NATCHEZ — City crews spent most of Wednesday working to repair a sewer leak and multiple water leaks that caused a depression to form at the intersection of Main and Canal streets.

Natchez Water Works Superintendent and City Engineer David Gardner said Natchez Public Works alerted Water Works Wednesday morning after discovering a sewer leak.

While inspecting the sewer leak, Gardner said, Water Works crews found multiple leaks in the area.

A couple of the leaks were caused by bad joints on an eight-inch pipe just north of the manhole in the middle of the intersection.

Crews placed couplings around the joints to stop the leaks. When the water was turned back on, the crews found more water leaking in a different place.

Gardner said at approximately 5:30 p.m., crews were still out working on the leaks.

“And we’ll continue to work throughout the night until we run out of materials,” he said.

Gardner said he anticipated running out of couplings and other materials before the work was completed.

A Water Works employee was scheduled to travel to Jackson early this morning to pick up more couplings.

The water leaks will be repaired first, then the sewer leak and the road patched.

The depression in the road was caused, Gardner said, because the leaking water moved the supporting soil into the sewer line.

Water was shut off during the work Wednesday, inconveniencing some nearby businesses.

Cotton Alley Café co-owner David Bass said the restaurant was closed for lunch Wednesday because the water was shut off during the road work.

Bass said he was not notified ahead of time that the water would be turned off. Bass said he had to send his employees home for lunch, but reopened for dinner.

“It’s all well and good now, but a little heads-up would have been nice,” Bass said.

Traffic was diverted off Main and Canal during the road work Wednesday, and Gardner said the roads will remain blocked this morning as final repairs are made.

Gardner said he anticipates the work being completed and Main and Canal streets open by noon today.

“Barring any unforeseen problems, like another leak or something, we should be finished sometime around noon.” he said.