Islanders can now resume normal water use was a message that the city flowed residents’ way on the afternoon of Aug. 1.

On that long-awaited day, the city informed residents via social media that repairs and quality testing have been completed for the Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) main water supply line and crews have returned it to service.

For the last 120 days, Mercer Island’s water system received water from a smaller 16-inch backup supply line while emergency work was underway to repair a leak in the 24-inch main pipe that occurred on April 3 near 95th Court Southeast.

In July, SPU repair crews successfully installed 1,300 feet of flexible liner into the mainline, completed quality and readiness testing and connected the lined section to the existing pipe on each end. They later completed the final stages of filling, flushing (to ensure water quality and safety) and disenfecting the water supply pipe to the Island before concluding final testing.

“During this time of reduced water supply, the community successfully curtailed water use to maintain adequate levels in the Island’s reservoirs. The city sincerely thanks our residents and businesses for their hard work throughout this emergency,” the city said. “Water customers should not experience any change in water quality, safety, or pressure as part of the supply line transition. A small number of customers may experience cloudy water however this is temporary and water remains safe to use.”

Islanders with questions or concerns about their water service should contact the city’s Customer Service Team at 206-275-7600.