Crews work on repairing a broken water main underneath West Main Road in Middletown Sunday, July 19, 2026, at around 5 p.m. (Photo by Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current)
Approximately 2,000 customers of the city of Newport’s Water Division public water system were advised to boil water before drinking it as a precautionary measure Sunday as crews worked overnight to repair a water main break underneath West Main Road in Middletown.
A bell joint failed on a 24-inch water main on the southbound side of the the state road, Route 114, between the entrances to the shopping plaza home to Staples, The Home Depot, Aldi and other retail stores, according to a notice posted by the City of Newport Public Water System. The break caused a loss of pressure in the system, which increases the risk that untreated water or other contaminants could potentially enter the pipes. The notice includes a map of neighborhoods impacted by the boil water advisory.
The Rhode Island Department of Health issued an alert about the advisory Sunday night. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
Motorists first reported asphalt buckling across the entire width of West Main Road at around 10 a.m. For the remainder of the day, the road was closed to traffic between the access road and Valley Road. Police advised motorists to avoid the area if they could.
Repaving on the northbound side of the roadway was estimated to be completed by 4 a.m. Monday, allowing for southbound traffic to use one of the northbound lanes for the morning commute, Middletown Fire Chief Rob McCall said.
The boil water advisory will remain in effect for approximately two to three days, even after water service returns. Two rounds of water samples collected 24 hours apart must show the water is safe before the Rhode Island Department of Health can authorize lifting the order.
The town’s fire station served as the emergency operation center for most of Sunday. Between 2 and 8 p.m., the John F. Kennedy Elementary School was a distribution point for bottled water for residents after their water service was shut off, including those living at East Bay Village and Northgate Apartments, McCall said. Bottled water was available at the fire station Sunday night.
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Courtesy of Rhode Island Current
