Water Outage Information

****Water Outages****

There are two types of water outages: scheduled and emergency. Scheduled outages include outages required for maintenance, repair, or alteration of the system. Emergency outages include water main breaks or system damage.

In the case of a scheduled outage every attempt will be made to notify all affected customers. Typically, crews will go door-to-door the day prior to the scheduled outage. If there is no answer a door hanger will be left.

Main Breaks

If a main break occurs in your neighborhood, our crews work quickly to make the repair and restore water service. Due to the urgency of such situations, our crews make the repair process their top priority. Occasionally, this means water service may be interrupted for periods of time without prior notification.

When the Water Comes Back On

There may be air in your water service piping when the water is turned back on. It is a good idea to run water from a faucet that does not have an aerator screen immediately following a water outage. Bathtubs and hosed bibs are good candidates. Open faucets slowly to allow the air to escape. Air will make a spurting or hissing sounds as it escapes through the faucet. Once the water is flowing, allow the faucet to run for a minute or two. The water may be cloudy at first due to air or particles that dislodged as the pipes filled with water. This should clear fairly quickly. If water is cloudy throughout the house and it does not clear after allowing the water to run for several minutes, contact the Council Bluffs Water Works at 712.328.1006 for assistance.

If kitchen or bathroom faucets do not perform normally following a water outage it may be necessary to remove the aerator screen. Typically, the aerator can simply be unscrewed from the faucet. Inspect the screen for small particles and rinse away any you find. Reinstall the aerator and test the performance of the faucet again. If you experience difficulties such as low pressure thoughout the house following a water outage call Council Bluffs Water Works at 712.328.1006 for assistance.