The eastern half of Hills was without water Wednesday, March 3, while city employees worked to repair a damaged water main on S. Elizabeth Avenue just west of the Tuff Memorial Home. 

According to city public works employee Stacen Burgers, the main was cracked. He reported that frost in that area up to four feet deep was to blame for the crack in the pipe.

The leak was discovered Tuesday afternoon after Burgers noticed abnormally high readings on the city water meter. The high reading indicated there was an issue somewhere. 

He and Wayne Ward began searching for the problem. They discovered water running from a culvert that should not have been running. 

Burgers and Ward spent the remainder of the day and Tuesday morning cutting away asphalt, looking for the problem. Burgers said the water flowed north on S. Elizabeth Ave. along the path of the new fiber optic cable. 

Water service was interrupted for about an hour on Wednesday afternoon while repairs were made. 

Ward and Burgers assisted employees of DRG and AB Excavating in digging, cleaning the pipe and installing a 20-inch stainless steel band around the crack.