Photo by Joselyn King / Bellaire village workers and residents worked throughout the day Sunday in the area of 3714 Monroe St. to clean up after a massive 20-inch waterline break Saturday evening.

BELLAIRE — A major waterline break Saturday in Bellaire — and the resulting cleanup throughout the day Sunday — will cost the village in excess of $30,000, Administrator Scott Porter said Monday.

He estimates about 2 million gallons of water was lost during the break, which occurred in a 20-inch line at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the area of  3714 Monroe St. The water loss alone cost the city about $7,000, according to Porter. Service was restored by 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Porter estimated the cost of repairing the line at about $12,000. Included in this cost is the expense incurred for two clamps to place on the broken pipe, which had a combined price tag of $4,500.

Additional street repairs and the cost of labor will probably take another $10,000 to $12,000 from Bellaire’s budget.

“We’re pushing $30,000, not to mention the inconvenience to customers,” Porter said.

Village crews also assisted residents in taking debris and items destroyed by the water to the landfill. About eight homes had as much as 5 feet of water in their basement, he said.

During the time of the waterline break, service was shut off to all Bellaire water customers except those living west of the Rose Hill water plant on County Road 214.

A boil order remains in effect for the water customers until at least this afternoon as village officials await the results of water testing by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Porter said. He doesn’t foresee the order being extended.

In the meantime, water in Bellaire is safe to use for sanitary purposes but shouldn’t be ingested, according to Porter. It can be used to flush toilets or clean, but residents using the water to wash clothes should make sure the water isn’t discolored before putting laundry into their washer.

The waterline break was caused by roots underground growing around the pipe, wrapping around it and separating the pipe at its connection, according to Porter. He called it a “freak accident,” and said water pipes in the area of the break were in good shape.

Nevertheless, Bellaire is seeking funding to begin a $5 million upgrade its aging water system. First on the list would be renovations to the village’s water plant, which was constructed in 1973.

“It has no heating or air conditioning, and the utilities there are really out of control,” Porter said. “It has single-pane windows and too many doors.”

Electric costs at the water plant run about $122,000 a year, and renovations there could reduce this amount by about 35 percent, Porter said.