Repair work is complete on a water main break that developed on the Flint Hills Technical College campus Thursday.
The break occurred on the north end of the campus just before 12:50 pm Thursday but did not lead to any schedule adjustments at the college according to President Dr. Caron Daugherty. Repairs were complete just after 4:20 pm, a little over three hours after the break was initially reported.
Additionally, no disruptions to the school day were announced at Emporia High School or Emporia Middle School due to the break. Public works crews are still on site of a break in the 1100 block of Oxford which was reported shortly after 3:50 pm.
Traffic is blocked from Oxford to Briarcliff as repair work continues.
2:09 pm Thursday: EMPORIA WATER MAINS: Water main break on FHTC campus not causing any immediate alterations to schedule
No adjustments have been announced following a water main break near Flint Hills Technical College Thursday.
The break was reported on the north side of the tech college campus just before 12:50 pm. According to the City of Emporia, disruptions to water service should be expected with the break.
That being said, FHTC President Dr. Caron Daugherty tells KVOE News there are no plans to alter the college’s schedule at this time, however, they are constantly assessing the situation as it continues to unfold.
Additionally, no alterations to the school day have been announced by USD 253 Emporia Public Schools at either Emporia High School or Emporia Middle School. The announcement of the FHTC break followed a break in the 2200 block of Redwood Drive which was reported right around 11:15 am.
Underground Utility Crews completed repairs on the Redwood break just before 12:55 pm.
10:45 am Thursday: EMPORIA WATER MAINS: City Manager says combination of factors likely played into this week’s water line breaks
Emporia city leaders are thanking Public Works and contract crews for their work — including a lot of effort after normal business hours — to repair a spate of water main breaks across town.
City Manager Trey Cocking offered his thanks as part of an interview on KVOE’s 8:05 am newscast Thursday, following over 10 water main failures from Tuesday afternoon to early Thursday.
Cocking says the situation could have had its roots in a decision to shut down the East 12th Avenue water tower last week for maintenance, repainting and other work. The goal of that project is to make sure the tower is viable for at least another 30 years. However…
The East 12th Avenue tower will remain offline for another few weeks. Cocking also says the city’s “expansive” clay soils likely played a role — pulling away from underground pipes as the drought has continued to worsen before squeezing the pipes as the city got anywhere from half an inch to 1.5 inches of rain early this week. In addition, Cocking the soil is corrosive, so it slowly eats away at underground pipes and develops weak spots in those lines.
As KVOE News has mentioned the past few weeks, the city is about to bid the 24th Avenue waterline project on Oct. 4. This will replace the pipe from the Water Treatment Plant at 24th and Industrial east to Prairie and south to 12th — including the section of pipe that failed Wednesday.
Short-term, Prairie Street could well be closed between 12th and 15th into next week due to the excavation work needed to reach that particular break. Fifteenth between Rural and West may reopen by this weekend after two breaks between those streets from Wednesday.
7:30 am Thursday: Parts of Prairie, West 15th closed until further notice after Wednesday breaks
Notable street closures could well last into next week after water main repair work Wednesday.
Prairie Street is closed from 12th to 15th after a 20-inch transmission line blew out in the 1300 block Wednesday morning. Also, West 15th is closed between Rural and West after three different breaks on 15th between Neosho and West.
Closures are in place after street excavation work needed to clear space for repair crews to fix the breaks in question.
5:40 am Thursday: More water main breaks develop early Thursday after busy Tuesday, Wednesday
Repairs are done on one of Emporia’s major water transmission lines — and on nearly 10 other water main breaks across town just from Wednesday.
Public Works and contract crews spent about 10 hours on site in the 1300 block of Prairie after a 20-inch line developed a 5- to 6-foot blowout around 10 am. The break closed Prairie between 12th and 15th and also Park Avenue for about a block east of that intersection. Those streets remain closed until further notice.
The break also highlighted an upcoming project to replace that section of waterline and also the pipes further to the north and west. City Manager Trey Cocking says the break’s timing was unfortunate because it comes less than a month before the city is set to bid on the 24th Avenue waterline replacement project.
Once it begins, perhaps before year’s end, the replacement project will affect the city’s transmission line from the Water Treatment Plant at 24th and Industrial east to Prairie and south to 12th — including the section of pipe that failed Wednesday.
The pipe break developed just north of a similar blowout from July 4, 2022. It also prompted city officials to issue a water watch and ask residents to conserve water on a voluntary basis for about two hours to avoid issues with critical infrastructure and a possible issuance of a boil water alert. The watch was lifted as water pressures returned to normal.
Meanwhile, Public Works and contract crews have now fixed over 10 water main break points since Tuesday afternoon. Seven breaks developed Wednesday, with three involving West 15th between Neosho and West. CareArc closed Wednesday because of the work but should reopen Thursday, according to CEO Renee Hively. Fifteenth is now closed between Rural and West due to the street excavations needed to fix breaks between those two streets.
Unfortunately, things didn’t slow down much overnight. Lyon County Emergency Communications says repair crews have been dealing with water man breaks on Redwood and also near the intersection of Dover and Yucca.
Cocking will be on KVOE’s 8:05 am newscast Thursday morning with an update.
