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Carmel Utilities says West-side water main incident was contained but communications fell short
Summary
A 36‑inch water main incident on Aug. 18 reduced pressure on Carmel's west side, triggering an IDEM boil advisory; city officials said operational response restored pressure within hours but acknowledged public messaging and outreach were inadequate and pledged improvements.
Carmel Utilities reported to the Common Council on Aug. 18 that a fire-hydrant failure on a 36‑inch main on the city’s west side caused a rapid pressure loss in the distribution system, briefly dipping below the 20‑psi threshold that requires a boil advisory under Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) rules. Utilities staff said crews identified and isolated the break, worked with neighboring Westfield (Citizens) to restore pressure, and re-pressurized the system within about two hours.
But the utilities director told council members the public outreach and messaging that followed the incident “fell short.” He said the department did not have a direct customer push-notification system in place that morning and that the new communications platform the utility planned to launch had been delayed while vendors fixed software issues. Utilities officials pledged to implement direct alert capability, expand pressure monitoring, and improve joint operations with city communications and the emergency operations center (EOC).
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