Water line break spills about 160,000 gallons

CLOVIS — About 160,000 gallons of water spilled Wednesday after a water line blew on Fourth Street between Main and Mitchell, officials said.

Rebecca Stenholm, director of public and government affairs for EPCOR Water, said the 6-inch pipe developed a hole with about a 1-inch diameter. She said the hole resulted from a combination of age and the water hammer from the pump kicking on and off.

“We tend to see a couple of these each year,” Stenholm said, “normally in the colder months.”

City Manager Howalt said crews were doing some cleanup on Thursday and an asphalt patch would be scheduled as soon as possible.