Broken Saulston line causes brown water
By From staff reports
Published in News on June 16, 2011 1:46 PM
After the second main break in three days in the Wayne Water District, officials received complaints from residents in the Saulston area whose water was coming out brown.
A six-inch main broke near the intersection of Saulston Road and Wayne Memorial Drive in what was considered a separate incident from the breaks this weekend. A contractor hit a water line Friday and a 12-inch main blew on Sutton Road near Seven Springs Sunday that led district water technicians to direct water from the southern district to make up for the loss in pressure.
When a loss in pressure is detected, the state requires local water district officials to notify all customers whose water supply is involved, instructing them to boil their water in case of contamination. The loss of pressure leads to a higher possibility of contamination, Wayne Water District Manager Steve Hamilton said.
It was initially believed that pressure was lost in the Saulston area, leading officials to advise residents to boil their water, but Hamilton said it was later learned that no pressure had been lost.
The redirection of water from the weekend breaks led to the stirring up of sediment in the pipes due to extra water flow, leading to brown water in area sinks.
"We're continuing to flush the pipes. We expect it to be clearing up now. Most of the flushing is done," Hamilton said Wednesday afternoon.
Hamilton said that as the weather heats up and cools during the summer months, there is more shifting in the ground as the soil contracts and expands, leading to breaks.
Wayne Water District can be reached at 731-2310.