Published: December 24, 2008 01:48 pm      

Westside Indianapolis water main breaks

Break likely caused from freezing temperatures

INDIANAPOLIS — — A 12-inch water main broke Tuesday morning causing water to spill over U.S. 136 at Dandy Trail.

With high winds and below freezing temperature that hovered over Central Indiana, one of the city’s larger water mains that carries water from neighborhood to neighborhood broke at 6 a.m., causing the water spilling over U.S. 136 to freeze, said Paul Whitmore, communication manager for Veolia Water of Indianapolis.

“We have seen a lot of main breaks recently because it has been so cold out,” Whitmore said.

Whitmore said approximately 30 Clermont and Indianapolis customers within the area were without water for most of the morning Tuesday while crews replaced the broken section of the water main. Two miles of U.S. 136 was closed for approximately 25 minutes while salt was poured on the roads. The break was replaced about four hours after workers found the main break. Hilltop Street was restricted to one lane for a couple hours Tuesday morning while they repaired the break.

“The roads will be restored to its previous condition,” Whitmore said. “After the break was fixed, we made sure the roads were in decent shape for travel. Water that spilled onto residents’ lawns is not expected to create any damage.”

Whitmore didn’t know exactly how much water was spilled and didn’t know exactly how much the break will cost the city as of press time. He aid he wouldn’t know until the end of the month.



Sidebar:

Although residents cannot do something to help avoid a water main break, Whitmore says they can do something to help prevent their home or apartments pipes from freezing when outside temperatures are below 30 degrees :

Leave a small stream of water running in faucets

Open cabinet doors underneath skinks to help the warm air throughout the home circulate to the pipes.



andrea.hirsch@flyergroup.com