It took about 10 hours, but a major water main break in west Emporia is finally fixed.
Public Works and contract crews worked from 10 am to around 8 pm finding, excavating and repairing after water blew out a 5- to 6-foot hole in a 20-inch transmission main in the 1300 block of Prairie.
4:45 pm Wednesday: 5-to-6-foot hole blows out in Prairie Street pipe; repairs ongoing as more breaks develop across Emporia
Emporia Public Works and contract crews are well into the repair process in the 1300 block of Prairie after a water main blowout Wednesday morning.
City Manager Trey Cocking says a 5-to-6-foot hole was found on a 20-inch transmission line after crews excavated around the break Wednesday afternoon. The failure point was just north of a similar-sized hole that developed July 4, 2022, causing extensive repairs at that time. The pipe was installed in 1926.
Cocking says it may be early evening before the repairs are completed. Prairie remains closed between 12th and 15th, as does Park Avenue about a block east of Prairie.
The break was noticed around 10 am. Although Emporians were asked to conserve water voluntarily as part of a water watch for about two hours, the city avoided a boil water alert as water pressure dipped but recovered and stabilized shortly after the break.
The break also happened in the middle of a busy period just Thursday for water main failures. Crews were already working two breaks on West 15th between Neosho and West and a third happened as crews were excavating on Prairie. Crews were also in the process of repairing a break on Rio Vista just west of Del Oso. Breaks developed near 21st and Maplecrest and 23rd and Hillcrest in the afternoon hours, as did a break on Sherwood Way affecting residents between Sheridan and Washington.
Repair crews also fixed water main break sites near Second and West, Graphic Arts between 24th and Mount Vernon and West between Sherman and Sunnyslope on Tuesday.
1 pm Wednesday: Water watch done for Emporia, but repairs continue in 1300 block of Prairie
Repair work continues on a major water main break in west Emporia, but the city’s request for voluntary water conservation through a water watch advisory has ended.
The city issued the water watch around 10:30 am, shortly after a 20-inch line failed in the 1300 block of Prairie. By 12:30 pm, after water pressures had returned to near normal and stabilized, the watch was lifted.
Prairie remains closed between 12th and 15th until further notice as the excavation process turns into line repairs. Park Avenue is also closed.
This follows a long stretch of water line work in Emporia with seven other water mains failing between 2 pm Tuesday and 9 am Wednesday. Crews are working on three different breaks on West 15th between Neosho and West as well as a break on Rio Vista near Del Oso. Crews have already repaired breaks near Second and West, the 1800 block of West Fifth and Graphic Arts between 24th and Mount Vernon Terrace from Tuesday. City Communications Manager Christine Torrens says the repairs at the other failure points Wednesday will continue unabated despite the repairs on Prairie.
*Click here for a YouTube Short from the repairs in the 1300 block of Prairie.
*Click here for a YouTube Short highlighting repairs on West 15th and Rio Vista.
11 am Wednesday: Water watch underway in Emporia after major water main break in 1300 block of Prairie
The city of Emporia is in a water watch after a massive water main break in west Emporia.
City Manager Trey Cocking says a 20-inch main transmission line has failed in the 1300 block of Prairie Street. Prairie is closed between 12th and 15th until further notice. Park Avenue is also closed.
Water watches happen when there is an increased risk of higher-than-normal usage. Voluntary conservation efforts are being requested so the water supply can avoid “levels that impact critical infrastructure.”
Cocking says this is in the same area of a major water main break July 4 last year and it comes with the city doing its best to start a transmission replacement project before year’s end.
The city is planning to replace its transmission line from the Water Treatment Plant at 24th and Industrial east to Prairie and south to 12th. Work should take a year to complete.
This follows a long stretch of water line work in Emporia with seven other water mains failing between 2 pm Tuesday and 9 am Wednesday. Crews are working on breaks on West 15th between Neosho and West as well as a break on Rio Vista near Del Oso. Crews have already repaired breaks near Second and West, the 1800 block of West Fifth and Graphic Arts between 24th and Mount Vernon Terrace.
10:20 am Wednesday: City, contract crews work on eight breaks in less than 24 hours
It’s safe to say Underground Utilities Department crews and contract partners have consumed extra caffeine this week after eight water main breaks in less than 24 hours.
