Here’s why more water main breaks could happen this week
A thawing ground this week could cause more pipes to rupture
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Thawing has begun after an intense week of sub-freezing temperatures
Water main breaks were a huge deal last week as sub-freezing temperatures gripped the Midstate. Due to these breaks, boil water advisories were issued and some were even left without water.
This week, temperatures are much nicer as they’re finally above freezing again. With these above-freezing temperatures, the ground is starting to thaw out.
Thawing of the ground might seem like a good thing, especially after snow and ice covered the ground for nearly a whole week, but there are some downsides to that as well.
When the temperatures stayed sub-freezing for several days last week, any water trapped beneath the surface of the ground froze. When water freezes, it expands.
Ice formations under ground increase the pressure on the soil and on underground pipes. That alone can rupture pipes as we saw last week, but melting of that ice can break pipes as well.
When the ground thaws out, like what we’ll see this week, the soil and/or underground pipes can shift. With shifts in the ground possible this week, we could see pipes affected by that shift in the ground.
Although it is nice for the snow and ice to finally be melting, more water main breaks are possible again this week as that thawing process is underway.
Water main breaks can be very costly, can affect water pressure in the area, and can cause damage to property. If you see a water main break, you should report it to the proper authorities right away.
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