A broken water main Friday afternoon caught Lee Gumfory’s eye.
Crews replaced a decayed portion of the 100-plus-year-old water line near the intersection of Buckeye and Douglas Streets, where a leak had sprung, not far from the former city commissioner’s home.
Gumfory stopped by to check out the repair work and broke off a chunk of the old water line to illustrate the state of the city’s aging water infrastructure.
Looking more like a piece of rock, the iron water line had corroded to the point a little punch with a hammer broke it in several pieces. Beneath the surface was a century’s worth of mineral buildup.
“And just think, you drink from this line,” Gumfory said.
Gumfory said he thought the city should make replumbing the city’s water lines a priority.
Extent of water line damage surprises former commissioner
