Water may return by 9 p.m. to areas hit by faulty line

Water to about 1,200 residences was to be turned back on about 9 p.m. Saturday, several hours earlier than expected, after crews were able to pinpoint the problem in a faulty water line along Nellis Boulevard between Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard, a spokesman for the water district said.

The homes and 50 to 100 commercial businesses were without water since about 4:30 p.m. when the Las Vegas Water District started draining the 24-inch wide pipe, Roger Buehrer, a spokesman for the district, said. Water spewed out fire hydrants, flooding area streets.

As crews worked to repair the pipeline, they learned it fed a fire hydrant. That allowed them to isolate the area and restore water to customers much earlier than initially anticipated.

The leak, which started around 1 p.m. Saturday, was attributed to the aging pipeline, which was installed in the 1960s.