Water main break turned tap water brown

Several members of the My Ballard Facebook Group reported seeing brown water from their faucets today. Another resident said The Lockspot Cafe lost water altogether.

We called Seattle Public Utilities, and they said a contractor hit an 8-inch cast iron water main this morning, at 28th Ave. NW and NW 54th St., while moving a street drain inlet. That maps to the Nordic Museum’s construction site.

The pipe has now been repaired, and water color should return to normal quickly, said Andy Ryan, SPU’s spokesperson. He said running your water for a minute or two may help, and he added that the brown water is harmless.