Pottsville Water Line Break: May 17, 2025

POTTSVILLE, Ark. — A water leak that started just after midnight Sunday left parts of Pottsville with low pressure before city crews found and repaired a damaged six-inch main later that day, Mayor Dusty Gray said.Gray said he was contacted about the issue around 4 a.m. Sunday. He got on his side-by-side and began driving around town looking for the source of the leak while also getting city staff involved.By about 7 a.m., Gray said he had returned to City Hall and was receiving a growing number of calls from residents.“I was a little nervous and kind of scared,” Gray said.The mayor said he began posting video updates online to keep residents informed while crews worked to identify the problem.Gray said the leak was found in a six-inch main. According to Gray, when the infrastructure was installed, the line had been placed next to concrete fragments that appeared to be from an old foundation or sidewalk. Over time, the concrete damaged the line and eventually knocked a large hole in the main.Residents at higher elevations were the first to lose pressure, Gray said. The city’s water tank was also depleting as Atkins, which provides water to Pottsville, worked to keep water flowing into the system.Gray said the city’s public works director arrived around 9 a.m., and the leak was located by about 9:30 a.m. Repairs were completed by about 6 p.m. Sunday.A precautionary boil order was issued for the schools, Gray said, and is expected to be lifted.Gray said the incident showed the importance of communication between city officials, employees and residents.“We’re just trying to be transparent and open,” Gray said. “It takes a community. My staff and I can’t do it alone. We have to do it together as a community.”Gray also praised city employees who worked through the day Sunday to find and repair the leak.“We have some really, really fine people that really care about what we’re doing,” Gray said.Gray said he later took several city workers out to eat after the repair was finished.