Water emergency declared by Town -- Water main ruptured Jan 8 and 9

 

January 17, 2018

OLD INFRASTRUCTURE IS REAL NEWS! – Three breaks within 4,800 feet of each other in the water main bringing water into La Conner happened overnight Jan 8-9. Attributed to the 60-plus year old pipes “moving” in soft, saturated soil, this is a very real sign of the times.   – Photo by Don Coyote

An already short-handed Public Works Department was literally swamped last week when an aging Town water line on La Conner-Whitney Road north of Peth’s Corner ruptured in three places Jan. 8 and 9, leaving the area temporarily without service.

The five-member work crew, including department head Brian Lease, toiled overtime between McLean and Young Roads to fix the leaks and restore water to affected homes.

But more work remains to be done.

The Town and a private contractor are tentatively scheduled this week to begin taking the failing eight-inch asbestos cement main off-line and replace it with a series of four-inch sections along more than a mile of La Conner-Whitney Road.

That, however, is a mere stop-gap measure.

The Town, based on a Capital Improvement Plan that’s been on the books several years, is eying replacement of both the eight-inch line, which was installed in the 1950s, and a parallel 14-inch main, dating to the 1970s, with a new 16-inch line.

Lease and new Town Administrator Scott Thomas said Friday that the eight-inch line, in particular, has long outlived its life cycle.

They said wet winter conditions coupled with the line’s age combined to push it to the breaking point.

“An issue,” said Lease, “is the water table in the winter is near the surface.”

That means the ground can become so soft that there is often not enough compaction to help stabilize a water line, especially one laid during the Eisenhower Administration.

Lease and his crew worked on the line breaks much of last week. The first leak is 2,500 feet north of McLean Rd. Leaks two and three are 500 feet south of Young Rd. The leaks are 4,800 feet from each other.

“They were out there killing themselves,” Thomas said. “There were three ruptures in the line and it seemed like every time they’d fix one, then there’d be another break. The line had deteriorated to that point.”

Lease praised his crew, minus one member out on a medical leave, for its yeoman labors.

“The credit really goes to them,” he said. “They did the majority of the work. I was just there to oversee things, do the necessary documentation, and make sure it was a safe working environment.”

One bright spot, if there is such a thing in the midst of a water-related emergency, is the La Conner-Whitney Road lines are much less stressed during winter months. Water consumption increases significantly in the summer, said Lease, to the point where a 14-inch line alone won’t meet present demand.

“So, at this point,” he said, “we’re working on temporary measures and looking at a long-term fix.”

Thomas said the long-range approach is a top Town priority.

“We need to go forward,” he said, “and get the funds in place and get it done.”

Lease proposed that the Town declare a water emergency at the Council’s Jan. 9 meeting. Mayor Ramon Hayes asked for a report from Lease, then a motion from Council. Jacques Brunisholz made the motion. It was quickly unanimously approved. The declaration of a water emergency frees Lease from state regulations requiring multiple bids for contracts.

 

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