Burst pipes, mains keep Water Works busy

T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM A private contractor crew works on the broken water main on Center Street by Marshalltown Mall on Tuesday afternoon. The main broke Monday evening due to the extreme cold temperatures.
A number of homes and businesses were without water on Tuesday morning. Three water mains broke as a result of the extreme cold temperatures Monday evening and yesterday morning.
Marshalltown Water Works Assistant General Manager Zack Maxfield said the water main next to Kwik Star on Center Street broke around 6 p.m. Monday. Mains on West High Street and North Sixteenth streets burst yesterday morning.
As a result of the breaks, businesses in the Marshalltown Mall were closed. Posts about not being open due to the water mains were placed on Facebook by Plaza 9 Fridley Theater, Mama DiGrado’s and the Iowa Department of Transportation Drivers License Station. At 3 p.m. yesterday, work was still being performed on the Center Street break.
According to Maxfield, Water Works employees were not fixing the Center Street break since the main is privately owned, and added there were issues getting the equipment to operate with the temperatures being so cold.
“It’s being done by a private contractor,” he said. “We will assist when we can.”
Twenty-five houses on 16th Street were affected by that main break, and 10 houses were impacted by the High Street break. Sixteenth Street was fixed by yesterday afternoon, and Maxfield estimated High Street would be repaired by 6 p.m. or 7 p.m., if everything went smoothly.
“High Street is being worked on right now,” he said after 1 p.m. “Our guys took a break for an hour to warm back up and then headed back out.”
Maxfield noted that all three of the broken water mains are old, with 16th Street more than 100 years old.
“We are working on replacing the older mains,” he said. “It takes time.”
The age of the mains could mean there are some which burst, but Water Works is not aware of yet, Maxfield said. If residents see a lot of water in the road, that is an indication of a broken main.
Fortunately, when the temperatures fluctuate dramatically, Water Works employees expect and are prepared for breaks.
“Anytime there is a big temp swing, we wait for calls,” he said. “We cross our fingers. It also applies to swings in the reverse [direction,] from -30 degrees to 30 degrees.”
In addition to water main breaks, Maxfield said they are also prepared for residents to call regarding pipe breaks in their homes. Yesterday afternoon, Water Works crews responded to roughly 20 calls regarding pipes.
“That has been the busier side of things,” he said. “A lot of pipes are freezing. We’ve been turning water off, getting leaks stopped. We’ve had quite a few calls for frozen pipes and meters.”
An easy way to determine whether or not a pipe has broken in a home is if the water pressure is lower than normal, Maxfield said. If a resident suspects a broken pipe, Water Works will send someone to the location to try to fix it.
There are some steps residents can take to help prevent broken pipes. Getting heat to the pipes is the most important step. He said people can open cupboards underneath their sinks. Boarding up broken windows and ensuring outside doors are closed are also good preventive measures.
“Make sure the areas where the pipes are at are warm,” Maxfield said. “If anyone has questions, they can call and talk to someone at the office. There are ways to keep pipes from freezing.”
He also suggested a space heater can be placed in rooms with pipes. Some things people can do if using a space heater to prevent fires is to plug into an outlet, not an extension cord. Also, do not place the heater in front of cloth or anything flammable. Thermostats for homes should also be set at least at 55 degrees.
CONTACT:
If residents suspect pipes in their homes are broken, or a water main is broken, call Marshalltown Water Works at 641-753-7913.
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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.