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Owosso water main break puts spotlight on aging pipes, costs
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008 10:06 AM EDT
OWOSSO - On Aug. 13, a water main under the corner of King and Washington streets leaked, causing the loss of 3,000 gallons of water per minute.
Within the hour, corresponding valves were shut off and while some residents experienced a pressure loss, no one went without water.
The following day, the 12-inch pipe was repaired, according to Owosso Utilities Director Gary Burk.
Burk later revealed that even though it was the first break in the pipe he was aware of, he estimated the age was between 80 to 100 years.
“We have some (in the city) that are that age that have been in good condition,” Burk said. “It had just been in service for a long time. (The cast iron wall) was a little thinner than other pipes that age.”
The city makes between 20 to 50 patches to water main breaks every year, Burk said. So far, the city has made 18 repairs.
With some pipes nearly a century old, it begs the question: How long do the pipes last before replacement is needed?
“I have never run into a main that old,” Department of Environmental Quality District 13 Engineer Mike Mulcrone said. “Typically, if you get five breaks in a block, that's a lot. If there are a bunch of patches on it, it's time to replace it.”
Fully replacing pipes can be a very costly procedure, Mulcrone said.
“If you have to replace a pipe, you have to get under the pavement and destroy a lot of the road. That is going to cost the city a lot of money,” he said.
Like most cities, Owosso attempts to coordinate all replacements with road repair to reduce the cost, according to City Manager Joe Fivas.
“Our standard operating procedure is to replace sewer and drinking water infrastructure when we replace our roads,” Fivas said. “When you're talking about full replacement... it doesn't make sense to rip up a fine road and then have to repave it.”
Out of an approximate 90 miles of pipe running under the city, Burk estimates only 2 percent has been replaced.
The other factor inhibiting replacement is the cost of materials, Burk said.
“Cast iron is 30 percent higher this year than it was last year,” Burk said. “I have asked for a rate increase (to the customers to cover the cost) through the city council. They are trying to hold the cost down to the citizens.”
Burk said he estimated the cost of replacing the problematic mains in the city to be $350,000 per year. For the city to make up for that cost, it would have to charge a minimum of $2 a month to all residents.
With today's struggling economy, Burk said it was very unlikely the city would add more costs to residents.
- Contact Nathan Bruttell at 725-5136 extension 231 or nbruttellarguspress@gmail.com.
Larry King wrote on Aug 21, 2008 8:18 AM: