Emporia’s Underground Utilities Department spent much of Friday afternoon repairing a water main that broke in a busy construction zone.
The line broke on the south side of the Sixth and Merchant intersection just before noon. Underground Utilities supervisor Mike Dvorak tells KVOE News the line that failed was already in place — not a new 10-inch line in the process of being installed in the 10 block of West Sixth since early December. The failure area was already closed off to traffic, but the area was more congested than it has been recently due to the city equipment that responded.
It is currently unclear if the failed pipe was an 8-inch or 10-inch line. Only one business was impacted, according to Dvorak.
Dvorak says the city avoided water line issues early in the week as cold temperatures and snowy conditions hampered travel. However, there have now been four breaks since Wednesday, including a feeder line at Bunge’s crush facility.
