Newport schedules overnight water shutdown for hydrant replacement

Water will shut down late on June 23 in Newport while crews replace a broken fire hydrant near the exit of Woodlawn Nursing Home, and Pine Street will close between Belknap Avenue and Elm Street during the work. The town said the overnight schedule was chosen to minimize disruption, but customers on Pine, Elm and Spring streets still face a service interruption that could affect evening routines, medical needs and early-morning travel.

Newport posted the notice on June 17 and said the shutdown will begin at 11 p.m. on June 23. The fuller notice described the project as a night-time excavation for the planned removal and replacement of a defective fire hydrant, with more than half a mile of water main set to be shut down because of the repair. Town officials also warned that water pressure may take longer to return if air gets into the piping.

The town’s outage map uses orange circles to show properties that should keep domestic drinking water but lose fire protection, while red circles mark properties expected to lose water entirely. Newport also told residents and drivers not to travel through the work site and to use alternate routes for Elm Street and Belknap Avenue. Anyone on the affected streets has until 11 p.m. to store water, plan for overnight and morning use, and move vehicles before crews begin.

The repair matters beyond one block because the hydrant sits inside the town’s fire-protection network. Newport Water Works dates to 1894, when iron pipe was laid from Gilman Pond in Unity to the center of Newport. By 1895, the system served about 169 families, two hotels, a railroad depot, two printing offices and 20 stores. Today, the town says its water system depends on reserve storage for steadier pressure, emergency supply and fire protection, while aging infrastructure continues to create maintenance demands.

The shutdown also fits a pattern of recent water work in Newport. The town’s spring 2026 hydrant-flushing notice said flushing helps ensure water quality and lets crews monitor distribution flow and pressures. Earlier in 2026, Newport also issued a Pine Street road-closure and water-main-shutdown notice for January 19, with access to Woodlawn Nursing Home directed via Belknap Avenue, underscoring how often this corridor figures into local utility access and emergency planning.