CompletedHow it Works: Fixing a water main break

How it Works: Fixing a water main break

Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 7:11 PMActual: Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 7:11 PM

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Published Wednesday, February 5, 2025

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[0:00] (upbeat music) (engine rumbling) [0:04] - So we get main breaks throughout the entire year. [0:07] They're most common in the winter [0:08] when the frost is going in the ground, [0:10] the ground's moving, pipes are moving, [0:11] that's when they get stressed. [0:13] So in the summertime, [0:14] they're actually pretty straightforward. [0:16] Water comes up where the break is most of the time. [0:18] New road surfaces, things like that can push the water. [0:21] Frost in the winter pushes the water, [0:23] so it gets a lot harder. [0:24] So when we show up, it's really kind of what we see. [0:28] This one was from a city main, [0:29] so it's our responsibility to fix it. [0:32] So at that point, we throttle it down. [0:33] That just prevents property damage, [0:35] road surfaces from being impacted, [0:38] and then we have to get emergency locate tickets. [0:40] So we have to get other providers out here [0:42] to mark their utilities. [0:44] We don't want to hit gas, communication, things like that. [0:47] So we kind of know what we're dealing with at that point. [0:49] If you have a clean hole, which means [0:51] there's no other utilities or obstructions [0:52] that we have to deal with, [0:53] then we can use the excavator, which is behind me here. [0:56] It's our fastest means of digging up the water main. [0:59] So we'll put on a jackhammer and we'll take the blacktop [1:02] or concrete, whatever our hard surface is, off. [1:04] Then at that point, we'll either dig, [1:06] if there's no frost, with the bucket. [1:08] If there is frost in the ground, [1:09] then we'll keep the jackhammer on [1:11] because that ground's hard and we gotta get it busted up. [1:13] So at that point, we get down to our pipe [1:15] and then we have a dig box, which is for operator safety, [1:19] so that box holds all the soils back. [1:21] If there's a cave-in, it protects you. [1:23] We'll take a stainless steel band [1:25] and it's rubber lined on the inside [1:27] and it just clamps down [1:28] and seals the rubber around the crack. [1:30] And that's actually what makes the seal to stop the leak. [1:32] So then at that point we can charge the water main, [1:35] check the leaks, make sure we did get a good seal [1:37] and purge any air that might've gotten in the water main out [1:41] so that we're not pushing that [1:42] into homes and causing problems. [1:44] And at that point, as long as everything's good, [1:46] we start backfilling with fresh conbit [1:48] and then we have a tamper on the excavator, [1:50] so we get good road compaction right away. [1:52] In the winter, we do do a temporary road patch. [1:54] We'll come back in the spring, we'll take that back out [1:57] and then do our permanent patch. [1:59] Feel free to call. [2:00] Whatever you see, give us a call. [2:02] We're staffed 7:00 AM till 11 in the evening on weekdays, [2:07] and we're still on call after that, so somebody can be here. [2:10] So we just want to get on it early. [2:11]…

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Water Main Break Repair Procedures and Public Reporting

Full Document Analysis

They're most common in the winter when the frost is going in the ground, the ground's moving, pipes are moving, that's when they get stressed.

Unknown [0:07]Water Main Break Repair Process Overview

If you have a clean hole, which means there's no other utilities or obstructions that we have to deal with, then we can use the excavator, which is behind me here. It's our fastest means of digging up the water main.

Unknown [0:49]Water Main Break Repair Process Overview

We'll take a stainless steel band and it's rubber lined on the inside and it just clamps down and seals the rubber around the crack. And that's actually what makes the seal to stop the leak.

Unknown [1:23]Water Main Break Repair Process Overview

The earlier we get out here, the better the fix is. So see something, go ahead and call.

Unknown [2:11]Water Main Break Repair Process Overview

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