SIDNEY — A broken water main caused the intersection of Campbell Road and South Wilkinson Avenue to be closed off for about three and a half hours Wednesday morning, Dec. 9.
City of Sidney Utilities Director Bill Blakely said they received the call about the problem around 8 a.m. and then they were “on it right away.” After excavation, repair and restoration of the roadway, city crews were finished in the area around 11:30 a.m.
“We have a 4-inch hydrant leg that comes off of the main to feed the hydrant and that 4-inch cast iron main developed a peripheral crack, and that is what caused the leak,” Blakely explained. “That leak only effected just that short intersection there, so I am not sure how many residents or businesses were effected.”
Blakely said water breaks can be caused by the age of the main or corrosion in or outside of the main. The biggest cause for water leaks is pressure on the main from the ground moving. He noted it hasn’t been cold enough yet to blame the cold weather for the main break this time. Blakely said the ground is always moving and if the main is already weak, the pressure will cause it to fail.
The water bubbles seen in the picture of city employees working to shutoff water in the area of Campbell Road at the intersection with South Wilkinson Avenue, Blakely said was caused from a hole they drilled in the asphalt to relieve the pressure on the roadway so it would not buckle and cause more damage to the road.
Sidney’s city staff were able to repair with break on their own without needing to call in for any outside help.
