Distracted driver hits fire hydrant, dries out Harvard residents, police say

HARVARD, Mass. — Harvard residents were told not to use any water after a distracted driver hit a fire hydrant on Saturday night, cutting off the town’s water supply for most of the weekend.

At around 8 p.m., after the driver took out the hydrant, water was seen gushing everywhere, emptying the town’s water tanks.

Into Sunday, residents were still left dried out while officials worked to fix the situation. In a tweet, Harvard Public Schools announced there would be no school as public works employees work to fix the water main break.

At first, residents were riddled with confusion as faucets stopper working.

“I was watching TV, and my wife came up in a panic, and said, ‘The faucet wasn’t working, the pressure was gone,’” said Larry Sweeny. “I couldn’t brush my teeth, and I didn’t take a shower before I went to church, which is what I usually do.”

Signs are now posted around town notifying residents of a boil water order. While residents say they can go buy water at local grocery stores, it still frustrating not being able to use indoor plumbing, such as run the dishwasher.

“Frustrating? Frustrated, I wanted to run the dishwasher!” said Carolyn Sweeney.

DPW crews continue to work to resolve the issue, but in the meantime, the boil water advisory will still be in place for the next two to three days. In and around town, business owners say they have been taking a hard hit and losing thousands of dollars.

It is still unclear if the driver will face any charges.

Boil water order, school closed in Harvard after weekend car crash Police say a distracted driver slammed into a fire hydrant Saturday night, sending water flowing for hours and damaging the water main. The town is telling residents the boil water order could last for another two days.

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