After Three Days, And Perhaps 86,000 Gallons, Leaking Water Main Repaired At Busy Intersection
After Three Days, And Perhaps 86,000 Gallons, Leaking Water Main Repaired At Busy Intersection
By Andrew Gorosko
Workers from a Stratford firm on Wednesday repaired a water main leak at the busy intersection of Main Street (Route 25) and Sugar Street (Route 302), which was first noticed last weekend.
Workers for Butterworth and Scheck, Inc, a contractor for United Water Connecticut, arrived at the intersection on Wednesday morning and spent several hours excavating the leak site, repairing the leak in a metallic pipe, and then restoring the area.
Police stood by at the scene on the chilly day to regulate traffic flow as the repairs were underway.
Kevin Moran, United Waterâs manager for the Newtown water system, said that although the water system generally runs well, every so often a leak occurs that must be repaired.
The water company received numerous calls about the problem from people who had noticed the leak in the heavily traveled area, he said. He estimated the leakage rate at 15 to 20 gallons per minute.
The water that leaked out of the system flowed downward on Sugar Street and was spread across the pavement by the rolling tires of passing vehicles.
The water main repairs did not constitute an emergency situation, considering the circumstances of the problem, Mr Moran said. Had such a leak occurred during colder weather, when icing could have happened; however, it would have been repaired more quickly and possibly handled as an emergency situation, he said.
Mr Moran said the water company appreciates receiving calls from its customers about water leaks to help it resolve such problems.
United Waterâs local water supply system has generally been working well, he said. The water company has approximately 1,740 local customers.