A water main break that occurred overnight in the Fairview community in Rossville has left many residents without water this morning.

The broken 12-inch pipe along Mission Ridge Road — two-tenths of a mile south of McFarland Ave. — flooded the roadway with several inches of water, according to Walker County coordinator David Ashburn.

Ashburn said he believes it is one of the biggest main breaks the county has had, with the main’s flow capacity being thousands of gallons per minute.

Nearly the entire Fairview community is without water this morning, as numerous valves were closed in the area to begin the repair process.

Walker County Water Co. responded to the breach at 2 a.m. and began digging at the site at 5:30 a.m.

The break was substantial and will require a section of pipe to be replaced, along with a new valve to be installed.

Based on the current assessment of the problem, Ashburn believes the repair will take until noon or 1 p.m. today.