Crews started with three separate repair zones that developed between mid-afternoon and late-night Tuesday. Public Works reports two separate breaks near Second and West, along with one failure point in the 1800 block of West and another outside Emporia Middle School on Graphic Arts between 24th and Mount Vernon Terrace.
As crews were finishing their work on Graphic Arts, two breaks on West 15th came to light. The work has closed the CareArc headquarters at 420 West 15th through Wednesday. Traffic on Rural and West can get through, but West 15th traffic is closed between Neosho and West until further notice.
Crews are also working on a break that developed on Rio Vista just west of Del Oso around 9 am Wednesday. This has caused an outage on Rio Vista from Del Oso to Derecho. There is also a water main break underway at Prairie and Park. Prairie is closed between 12th and 15th. Park Avenue is also closed.
Click here for a YouTube Short video.
7:30 am Wednesday: CareArc closed Wednesday due to break on West 15th
Emporia’s Underground Utilities Department has been working almost nonstop since late Tuesday afternoon.
The latest water main to fail was on West 15th between Rural and Neosho. The failure was announced around 6:40 am. Service was partially restored between Rural and Neosho by 8:30 am, although crews are working on another water main break nearby before service can be considered fully restored. Also, CareArc has announced it will be closed all day as a result of the water main break. It plans to reopen Thursday.
The break means Underground Utilities crews have been essentially working to repair water mains almost nonstop since late Tuesday afternoon. A 12-inch main developed a leak near Second and West by late afternoon, causing an outage affecting nearby residents on West from South to Fifth. Crews fixed the 12-inch main relatively quickly but also had to work on a nearby 8-inch line to fully restore water to the area.
Another water main broke in the 1800 block of West Fifth around 7:30 pm. This affected residents on West Fifth between Sherman and Sunnyslope and was finally listed as fixed around midnight.
The third break developed before 10:30 pm on Graphic Arts between 24th and Mount Vernon Terrace. That line had just been repaired minutes before the 15th Avenue break was announced.
6:30 am Wednesday: Underground Utilities makes repairs at three locations
Emporia’s Underground Utilities Department was busy with a trio of water main breaks Tuesday.
A 12-inch main developed a leak near Second and West by late afternoon, causing an outage affecting nearby residents on West from South to Fifth. Crews fixed the 12-inch main relatively quickly but also had to work on a nearby 8-inch line to fully restore water to the area.
Another water main broke in the 1800 block of West Fifth around 7:30 pm. This affected residents on West Fifth between Sherman and Sunnyslope and was finally listed as fixed around midnight.
The third break developed before 10:30 pm on Graphic Arts between 24th and Mount Vernon Terrace. Other details are currently pending.
7:40 pm Tuesday: Second water main break reported in Emporia Tuesday evening
Roughly an hour after repairs were complete to a 12 inch water line in south Emporia, a second break was reported near the same area.
Utility crews were called to the 1800 block of West 5th avenue just before 7:30 pm for a main break. Repair work may affect customers from Sherman and Sunnyslope on West 5th.
Additional details are pending.
The break on West 5th occured shortly after repairs were completed on a 12-inch line north of the intersection at 2nd and West Street. Repairs on that line were complete just after 6:20 pm.
6:54 pm: UPDATE: Water service partially restored to customers following main break in south Emporia.
Water service has been restored to some customers in south Emporia following a late afternoon water main break Tuesday.
According to the City of Emporia, the main break reported north of the intersection at 2nd Avenue and West Street, was on a 12-inch line according to City Communications Manager Christine Torrens. The break was repaired just after 6:20 pm, roughly an hour and a half after it was first reported to KVOE News.
Water service was affected for customers on West Street from 5th Avenue to South while crews made repairs. Water service has since been restored to some residents in the area, however, crews are still working to fully restore service to all affected customers.
5:11 pm Tuesday: Water main break reported near Santa Fe Park Tuesday
Emporia Underground Utility crews are in the process of responding to a water main break reported in South Emporia Tuesday afternoon.
The break was reported to KVOE News just after 4:50 pm north of 2nd and West Street near Santa Fe Park. Full details, including the size of the water main and the cause of the break, have yet to be announced.
Water service in the area may be affected as crews work to repair the break. KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media will have updates as they become available.
Photos by Chuck Samples and Dylan Sherwood/KVOE News
