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GIBSON CITY, Ill. (WCIA) — A boil order that was in effect for Gibson City on Thursday and into Friday morning has been lifted, city officials said.
The boil order was enacted Thursday morning after a major water main break happened off State Street near the city’s water plant. City officials said after several hours of excavation, crews were unable to repair the main, which led to the decision to shut the city’s water system down completely.
“We understand everyone’s frustration with the unexpected loss of water access today,” city officials said on Facebook. “It is certainly not a choice we like to make, knowing that it will result in a boil order for our citizens. When there is a water main break, our City employees are working in very unfavorable and somewhat dangerous conditions. They do their best to provide uninterrupted service whenever possible.”
“However, when the water main broke today, with the current low water levels, it was determined the need to do that today,” officials continued. “That allowed them to work more efficiently, and the water was back up and running within an hour.”
The water main break happened as Gibson City and the rest of Central Illinois deal with a declared drought. Gibson City in particular is being hit hard as the town’s wells require rainwater to be replenished. The town isn’t located on the Mahomet aquifer, so without rain, the wells are running low.
In response, the city issued on Wednesday a restriction on water consumption, starting with watering lawns and yards. This is prohibited until further notice.
