To fix the fissure, the county Public Works Department will shut off the water and excavate around the pipe at midnight tonight, hopefully shutting down water for just a couple hours. On Thursday night, the county workers will be back out to install a new piece of piping, currently en route from another Southeastern state. Again that work will start at midnight and should take at least five to six hours to complete, meaning the work should be back on early Friday, Bay County Utilities Superintendent Paul Lackemacher said.
Panama City Beach City Manager Mario Gisbert said he was coordinating with county representatives. He has been told that if the major repair, currently set up for Thursday were to take an entire day or more that the repair might be moved until after the weekend, when water demands are lighter.
A boil water notice is being issued starting at midnight to the areas of
“These things usually happen at the worst times,” Lackemacher said.
Lackemacher estimated that the crack in the pipe is about an inch wide but cannot be sure until excavation is completed. He could not give an estimate on how much water is being lost. The new high density polyethylene pipe will cost the county about $10,000.
“I hope that there is a minimal inconvenience,” Commissioner Guy Tunnell said of water customers.