Maintenance at Idaho State Correctional Center meant no prison water for hours
A disruption in the main water line at the Idaho State Correctional Center south of Boise left those incarcerated at the facility without water access this week.
According to ISCC, the facility experienced “intermittent disruption” to water access from Monday afternoon through early morning Tuesday after routine maintenance on the facility’s fire hydrants caused the problem, the Idaho Department of Correction told the Idaho Statesman.
During the maintenance procedure, conducted by an outside contractor, natural sediment was drawn into the well system and clogged filters in part of the facility’s main water line. From 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., there was no water access throughout the entirety of the prison as maintenance staff and contractors assessed the issue and began repairs, according to an email from IDOC.
Between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., residents had limited water access throughout the facility, but pressure remained low and unstable, IDOC said. Then from Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday, several housing units experienced water disruptions as repairs continued. The last units to have restored water access were C-Block and B-Block, according to IDOC.
By about 1:55 a.m., the entire facility’s full water access was restored, the email stated. IDOC said that maintenance staff were continuing to work on minor repairs to gaskets, seals and toilets.
The Idaho State Correctional Center is a men’s prison housing more than 2,000 people. It houses minimum-security, medium-security and close-custody residents, according to the state.
