Erie Businesses Affected By Water Main Break - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

Erie Businesses Affected By Water Main Break

A lot of schools and businesses still closed, because there's no water.
Meanwhile, homeowners have been scrambling to buy water.

Business and homeowners we spoke with are doing the best they can, but they definitely hope this situation ends soon.
They want back what everyone else usually takes for granted. Things like flushing a toilet or taking a shower.

A common scene Thursday was people at the grocery store buying cases of bottled water.
Its not just for drinking, it's for cooking, brushing your teeth, and flushing the toilet.
Some businesses, like Shirley's Country Kitchen on Route 97 and 505, are closed until the situation is over.
But next door, Keystone Physical Therapy decided to stay open.
The therapists have been buying gallon jugs of water.
They purchased ten gallons Thursday morning and will need more before the end of the day.
One store we visited ran out of the gallon jugs.

Mercyhurst college coped with the situation as long as they could but decided to cancel all classes and activities until Monday.
Students living on campus were told to go home or find someplace else to stay.

"Home is about nine and a half hours away.  For me, it's just another gas bill to get home back and forth.  They told us to come back on Monday." Said Mercyhurst student, Patrick Coit.

"There's a lot of buzz going around.  People really don't know what to do.  Myself, I live about three hours away.  So I'll probably stay with a friend that lives off-campus, and just tough out the elements for the weekend." Said Mercyhurst student, Stacy Skiavo.

Provisions are being made by the university, for students who live on campus and do not have a place to go.
The university is also trying to find an alternate location for some  hockey games that are scheduled for the weekend.

A local nursing home has also been affected. We visited the Sisters of Mercy, located behind the university.
There's a nursing home there, along with many other living quarters and offices.
They, like the physical therapy office, have loaded up on disinfectant soap and jugs of water.