MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – Four schools in the Florida Keys, two courthouses and several businesses were closed Thursday due to water pressure issues attributed to a water main break.
The water main break occurred Wednesday night at Mile Marker 92 in Tavernier.
By Thursday afternoon, the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority reported that the section of the main was repaired. Crews were seen fixing the road into the evening.
Monroe County Schools announced schools will be open Friday and that a boil water order has been issued for the following schools:
- Coral Shores High School
- Plantation Key School
- Ocean Studies Charter School
- Treasure Village Montessori School
- Marathon High/Middle School
- Stanley Switlik Elementary School
- Big Pine Academy
- Sugarloaf School
Parents are encouraged to send their children to school with a water bottle if possible. The affected schools will also have bottled water available for students throughout the day.
Monroe County spokeswoman Kristen Livengood confirmed that the Plantation Key Courthouse and the Marathon Courthouse were temporarily shut down Thursday.
“All in-person court scheduled for March 9, 2023, will be re-noticed,” she said in an email.
All other Monroe County government operations remain open, “including libraries, building and permitting, and other offices, although bathroom and water use may be limited at facilities,” Livengood said.
Several businesses in the Upper Keys closed because of water pressure issues.
“For this to happen for us and for so many other businesses, it’s terrible,” said Angel Borden, owner of the Dockside Raw Bar and Grill in Tavernier.
Borden said the canal-front restaurant started losing water pressure Wednesday night. By Thursday, the spigots had run dry. Some of the staff coming from Homestead were stuck in traffic.
“Between us and the restaurant upstairs, several thousand dollars today,” she said. “This is Thursday -- this is an extremely busy day.”
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says drivers should expect traffic delays and back-ups at Mile Marker 92 due to the repairs being done.