A state of emergency was declared Thursday after a water main break cut water to nearly a quarter million people in South Florida.
On Thursday afternoon, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said water service had been restored to most residents in the city, but that it may be lost again as long-term repairs continue.
The entire city of Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities had lost water service immediately following the main break. A boil-water advisory was still in effect on Thursday even as water was being restored.
On Wednesday, a contractor hit a 42-inch main during construction near the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The main supplies water to the Fiveash Water Treatment Plant.
The outage affected all or parts of Port Everglades, Oakland Park, Davie, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Sea Ranch Lakes, Tamarac and Wilton Manors.
Earlier Thursday, city officials said more than 200,000 customers could be without water until later Thursday or Friday evening.