FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ A temporary fix to the broken water main appeared to be holding Thursday afternoon, giving hope that water could be restored quickly.
Water was not restored, but pressure was building in the system, said Deputy City Manager Rob Hernandez.
Some Fort Lauderdale water customers could see an increase in water pressure, but they should continue to boil the water before using it.
Earlier Thursday, city officials said more than 220,000 customers could be without water _ and thus, without working toilets _ until Thursday or Friday evening. Some also will be without air conditioning, in buildings dependent on water for cooling.
The outage affects Fort Lauderdale _ hospitals, hotels, courthouses, the jail, high-rises, restaurants, employees and homeowners _ as well as customers in other cities.
Effects of the massive outage spread throughout the day. Hotels evacuated guests, government buildings and private employers downtown closed their buildings and sent employees home. The county courthouse stopped operations and closed at noon. Restaurants closed their doors, unable to serve customers without working bathrooms or running water.
The largest provider of drinking water in the county, Fort Lauderdale serves residents and businesses in all or parts of Port Everglades, Oakland Park, Davie, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Sea Ranch Lakes, Tamarac and Wilton Manors.
Fort Lauderdale's troubled water-sewer system has served up many pipe breaks and sewage spills in recent years, but none on the scale of Thursday's disaster.
Most water pipes that break are carrying water from the plant to homes and businesses. This 42-inch concrete pipe was actually supplying water from underground to the city's main water plant, Fiveash. With the actual water supply cut off, the effect was huge.
City officials said Florida Power & Light Co. subcontractor Florida Communication Concepts bored a six-inch hole in the pipe while using directional drilling underground to repair electrical lines.
The breach occurred Wednesday afternoon, but water was still flowing. As the city attempted a repair, the pipe burst.
Ideally, a separate, backup pipe would be activated, preventing Thursday's catastrophe.
Dozens of nursing homes and senior centers and hospitals were preparing to be without water. In high-rises with water/air conditioning chillers on the roofs, residents could be without air conditioning.
But because valves are not functioning properly, Public Works Director Paul Berg said, the city has been unable to seal off the broken pipe and divert water to the backup pipes. The city is still attempting to do that. Each of six valves requires hundreds of turns, he said.
If that effort fails, Berg said the city will replace the water main that broke, using a pipe brought up from Kendall in Miami-Dade County.
The outage comes as temperatures soar. The city set up three centers to hand out water by the gallon to parched residents.
The city declared a state of emergency, giving the mayor authority to make purchases or impose rules that might be necessary. Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis and Broward Mayor Mark Bogen on Thursday morning and offered assistance. The state sent at least 140,000 gallons of water to help.
Berg cautioned that when water does begin flowing again, it must be boiled for a minute to ensure it's safe for drinking, washing dishes or brushing teeth _ a caution that will span 48 hours after water is restored, city officials warned.
The same warning holds for any customers still enjoying water in their taps, coming from the city's second, smaller Peele-Dixie Plant.
The location of the water main break is in the 2500 block of Northwest 55th Court, just off the runways at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
The city has two treatment plants, but the one affected, Fiveash Regional Water Treatment Plant, supplies most of the city's drinking water.
Taciana Faria, 27, Coral Springs, works at Airtrade Aviation, 2535 NW 55th Court, which is right next to the water main that she said ruptured about 2 p.m. Wednesday.
"I went outside and it smelled like poop," she said.
"It was really bad," she said. "There was dirty water. It was a really strong smell."
Faria said the parking lot between several hangars was completely flooded.
"While water service is still operating, residents and businesses are urged to limit use. Please turn off all irrigation systems and only use water when absolutely necessary. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available," the city announced.
At Port Everglades, spokeswoman Ellen Kennedy said cruise ships are the port's biggest water users, but the proposed timing for repairs may ease the burden.
"Fortunately, we do not have any cruise ships until Saturday when this problem should be resolved," she said.
At the port, Broward Sheriff's Fire Rescue activated its emergency fire suppression plan, which uses ocean water as the main water source.
All ship agents _ cruise, cargo, petroleum and cement _ have been notified that they should seek alternative potable water sources, she said.
The North Broward Hospital District, which administers four hospitals in the county, issued a statement Thursday indicating that so far services are continuing uninterrupted.
"We are carefully monitoring this situation and will provide updates as more information becomes available," the statement said.
At a noon news conference, city officials said they are prepared to evacuate patients if that's necessary as the outage wears on.
By noon, closures were piling up throughout Fort Lauderdale. The Galleria mall on Sunrise Boulevard didn't open for business. The main courthouse closed at noon. The L.A. Fitness and Whole Foods on Federal Highway south of Oakland Park Boulevard were closed.
The city of Fort Lauderdale is prepared to fight fires, fire-rescue Battalion Chief Stephen Gollan said. The city has tanker trucks full of water and has reached out to neighboring cities that have water, to assist if needed. Fire trucks also can tap into canals if they have to, Gollan said. A second water plant, Peele-Dixie, that serves a small portion of the city is still operating. Miami-Dade sent water tankers up to assist, as well.
The fire department asked that high-rise buildings prepare to shut off automatic water pumps that kick on when water pressure drops. If the pumps kick on when there's no water in the pipes, motors will burn out.
Bottled water was selling fast at grocery stores in the communities affected by the lack of water.
Reginaldo Pitanga, of Fort Lauderdale, was just leaving the YouFit Health Club, Oakland Park, when he read a sign that was posted inside the gym saying the city's water supply had been affected by a water main break. So, he stopped at the neighboring Publix to pick up a case of bottled water.
"I usually don't buy bottled water and try to use tap water with a filter and everything but when we have to we buy bottled water in an emergency, like now," he said.
Although many restaurants likely will close, at Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park, the brewers connected its two reserve water tanks, which hold about 3,000 gallons apiece, to the water main, allowing it to open at 4 p.m.
Hernandez said state officials didn't have guidance yet on whether the city should order restaurants to close. He said he expects an update on that issue later Thursday. The city also will advise later Thursday whether children's summer camps, swimming pools and parks will be closed Friday.
In downtown Fort Lauderdale, the Bank of America Financial Center was among those sending employees home.
Fort Lauderdale prepared to close its City Hall early. Oakland Park sent home most employees Thursday afternoon and activated its emergency operations center. Children at a city program were relocated to another building where water was provided by Broward County.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport still has water and is not affected. The airport gets its water supply from the city of Hollywood.
Zenaida Wagner drove from Tamarac to the Publix to fill her cart with bottled water.
"The City of Tamarac called me this morning to tell me about a water main break," she said. "I got dressed and came here before the crowds took all the water."
She has an 8-year-old border collie named Peanut that she wants to keep hydrated.
"I have a dog that drinks water like a horse," she said. "I walk her twice a day and it's hot like the dickens out there."
