Water main leak patched

Water has been restored to multiple homes and businesses on the west side of Portales after a water main break on Wednesday night left residents with little or no water.

Public Works Director John DeSha said every one from Avenue K to U.S. 70, including the industrial complex and Eastern New Mexico University, was without water until midnight or early Thursday morning. DeSha said workers were able to isolate the leak but the valve will need to be replaced.

DeSha said the break occurred across from the Holiday Inn Express off of U.S. 70.

Holiday Inn Express and the Super 8 Motel were among businesses impacted.

“At 7:30 p.m., we got calls from our customers saying that the water wasn’t working,” said Lisa Montoya, general manager at the Super 8.

Parin Kumar, the general manager at Holiday Inn Express, said the water went off around 7:26 p.m. and came back on at 11:07 p.m., Wednesday night.

“I didn’t know how to get a hold of the city so late, so I called the fire department. They got a hold of the city for us,” said Kumar.

DeSha said the pipe was being dug up Thursday.

A valve will be ordered for the repair and should arrive next week but DeSha said customers will have water in the interim.