South Charlotte neighborhood without water for hours

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than 100 customers in a southwest Charlotte neighborhood were without water throughout Friday morning.

Charlotte Water officials said an AT&T contractor was putting in fiber cable when they accidentally ripped up a pipe at Steelechase Drive and Sandy Porter Road Thursday evening around 5 p.m.

"We can't use the bathroom, there's no water to drink, there's nothing, you know," Gonzalez said.

Crews were trying to quickly repair the pipe but they've had to turn off water to the area.

Charlotte Water officials told Channel 9 around 7:15 a.m. that crews will need to dig and replace more pipe due to the extent of the damage, and that the water outage would last until at least noon for residents of Steelechase.

Channel 9 has been reporting on these kinds of incidents for months. Just last month a contractor for Google damaged a natural gas line, affecting three hundred homes in the Highland Creek neighborhood of north Charlotte. Contractors often hit gas, phone and water lines, even if their location is marked.

For neighbors in Steelechase, the city brought in bottled water Thursday, and Friday. It was available for affected customers at both Steelechase entrances.

Some families, took action themselves.

"We went to my brother's house, filled up a whole bunch of gallons of water, brought it home just in case you know," one neighbor said.

Officials said water was restored by noon Friday.

The city said there's no need to boil water, but urged people to let it run a bit if it appears discolored, or they notice air in the pipes.

Water off for sandy porter steelechase at least 3 more hours. Contractor accidentally hit pipe and major repair. Bottled h2O at entrance
— Charlotte Water (@CLTWater) March 11, 2016