**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
**GREENFIELD TOWNSHIP, IN – [Date] – 6:00 PM EST**
**MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE DISRUPTS DAILY LIFE; EMERGENCY DECLARED**
**What:** A catastrophic water main break has resulted in the complete loss of municipal water pressure for the township’s 14,000 residents and businesses, triggering a localized state of emergency.
**Who:** The Greenfield Township Municipal Water Authority, led by Director Patricia Vance, is coordinating the emergency response alongside the County Office of Emergency Management and the National Guard logistics unit.
**When:** The breach was first reported at 3:47 AM local time Monday. Full restoration of service is not expected for a minimum of 72 hours.
**Where:** The primary failure occurred at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Old Mill Road, directly beneath the main transmission trunk line servicing the entire eastern sector of the township.
**Why:** Preliminary assessments indicate the failure was caused by a combination of extreme soil shifting following recent heavy rainfall and significant corrosion of a 60-year-old cast-iron pipe. The rupture has created a sinkhole approximately 20 feet in diameter, complicating repair access.
**How:** The sudden pressure drop activated emergency alarms at the central treatment facility. Emergency crews immediately isolated the compromised section, which has resulted in a complete shutdown of water distribution to all users east of the Interstate 70 corridor.
Authorities have established two emergency water distribution centers at the Municipal Building and the Central High School parking lot. Residents are advised to bring their own containers and to anticipate lines. Boil-water advisories remain in effect for areas maintaining residual pressure. Traffic on Maple Avenue is indefinitely closed between State Road 9 and the Old Mill intersection.
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for southern portions of the county, which officials warn could further destabilize the ground and delay repairs.