City: Water Safe to Drink After Broken Main

Napa residents from Alta Heights to Browns Valley found their water pressure failing Tuesday afternoon and evening.

The cause of the trouble was a break in the main transmission line from the Jamieson Canyon water treatment plant, according to a 7 p.m. update from the city of Napa:

This is a 36-inch line that delivers water to the entire city. The break is in the 1300 block of Foster Road. City crews have isolated the break and stopped the leak. Repairs will continue through the night. The Hennessy treatment plant is now online and feeding water into the City. Customers may continue to experience a loss of water pressure and/or brown water for several hours. The water remains safe to drink. 

The affected line carries water from the treatment plant as far north as Yountville, according to the Napa Police Department.

The switch to water from Lake Hennessey restored the flow, but dirt had already invaded some local water lines. Napa Patch columnist Cathy Felder reported from Browns Valley at about 7:20 p.m., “the water is back on but it's not pretty!” (See photo.)

“And there are lots of gurgling noises coming from the plumbing,” Felder continued, adding that the family dog, Lincoln, was intrigued by the phenomena.