MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee area is bracing for water main breaks as temperatures swing from being very cold to a little bit warmer.
Those are perfect conditions for our pipes to burst, causing problems for residents, business owners and everyone in between.
We caught up with a Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) crew near 24th & Capitol working to repair a water main break Friday afternoon. A spokesperson with DPW said the break impacted 10 area businesses.
Thursday, another busted pipe at Humboldt & Hadley.
But, it's not just Milwaukee dealing with this.
West Allis Water Systems Superintendent Karyn Rittenhouse said it's not uncommon to respond to several breaks in a day with temps this cold.
"Our busy season is January and February," she said.
A water main break in West Allis near Oklahoma & Manitoba left residents in four apartment buildings without water for three hours.
Rittenhouse said about ½ million gallons of water was lost in this particular break.
With pipes typically 6 feet underground, a break can happen because of old infrastructure or in this case due to freezing and thawing temperatures.
"It causes the ground to shift and makes pipes shift, and makes a crack," Rittenhouse said. "That's very common this time of year."
Field crews don't expect a slow down with a major warm-up on the horizon for Saturday.
"We expect the ground to shift a little bit more and we probably will have more breaks," Rittenhouse stated.
The best thing residents can do is contact DPW as soon as they notice reduced pressure from their shower or faucet, or a pool of water in the street.
According to the city of Milwaukee's website, you can report a water main break by calling the Milwaukee Water Works / 24-Hour Control Center at 414-286-3710.
If you want to report a water main break in West Allis:
- Monday - Friday, 7a - 3p - Department of Public Works - 414-302-8830
- Afterhours or on weekends - Non-Emergency Police Line - 414-302-8000
