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Freeze takes toll on Chardon water mains
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - February 03, 2011)
Freeze takes toll on Chardon water mains
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
The freezing temperatures took their toll Monday on two waterlines in Chardon.
Crews were out until midnight in temperatures from the mid- to low teens repairing two water-main breaks on Claridon Road and Huntington Street.
Gayland Moore, the city's public service director, said the initial break occurred on Claridon Road late in the afternoon before crews had left for the day.
The break occurred at the top of the hill on Claridon Road, near the intersection with South Street (Route 44), forcing crews to close the road and detour westbound traffic along East King Street.
Not long after crews completed the repairs there, they were called to Huntington Street where another line broke. That road remained closed until about 11 p.m., while crews made repairs, Mr. Moore said.
Generally, snow cover will act as insulation to protect waterlines from rupturing, Mr. Moore said.
But, in these cases there was no snow cover. He said the break along Claridon Road was at the edge of the pavement and the one on Huntington Street was located in the middle of the road.
Mr. Moore said the breaks had more to do with frozen ground that heaved, a phenomenon that can be seen along many of Geauga County's roads.
"There is a lot of frost heaving going on on the pavement out there," he said. "When it seems like you're going over steps when your driving, that's the road heaving."
Part of the problem was the frigid temperatures that set in by early December followed by the 50-degree weather during the New Year's holiday, he said. The frost initially penetrates the ground and then begins to thaw. When the thaw is followed by another deep freeze it drives the frost deeper into the ground.
The ground shifts during those periods, moving the underground pipes, Mr. Moore said. "When a brittle pipe moves, it breaks," he said.
The pipes that had the breaks, he said, were among some of the oldest in the city, possibly having been installed prior to the 1940s.
The old cast-iron pipes are more brittle than the newer ductile iron being used in today's installations, he said. But, even though the newer pipes are more flexible, they have also been known to break in this type of weather, he said.
On Claridon Road, the pipe ruptured around its entire circumference. The break on Huntington Street occurred at a joint in the pipe, he said.
Residents along those streets probably did not lose water service. He said they most likely experienced a drop in pressure as crews tend to throttle down water pressure rather than shut it off.
Mr. Moore said the two on Monday marked the third water-main break in the city this winter. He said a break occurred along a line on South Street (Route 44) about two weeks ago.
Mr. Moore said the water line breaks are almost a winter tradition in the city. "We never make it through a winter without one," he said.
If this year's total of three holds out, it will be a "fairly good" year in terms of breaks.
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