“This has been a troublesome area for us, and this particular break was due to a large boulder in the pipe zone that had been putting pressure on the 12-inch ductile iron pipe.” — Bill Kernan
MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury’s public works crew worked hard this past weekend tending to multiple water main breaks in the town’s system, including off Exchange Street (north of Agri-Mark/Cabot), as well as in the Seymour Street, Woodbridge Lane and Pinewood areas.
The town first reported the Exchange Street break on Friday morning, and then the others followed on Saturday morning.
Bill Kernan, director of operations for the Middlebury Department of Public Works, said the Exchange Street main break on Saturday proved the biggest challenge.
“This has been a troublesome area for us, and this particular break was due to a large boulder in the pipe zone that had been putting pressure on the 12-inch ductile iron pipe. The repair consisted of replacing a 20-foot section of pipe. Water service was restored around 11:50 a.m.,” he wrote in a Sunday morning email.
The Independent reported this past February on Middlebury’s ongoing struggles with water main breaks. Town officials have been working on a 10-year plan for upgrading the community’s 54-mile municipal water system. Some of the conduits are more than 100 years old.
