Water main break along Leary Way

Updated 2:45 p.m.: A large water main broke along Leary Way this afternoon, slowing traffic through Fremont and spouting brown water and impacting pressure for many Ballard residents.

Seattle Public Utilities says the break is under Leary Way and 39th St. (above). Crews have dug into the street to fix the break.

Public Utilities told us there’s no estimated time to fix it, and one Ballard resident says they told her it will take a few hours, then a bit longer to flush out the brown water. If you’re seeing brown water, they recommend you avoid running hot water to minimize filling the hot water tank with turbid water. If you are washing clothes, it is better to stop the cycle while it is full and wait until clean water is available to finish. More information about brown water here.

Traffic along Leary Way is diverted down to one lane in each direction. At last check, traffic was backed up a couple blocks in both directions. (Thanks Karen and Jen for the tips!)