Repairs on a damaged water line are complete, however, repairs to city roads will take a bit longer to complete.
According to City Communications Manager Christine Johnson, traffic will continue to be diverted on Prairie Street through the end of the week. This follows a water line break that developed around 2:10 am Tuesday morning after a 20-inch cast-iron pipe failed, lifting a concrete sidewalk slab out of position and bubbling nearby pavement at least five inches.
Indications are the break had no effect on a nearby 16-inch line. According to Johnson, water service has been fully restored to the area.
This was the second waterline break reported in the area over a span of 24 hours and the sixth to be reported within the city since last Monday. Monday, the same 20-inch line failed on Prairie near Park Ave. shortly after noon and lifted pavement 2-3 inches near the intersection.
That break was repaired around 1:30 am Tuesday, meaning crews had virtually no downtime before the second break developed near 18th. KVOE has reached out to the Public Works Department for additional comment.
10:00 am Tuesday: PRAIRIE STREET WATER MAIN: Pipe repairs completed; ‘extreme caution’ being used as water flow is restored
Emporia Public Works and contract employees have repaired the second major water main break on Prairie Street in as many days.
Crews were called out to Prairie just south of 18th shortly after 2:10 am Tuesday. Early indications are a 20-inch cast iron pipe failed.
City Communications Manager Christine Johnson says “extreme caution” is being used as water flow is restored.
9:40 am Tuesday: Excavation work underway on 20-inch line near West 18th
Emporia Public Works and contract employees continue working to repair the second major water main break on Prairie Street in as many days.
Crews were called out to Prairie just south of 18th shortly after 2:10 am Tuesday. Early indications are a 20-inch cast-iron pipe failed, but a nearby 16-inch line does not appear to be affected. The force of the break lifted a concrete sidewalk slab out of position and bubbled nearby pavement by at least five inches.
This is on the same 20-inch line that failed on Prairie near Park Avenue shortly after noon on the Fourth of July. That failure lifted pavement 2-3 inches near the break site on Prairie and also on Park near the intersection. Crews had that break fixed around 1:30 am, so crews had almost no down time before the break developed near 18th.
There are currently no reports of low water pressure across vast segments of northwest Emporia. On Monday, low pressure was reported as far away as Emporia Place and at 15th and West.
We’ll keep you updated all day on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media.
6 am Tuesday: New water line break reported on Prairie near 18th — just after initial water break fixed on Prairie south of 15th
Underground Utilities crews with the Emporia Public Works Department spent much of Monday fixing a major water line after it broke. They didn’t get much rest before another major water line break.
City officials are urging residents now to avoid Prairie between 12th and 18th after the failures, one on Prairie near Park that was first reported around 12:30 pm Monday and now another one that developed shortly after 2 am Tuesday on Prairie just south of 18th — less than an hour after the repairs on Prairie near Park involving a 20-inch line were finished.
The force of the initial water main break lifted pavement at least two inches near the break site on Prairie and also on Park near the intersection. The force of the secondary break lifted a concrete sidewalk slab out of position and bubbled nearby pavement by at least five inches.
Public Works and a contractor, Coffman Construction, are on the scene of the break near 18th. Emporia Police officers have been waving eastbound and westbound traffic through the intersection at 15th, but northbound and southbound traffic on Prairie is shut down from 12th to 18th.
Water line pressure may be reduced for blocks Tuesday morning. Monday, there were reports of low water pressure as far away as 15th and West and at the Emporia Place senior living facility.
We’ll keep you updated all day on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media.
5:45 pm Monday: Waterline break “under control” in northwest Emporia
The City of Emporia says a major waterline break on the northwest end of town is now “under control.”
The break occurred on a 20-inch line around 12:30 pm Monday afternoon at the intersection of 12th Ave. and Prairie Street. This is one of the largest transmission lines and traffic remains blocked on Prairie between 12th and 15th.
The city’s official Facebook page says Emporia was briefed on the situation and is confident the break did significantly not affected the fire safety supply. The waterline has been shut down.
1:30 pm Monday: Emporia Public Works fixing major waterline break near 12th and Prairie
An afternoon waterline break has Emporia Underground Utilities crews in northwest Emporia for repairs.
Crews were alerted to the break just after 12:30 pm Monday at the intersection of 12th Ave. and Prairie. Lyon County Emergency Communications says the break affects a 20-inch line, one of the city’s biggest transmission lines, so traffic is blocked between 12th and 15th until further notice. There are reports of disrupted water service as far east as Emporia Place.
This is south of the 2017 break that drained most of the city’s water, causing boil water advisories affecting Emporia, Lyon County and parts of several neighboring counties for days. The city has been replacing water pipes eastbound on West 12th since 2018 as a result, including the current work on the north side of Newman Regional Health between Chestnut and Grand, but it did not replace the pipe south of 15th and Prairie. Vice Mayor Danny Giefer says the city installed special valves at 18th and Prairie so it could isolate any similar issues and not lose the quantity of water it lost as part of the 2017 incident.
This is the fifth waterline break reported in Emporia since last Monday.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates as they become available.
