Lightning strike takes out water main; residents lose water (boil order active)

A boil water order for Ireland residents in the Shiloh Estates area from Skyview Drive West to 400W has been issued by the Ireland Water Utilities.

There are 20-25 homes affected by this boil order.

You are asked to bring your water to a rolling boil for 5 minutes before using it for drinking or cooking.  Or, purchase bottled water at an area retailer.[hr]

Residents in areas of Ireland may have woke up to a lack of water or very low pressure after a lightning strike caused the Ireland Water Tower to lose pressure.

According to Ken Schnaus, a member of the Water Utility Board in Ireland, lightning hit a tree in the Skyline Edition, which is in the very east portion of the district, “and we think the bolt actually went into the ground and blew up our main line there in the Skyline area. And it ran long enough that it drained our water tower.”

Schnaus said that they have isolated the water line, but there are some customers without water pressure until the water line can be repaired.

He said that before that work can be done, the electrical line that was also taken out has to be fixed.

Even so, Schnaus says that the water tower is now ½ full so residents should see low pressure, but will not be back up to full pressure for several hours today.

He also reports that the pressure has not and will not affect school at Ireland Elementary today.

Dr. Tracey Lorey said that they had checked the facility during the 5 am hour this morning and there is plenty of pressure at the school.