Weekend Water Main Break Caused Water Problems to Arbor Hills Residents

Madison-Water main breaks along the West Beltline frontage road over the weekend caused interruptions in water service to residents of the Arbor Hills area as crews worked to repair the damage in a particularly difficult situation. Customers in the Alhambra Apartments were affected the most as the broken pipe section supplied their buildings, and water was unavailable for most of the weekend. Other Arbor Hills homes experienced low pressure. According to General Manager Tom Heikkinen, the 50-year-old main serving the neighborhood broke most likely because of the cold weather. "The age of the pipe probably played a role also, because this is the same section that broke in November. We will be adding this main to our list to be replaced." Three different Water Utility repair crews worked around the clock on the Arbor Hills main break but encountered problems not only because of the frozen ground but also because the main was much deeper than most and because the break was beneath a network of fiber optic and telephone cables. When the crew turned the water main back on, they discovered another break and then had to begin a second difficult repair. "During this impending stretch of frigid winter weather," said Heikkinen, "if residents spot water running in the street, or experience low water pressure in their homes, they should call the utility's emergency phone number, 266-4665, or after hours, 266-4661. No matter what weather conditions nature may throw at us, our dedicated crews will be there to keep the water flowing."

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