WITH GALLERY: Downtown Iowa City street could be closed until next week after water main break

UPDATE: A water main break caused a major disruption along a downtown Iowa City street Friday.

A 12-inch water main below the 100 block of Washington Street broke at about 5:30 a.m.

Water seeped into an unspecified number of buildings along the block. Several pumps were snaking out of buildings, particularly basement storage areas, where water could be seen.

Mayor Matt Hayek's law firm, at 120 E. Washington St., had a foot of water in its basement that had receded by mid-morning.

"It's muddy. It looks like the Mississippi (River)," he said, adding that files are stored down there and there was damage.

Crews tore through a section of the street to get to the pipe, and water service wasn't expected to be fully restored until Friday evening, said Shannon McMahon, city spokeswoman.

Washington Street on that block likely will be closed until next week, she said.

Sidewalks remained open, and it is not immediately clear how many businesses are affected. Some buildings were having other utilities assessed, McMahon said.

Water got in the basement of Ewers Men's Store, 28 S. Clinton St., but only soaked the carpet and the store stayed open, owner Bob Noser said. Inventory is kept in the basement, but it was high enough to avoid damage.

"We're lucky," he said.

Officials nationwide have warned that not enough is being done to address an aging water infrastructure.

A 2007 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report to Congress found that the nation's drinking water utilities needed $334.8 billion in infrastructure investments in the next 20 years. Iowa accounted for $6.1 billion of that, of which nearly $4.4 billion was for transmission and distribution mains.

The Washington Street water main was installed in the early 1970s and is made of cast iron. It is 12 inches in diameter, compared with the typical 6 to 8 inches in a residential neighborhood, McMahon said.

Iowa City water customers may experience some brown water as flow reversal occurred in water mains in the city, according to a news release. Running your water will clear up any discoloration and is safe to drink once it clears, the city said.

For more information, contact the Water Division emergency line at (319) 356-5166.