City crews repair Washington Avenue near U.S. 54 Thursday morning after the bottom of a 12-inch water main blew out sometime before 3 a.m. The leak was discovered quickly and crews had to replace up to 5 feet of old, cast-iron pipes. Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock said water main breaks tend to happen in the summer when dry soil around the pipes compacts and then quickly expands when it rains. Storms moved into the area early Thursday morning and crews did much of their work in the rain. Crews also repaired a large water main break near Russell Stover Candies last week. Schinstock said there is no threat to drinking water and no need for a boil order because repair crews are experienced enough to do the work without turning off the water. The city replaces between 1,500 to 3,000 feet of pipes each year, and much of the infrastructure is older than 100 years.
Water main break
Part of Washington Avenue at U.S. 54 was closed Thursday morning to repair a water main break.
