A broken water main put about 300 city water customers in the Sunshine Road area under a precautionary boil order Thursday.
Hot Springs Utilities Director Monty Ledbetter said the main was repaired Wednesday night. The utilities department was testing water samples Thursday. Ledbetter said the city should know by today if the order can be lifted.
"We had to shut the area down last night and make the repair," he said. "It didn't take long to make the repair, but we had to wait for Entergy to get out of the way."
He said Entergy Arkansas drilled a hole in the 10-inch diameter main when it was replacing a utility pole on Oak Grove Road. He said Entergy didn't ask if any water or sewer lines were in the area before it started digging.
"They didn't call for a locate," he said.
The statement Entergy provided Thursday didn't address if it had asked the city if underground utilities were near the pole.
"Wednesday afternoon at approximately 3:30 (p.m.) a crew working for Entergy Arkansas in the Oak Grove area of Hot Springs was performing reliability work to improve electric service to our customers," the statement said.
"During the process, the crew inadvertently struck a water main while replacing a power pole.
"We regret any inconvenience this may have caused the residents in the area. All customers' power should be restored. Entergy Arkansas is cooperating with the proper authorities to resolve any remaining issues. Please contact the water department for details regarding any boil water advisories in effect," it said.
The city contracts Arkansas Utility Protection Services to mark the location of water and sewer lines, paying $11.40 per waterline locate and $11.20 per wastewater locate, according to the contract extension the Hot Springs Board of Directors authorized in December.
The city verifies the location of mains that are 10 inches or more in diameter. The 10-inch line Entergy hit Wednesday feeds the 700,000-gallon standpipe water tank near the Oak Grove-Forest Ridge intersection. The area is outside the city but at the western edge of the more than 100 square miles the city provides water to.