Waukesha - A major water main break just outside the Waukesha County courthouse forced city water crews to shut off water to the building shortly after 10 a.m. but otherwise business is operating as usual, said Norman Cummings, director of administration.
Although the break occurred underground near the front entrance - the only public access - people could still enter there at noon. The entrance might be closed later, Cummings said, but another door would be opened.
Because the Waukesha Water Utility shut off water to the building, employees and courthouse visitors have to use rest rooms in the adjoining Administration Building, which is not affected. Cummings said the jail was not affected.
The leak was detected around 10 a.m. and water leaked into the courthouse boiler room, but it is draining rapidly and did not appear to affect the mechanical equipment, he said.
Waukesha Water Utility Manager Dan Duchniak said the broken pipe is in the county's lateral from the main water line. Water Utility crews are assisting the county in finding a contractor to fix it. The options are boring underground to the break from the parking area - a process that could take more than a day, he estimated - or digging up the entrance approach to the courthouse.
Duchniak said the damage and repairs are the county's responsibility, not the utility's.