Carlisle, Woodward water systems drained by major main break

Two central Iowa cities are without water on Wednesday evening as work is done locating and repairing a pair of water main breaks.

Around 5 p.m., the city of Carlisle asked residents and businesses to stop using water immediately because a large water main break is draining the city’s water system.

The break has not surfaced, and crews are still trying to locate it, the city said. Once the break is found and repaired, Carlisle will be under a boil advisory until further notice.

”We have a unique problem of having too much and too little water,” Mayor Dan Carver said. “It makes it difficult because to find a water main break of this size, you kind of need to be looking around town to find where there should not be water, and unfortunately there’s water everywhere. This is an all-hands-on-deck kind of situation.”

The Carlisle school district has opted to cancel all classes for Thursday due to the water main break.

“Our hope is, of course, that we’ll be able to find and locate that break tonight and be able to fix it. Then we’ll be under a boil advisory until the water system is flushed. But the goal right now is just to get through the night,” Carver said.

The city of Woodward is under a boil order until further notice after crews were able to repair a water main break there. The city had shut off the water utility to the entire city due to a water main break. Updates will be provided on the city’s website.