Major water main break that affected thousands in northern New York repaired

WATERTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — A major water main break that affected more than 45,000 people in northern New York has been repaired, officials said Friday.

An aging, 12-foot-long (3.6-meter) piece of piping from the city of Watertown’s water treatment plant split late Wednesday night, prompting an emergency response to provide water to residents that included 11 tankers and several distribution centers.

Smaller nearby communities near the Canadian border also had been affected by the water shortage.

Watertown officials posted online Friday morning that the water main break was fixed and water pressure was building, though it would take time to fully restore.

A boil water advisory remained in effect, as well as a mandatory water conservation notice.

Officials in nearby Fort Drum, which normally receives half of its water supply from an off-post source, said they were drawing water from a well system and had not experienced a loss of service.