Water main bursts

Old age was to blame for a water main break that occurred at the intersection of Union, White and Southridge streets in Springfield on Monday.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120801/NEWS02/708019919

Published August 1, 2012 in the Rutland Herald Water main bursts in Springfield By Christian Avard Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — Old age was to blame for a water main break that occurred at the intersection of Union, White and Southridge streets in Springfield on Monday. Springfield Water and Sewer Department Superintendent Jeff Long said they found a six-foot-long split in a 6-inch cast iron pipe. The burst occurred around 8 p.m. on Monday and water was turned off until the water main was repaired. The pipe burst took place on White Street directly across from an apartment complex and Springfield’s Meals on Wheels meal site. Up to 30 users were without water on Monday night, according to Long. As the water main broke, water rushed down Union and Southridge Streets and partially flooded the entrance hallway to Meals on Wheels. The Meals on Wheels site is located on the bottom floor of the building on Southridge Street. Meals on Wheels workers spent the morning airing out the hallway and the meal area carpet before Tuesday’s lunch. The flooding did not affect Meals on Wheels services, according to manager Susan Levine. The flooding left behind dirt and silt along the sidewalk and clogged a nearby sewer. Long said that water and sewer workers will return to the site today, remove debris and clean the area around Meals on Wheels. According to Long, it is still not clear what caused the cast-iron pipe to develop a crack in the first place. He estimated the pipe had been installed in the 1930s and experienced significant wear and tear over the years. “The pipe cracked due to old age,” Long said. “It’s cast iron and it’s brittle. If a small rock gets underneath and settles, it doesn’t take a lot to puncture a hole in the pipe.” The town of Springfield has taken steps to improve water and sewage infrastructure. Many pipes have been replaced in the River, Elm Hill and River Street areas and plans were in the making to replace the one at Union, White and Southridge Streets. Long said there are many water mains in Springfield dating back to the 1900s that need to be replaced. It is not known when the pipe at Union, White, and Southridge Streets will be permanently replaced, Long said. “It was an old cast iron pipe that’s been in service for quite some time. It’s not terribly unusual to have a split in the bottom of the pipe like that,” Long said. “It was leaking pretty bad and we couldn’t wait until morning to repair it. We had to fix it right off.” Water and sewer employees worked into the morning hours and fixed the pipe at 3 a.m. on Tuesday. The water was turned back on shortly afterward. The cost to repair the water main is unknown at this time. The repairs will be covered by emergency funds in the water and sewer department budget, Long said. Water, dirt, and silt clutter up near the Meals on Wheels meal site on Southridge Street. A water main broke on Monday night closing an intersection as repairs were made. Photo: Christian Avard / Staff Photo