
The pipeline’s collapse resulted in a drop of water pressure — to as low as 37lbs per square inch — to Anna Maria and Holmes Beach until after the water main was capped later the same day.
About 4,200 residents were notified June 19 about the interrupted services via reverse-911 calls.
Since the fallen water main is supplementary to a 24-inch water main on the Cortez Bridge, water pressure was restored to about 65 psi, or 80% of its usual level.
Logan wrote that the county was working with Bradenton-based Woodruff & Sons, as well as the DOT, to complete emergency repairs on the collapsed water main.
He projected the water main would be restored by Friday, July 7, but wrote that additional work to reinforce existing hangers, secure the new main and remove the failed section of piping from the water would run up to 2-3 weeks longer.
According to a June 23 news release, the repair work was set to require periodic lane closures through June 30 across the AMI Bridge.
One lane of the bridge and its corresponding pedestrian sidewalk was closed 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. June 26, with alternating traffic across the bridge throughout.
The same procedure was set to be followed as crews work 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. June 27-30 on repairs. Further lane closures may be required “in the coming weeks,” according to the release.
“While the county does not anticipate customers being out of service at this time, residents will be notified if service interruptions may be necessary,” the release states.
We ask that everyone pay attention as they travel through the area,” Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer wrote in a June 24 text message to The Islander. “People should give themselves extra travel time.”
In the meantime, Pilachowski asked county utility customers on the island to reduce water usage where they can due to compromised fire flows — or water available for responding fire departments, typically via fire hydrants.
West Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Ben Rigney said June 20 that the North River Fire District provided a 2,100-gallon water tender to supply WMFR Fire Station 3 in Holmes Beach while supplies are low.
The county also placed buoys around the fallen pipeline to alert boaters about the underwater obstruction and worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to transmit a warning message to boaters.
As of June 22, there had been no known incidents with boaters involving the fallen water main, according to Logan.
“We had a catastrophic event yesterday at about 4 o’clock, but luckily nobody was in danger,” County Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge said during a June 20 news conference. “At this time, nobody is in danger and there is adequate water pressure out on the island.”
“All of our different agencies came together. Everybody responded quickly. Everyone worked together. … In the end, we got things under control, got pressure back on right away and we got the area secured. So, thank you to all our of partners, it could not have gone any smoother,” he added.
For more information about the water main repairs, visit mymanatee.org.
Islander reporter Robert Anderson contributed to this story.