According to Bethel Public Works Director Bill Arnold, water returned to Bethel's Housing neighborhood around 9:40 p.m. on Sept. 13 after a water line break at the Bethel Heights water plant.
The water line break prompted the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) to call off school on Sept. 13 at Mikelnguut Elitnaurviat, Gladys Jung Elementary, Bethel Regional High School, and Bethel preschools.
Arnold said that he noticed that there was no water pressure around 4 a.m. on Sept. 13. When they were working on the repair of the PVC water pipe, another line broke when they turned the water back on. They fixed the second pipe before getting the water back on that evening. Arnold thinks that the breaks were caused by the building shifting.
LKSD Superintendent Kimberly Hankins said that the district plans to reopen school on Thursday, Sept. 14.
Arnold apologized for any inconvenience, saying that things happen that we have no control over.
