The city of Franklin was without water this morning, forcing Simpson County Schools to call off classes and some industries to shutdown.

“The water treatment plant had a glitch in its pumps and they wouldn’t stay on,” Mayor Jim Brown said. “It drained the tanks so fast it created a total loss in pressure.”

A drop in pressure occurred about 4:15 a.m. and by 6:30 a.m., the two 1 million gallon storage tanks had been drained and there was no water, Brown said.

A break in a 12-inch PVC line along the railroad track caused the problem. A rock under the line laid about 25 years ago created the break.

“Fortunately, we had the supplies to repair it and the water is pumping again,” Brown said.

Because the pressure dropped to zero, the state mandates that Brown issue a boil water notice.

Residents for the next two days will need to get water to a rolling boil for three minutes before consuming it. Restaurants will be OK to use the water in washing, provided their dishwashers heat the water high enough.

By 10:45 a.m., water had been restored to much of the city, but Brown said it will likely take some time to replenish the water tanks fully since so many people are at home and now trying to catch up on their water usage.

Woodburn Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bob Skipper said his department and others were notified of the emergency situation early today in case a fire broke out.

“Fortunately, we didn’t have that happen,” Brown said. “But it’s a good feeling to know that such cooperation exists.”