(SIOUX CITY, IA) Temperatures that have been bouncing up and down like a ping-pong ball are taking a toll on pipes and water mains across Siouxland.
The latest victim - the Ho-Chunk Centre in downtown Sioux City. Workers found a waterfall in the lobby this morning. And this pipe break is just one of more than 50 in the last two months So what's causing these water woos?
The cold weather.
The sound and sight of trickling water is all that's left of a water main break that burst around 7 A.M., Friday. One of the automatic doors to the main lobby was partially cracked open letting, below zero temperatures, sneak in. The heater inside couldn't keep up, the water froze, expanded, and pop, the pipe broke.
It's also happening to pipes underground.
"The ground is extra dry, and then these roller coaster temperatures we've been having, where you get super cold and then you get really nice and warm, has a lot of affect on the ground movement and that's what most of our main breaks have been," says Tim Higgins, Sioux City Underground Utilities Supervisor.
Higgins and his crew have responded to 21 water main breaks in December, 32 in January. Aside from the cold weather, and dry soil, old pipes are also to blame.
"Our average system age, is about 70 years old, so the stuff we've been seeing here lately is in the 50-60 year range," says Higgins.
Which is teetering on the typical 50-year life span. He says, it's also getting worse financially speaking.
"Unfortunately I think we're going to see more of the same, is what's going to happen and right now my materials budget is about 90% spent, and I need to try and make it through till June 30th. So budget wise, its taken a huge hit," he says.
Higgins says his department will request more money if need be because if pipes aren't fixed...
"People have no water, and if people don't have any water in their homes or businesses, by law, they can't occupy those places, so it could be a very major impact," he says.
Crews are working to get the water back on and hope to have things back to normal by Friday night.
Hleigh@siouxlandnews.com
www.facebook.com/heatherleighKMEG
