Sounds just like a story yesterday from the Columbus, Ohio water folks. Does this sound normal?

Water line breaks blamed on weather Cooler water causes old cast- iron pipes to rupture, officials say.

Source: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram Publication date: Feb 03, 2000

FORT WORTH - Cooler weather and recent precipitation are blamed for a recent increase in water main breaks.

Maebell Brown, assistant director for field operations for the Fort Worth Water Department, said her department averages seven to 10 breaks a day. On Saturday, however, it was 15. And Sunday it was 28, followed by 39 on Monday and 12 on Tuesday.

She said disruptions to water customers averaged about five hours.

And, it seems there's not a whole lot that can be done, short of replacing much of the 2,200 miles of water lines that crisscross the city.

Many of the lines, she said, are old cast-iron pipes, and some are 50 years old. They are steadily being replaced with plastic pipes, but in the meantime, Brown said, changing temperatures and moisture levels are the problem.

Basically, the pipes are underground and are relatively warm. When the temperature of the water in the system's lakes and reservoirs dips below 40 degrees, the differences in temperatures between the warm pipes and the cold water causes the older pipes to rupture.

Also, dry periods followed by heavy rain - or our recent sleet and snow - cause soil to swell and shift and the pipes to twist and break.

Most of the recent breaks have been smaller lines - 6-and 8-inch lines that serve only one or two streets or a neighborhood, Water Department spokeswoman Mary Gugliuzza said.

Gugliuzza said the weather had nothing to do with a break in a 6- inch sewer line at Hulen Street and Wilton Drive that caused vehicular traffic to be rerouted all day yesterday. She said the line was about 15 feet below the street and repairs were difficult, but were expected to be completed today.

As for water line breaks, department records show that they are more likely to occur in the center and western sections of the city, which are served by the Holly Water Treatment Plant. The plant gets its water from Lake Worth, which is shallow and more likely to experience temperature changes. Other areas of the city are supplied by the Rolling Hills and Eagle Mountain water treatment plants, which are supplied by larger lakes.

Paul Bourgeois, (817) 390-7796 bourgeois@star-telegram.com PHOTO(S): Dale Blackwell Publication date: Feb 03, 2000 ) 2000, NewsReal, Inc.

Link:

http://beta.newsreal.com/cgi-bin/NewsService?osform_template=pages/newsrealStory&ID=newsreal&storypath=News/Story_2000_02_04.NRdb@2@3@3@143&path=News/Category.NRdb@2@16

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), February 04, 2000

Answers

Thanks for posting the stories, Carl, but I don't see the connection to the Illinois situation. That article stated "...Residents of Columbia, Ill., have been asked to conserve water today until a defective valve at the Dupo Pump Station can be repaired..." This one says it's a weather issue, valves aren't mentioned.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), February 04, 2000.

This sounds (both stories) like a faulty valve allowing the water main to build up to excessive pressure.

"As for me...I shall finish the Game"!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Shakey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Shakey (in_a_bunker@forty.feet), February 04, 2000.

Hi Brooks, the reference is to Columbus Ohio not today's story on Columbia, Ill.. There were 59 water line braks in Columbus, Ohio. Here's a link to that story:

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=002U11

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), February 04, 2000.

Whatever the reason, pipes they are A'Burstin!

-- kaboom (splash@crack.splish), February 04, 2000.

Whoops, thanks Carl, I sure flunked *that* reading test. Have really appreciated all your work in getting stories of mishaps in front of us to start analyzing.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), February 04, 2000.

While out at the client site in New Jersey there were three water main breaks in Edison. I know this because the first week I was there traffic was snarled on RT. 1 (which is purgetory for people who like to drive on freeways) by two water main breaks and the next week we got one more that tied up the same road. (Why do they bother with cars at all in NJ?)

Watch six and keep your...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.2all), February 04, 2000.

Well, I'm an hour and a half south of there, and their story sounds good to me. The lakes DO change temperature quite a bit, and their infrastructure IS old. Some of their streets are still cobblestone and brick, that old. So I would hesitate to blame pressure valves without more evidence; especially with most of the breaks being in the small lines (not the big feeder ones).

I'll keep an eye on it though and if any (local) other info turns up I'll post it.

-- mommacarestx (nospam@thanks.com), February 04, 2000.

Shakey, I agree.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), February 04, 2000.