All the moisture we’ve had this month is having the same impact on Emporia’s underground infrastructure as if it was bone-dry.
Now at least three Emporia water mains failed overnight. Public Works Director Frank Abart says a 6-inch line has been repaired on Izquierdo Court as has a 12-inch line on Willow Lane. A 10-inch pipe on Graphic Arts just south of US Highway 50 also failed before sunrise Friday and has now been repaired. Abart says that was a private fire line.
Emporia has received upwards of 7-8 inches of rainfall this month, and Abart has said local soils are extremely responsive to changes in moisture — pulling away from underground pipes when it’s dry and pressing upon them when it gets wet. In both cases, Abart says, the aging infrastructure is subject to breaks.
