Green Bay To Issue Water Emergency At Midnight After Intake Line Springs Leak

The city of Green Bay is issuing a water emergency beginning at midnight, after one of the city’s two main intake lines sprung a leak.

The leak was discovered on the city’s far east side. Nancy Quirk, the general manager of the Green Bay Water Utility, said repairs were scheduled for the weekend so businesses that use a lot of water will be minimally affected.

The utility is also asking people to tamp down their water usage over the weekend.

Quirk hopes for “people just being cognizant of the water and maybe abstaining from sprinkling the law over the weekend.”

Quirk said less domestic usage will help preserve water pressure. She also said the emergency order may have unintended consequences.

“We had someone call in about a carwash that they’re doing for a fundraiser tomorrow,” she said. “I said, ‘You don’t have to cancel it, but maybe between carwashes turn your hoses off.’”

Quirk says this is not a water quality issue, but that the leak is a symptom of the nation’s ailing infrastructure.

“The American Society of Civil Engineers did a report that said our infrastructure is rated a D-minus,” said Quirk. “We have these particular pipes that we’re working on tomorrow were laid in the ’60s.”

Quirk hopes the repairs will be done over the weekend and the emergency lifted by Monday.