Kalamazoo blames weather and cast iron pipes for surge in water main breaks

Yahoo

28-02-2025

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Kalamazoo has dealt with more than 70 water main breaks so far this year, the city's Department of Public Services says, a rise that has crews working around the clock and residents frustrated.
Only 68 breaks were reported all of last year. That was better than other recent years, which had between 80 and 100 breaks each.
Director of Public Services James Baker said this year's breaks have been 'extensive.'
They have prompted a slew of boil water advisories: The state's environmental agency requires that such advisories be issued anytime water pressure drops below 20 PSI. Drops in pressure may allow bacteria to enter the system, so the water has to be tested to ensure it's safe to drink.
Kingston Avenue has seen two main breaks — and two boil water advisories — recently. The most recent break was Tuesday, prompting that was lifted Thursday.
'One down the street () and then this one here broke two days ago,' neighbor Art Jolliff showed News 8 Thursday. 'And we didn't hear anything from anybody and all of a sudden — no water. And that sort of it makes it tough when you're in the middle of doing dishes or doing your laundry and all of a sudden the water goes off. Why?'
When a break happens, Baker said work is reprioritized so crews can quickly isolate the damage and restore service.
Winter weather conditions are one of the stressors on water pipes.
'We're not seeing frost that's down 5 foot deep that's breaking the mains. What is going on is that frost action and that cold action causing soil to move around a little bit. And that older, more brittle pipe — which also has some considerable corrosion, as well — is just not able to withstand those forces,' Baker said.
The usual suspects are cast iron mains between 62 and 85 years old that suffer from external corrosion, making them brittle.
'We're really seeing heavy main break occurrences on pipe that was manufactured right around the time of World War II to up through the post-war boom of construction — the late '50s, early '60s. But that all kind of ended with ductile iron pipe in 1964,' Baker said.
Older pipes like oversized or thick-walled pipes from the early 1900s and cement line pipes from the 1920s have not broken down as easily as the cast iron mains.
There is a plan to address the problem lines. Baker said teams have been replacing the cast iron mains while road crews are rebuilding surface streets, like during the . In 2024, more than 8 miles of water mains were replaced. This year, 2.7 miles are expected to be worked on.
Also this year, crews are expected to install a liner in 1.7 miles of cast iron pipe in the Knollwood neighborhood.
'They then put in a fiberglass liner that's impregnated with a resin solution that is activated by steam, and it's cured. It makes a new kind of pipe inside that old cast iron pipe,' Baker said.
He understands the frustration of residents like Jolliff, but said replacing or lining existing lines will take time.
'It's $150 million of work yet ahead of us, and I can't guarantee anybody that is experiencing main breaks today that they won't experience main breaks tomorrow until we get all this work done and replace these old cast iron mains,' Baker said.
While crews work to keep ahead of water main breaks, Baker said an emergency contract will be going to the city commission next week. If approved, contractors will patch medium-sized cuts in residential streets left behind when crews previously had to make repairs.
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