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Elkins water operator says leak drained up to 1 million gallons a day; crew publicly thanked
Summary
Chief water operator reported a leak that staff estimated had been losing roughly 800,000–1,000,000 gallons per day for about four months; the city publicly recognized the water crew after a multi-day repair effort.
Elkins’ chief water operator reported a major underground leak that staff estimated had been losing roughly "800,000 to 1,000,000 gallons a day for 4 months," and described a multi-day search and repair that required repeated interventions and overnight work.
The presentation to the council recounted how crews narrowed the leak’s location through a combination of in-house detection and outside contractors, then excavated and made repairs that took approximately three days of focused effort. The official said water had undermined the pavement in the repair area and that crews worked long shifts to restore the line.
Mayor Eric Connor and city staff asked the water crew to come forward so council and the public could put names to faces. Several utility workers introduced themselves in the chamber and were publicly thanked for the response and long hours.
The city official described operational impacts and the scale of the loss as illustrative of both the difficulty in locating some leaks and the importance of interdepartmental coordination during emergencies. The presentation included an itemized description of the detection steps and the repairs completed; staff said they would continue monitoring and follow up with any further details.
The council did not take formal policy action on the leak during the meeting; members instead used the floor to recognize the crew’s work and to ask staff to continue reporting on any follow-up maintenance or billing impacts.
