HOPKINS, S.C. — The Lower Richland community had little to no water Monday after a night of heavy storms.
Richland County sent out a message Monday morning to let people know that Richland County Utilities experienced a breach in its water system resulting in a loss of over 300,000 gallons of water.
This left Hopkins Elementary School, Gadsden Elementary School, and Hopkins Middle School without water, as well as the homes and businesses in the surrounding areas.
A student at Hopkins Middle explained that the kids had to use portable toilets for the day while the problem was being fixed.
He says this is not the first time this has happened.
"We have had to have port-a-potties come out once in a while, but it was probably just for like an hour or so, but all I'm saying is that I hope it doesn't last until tomorrow but it probably will," said student, Sincere Kirkland.
The students at Hopkins Middle all hope their water would be restored just like Selena Davis who lives just down the road from the middle school.
Davis has lived in her neighborhood for about 70 years now and says water has always been an issue. She says this is the fourth time she has seen her street flood like this, and even though it looks bad, she says she's glad things were not worse.
"Some people don't have water, so I said 'we are blessed', we have a little bit, so I went in the house and kept a bucket full," Davis said.
At around 6:30 p.m. Monday water was restored to Gadsden Elementary, and Hopkins Middle and Elementary schools, as well as some areas like Martin Luther King Road and Mill Road are back online.
However, according to the latest update from Richland County, there is still a 30-mile stretch that crews are working on.