December 30, 2025 3:40 a.m. 

The City of Roseburg is continuing to clean up and make repairs following a watermain break at the intersection of West Harvard Avenue and West Umpqua Street on Saturday night, December 20th.

Public Works Director Ryan Herinckx told News Radio 93-9 FM and 1240 KQEN that the water line was repaired on Tuesday, December 23rd by around 6:00 p.m. but has remained shut off from the system and customers. Herinckx said on Wednesday, December 24th, the line was filled with water, and the disinfection process began.

Due to the size of the break, the disinfection process requires that crews fill the water line with water that has a minimum of 25 parts per million of chlorine. The water is required to stay in place in the pipe for a minimum of 24 hours before flushing.

Herinckx said that due to the Christmas holiday, the flushing took place on Monday. Samples are being taken to Umpqua Research in Myrtle Creek for testing. If the first set of samples are negative for coliforms, a second set will be taken a minimum of 24 hours after the first set and sent to the lab for testing. Herinckx said once negative test results are received from the lab, crews can bring the watermain on Harvard Avenue from West Umpqua Street to West Bellows Street back online. He expects that this will take place on Wednesday.

Herinckx said the process would normally have been quicker but was slowed due to the holiday closures with contractors and Umpqua Research.

On Monday, the contractor completed repair work to the storm pipe and sanitary sewer pipe that had to be temporarily moved to repair the water pipe. The contractor plans to pave the damaged area on Tuesday.