MILWAUKEE — Extremely cold temperatures are to blame for a surge in Milwaukee water main breaks. Water Works says 22 breaks have happened since Friday.
"There has been an acceleration of main breaks with this cold snap,” said Superintendent Patrick Pauly.
Pauly says the frigid temps freeze the ground well below the surface, nearly down to where the water mains are buried.
"The ground shifts when we have this freezing occur and that shifting ground can cause shifting of the water main below,” he said.
As crews battle the nearly unbearable elements outdoors to fix the broken section, residents feel the inconvenience inside their homes by having their water turned off for several hours.
Pauly says certain areas are more likely to experience water main breaks due to when the pipes were installed — and it’s the opposite of what you might think.
He says the oldest water mains located in the center of Milwaukee that date back to the 1870s have far fewer leaks because they’re incredibly thick and buried in clay which offers extra protection.
Pauly says the mains that were installed in the 1950s and 1960s have caused the biggest problems because they’re much thinner and buried in gravel which makes them subject to road salt.
"So those pipes which you will find on the northwest side and the southwest side are the ones we experience the failures and so we have had a rash on the far northwest side this year,” he said.
For the past decade, the city has increased its efforts to remove that era of water mains in particular, but as the extreme cold continues for the next several days, Pauly says Water Works expects many more main breaks to come.
“We are greatly looking forward to the thaw that is approaching next week,” he said. “Even then after the thaw, sometimes we have mains that have broken but the water isn't surfacing because it's below the frost line and as the frost comes out of the ground as there is more thaw, then we see more water surfacing, so we do anticipate there will be a higher volume of main breaks moving forward for the next couple weeks for certain and potentially until we get to spring."
If you see a water main break in Milwaukee, you’re asked to call the Water Works Control Center at 414-286-3710.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
