CLEVELAND, Ohio — Here's a question we get a lot — why have there been so many water main breaks lately?
Officials say these breaks are not out of the ordinary.
In fact, there are a couple of contributing factors, including the age of the pipes and our constantly changing weather.
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"Another water main break, another one!" Chris Forest, Alcohol by Volume Owner, said. "I think this is the fourth we've had in the last three or four years," Forest said.
News 5 was there—capturing the aftermath and sometimes hectic repairs caused by them.
On the Lakewood Cleveland border at West 117th Street and Madison Avenue back in November rushing waters cascading down the street shut down the busy roads.
Jason Brooks' restaurant was forced to close for weeks.
"I'm just flabber... I'm blown away. Literally! I've never seen anything like this before," Brooks said.
Along East 131st Street and Harvard Avenue, fast moving flood waters stranded drivers back in November.
A tow truck operator dove head-first into several feet of water to try to retrieve cars.
"Before I knew it—I was just—my car started filling up with water and it stalled out," a driver told News 5.
Who can forget the Cleveland Water truck falling into a sinkhole that was caused by a water main break on Dale Avenue a few weeks ago?
So, what gives?
News 5 spoke one-on-one with Dr. Bill Yu, Professor and Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Case Western Reserve University.
"We can clearly see a seasonal fluctuation with the winter season corresponding to more water pipe breaks," Yu said.
Yu says there is a direct correlation between the colder weather and frozen ground.
Both put serious pressure on our pipes, and that's why we've seen so many breaks across town.
Then, he says you need to factor in our aging infrastructure.
He says half of Cleveland's water pipes are more than 80 years old, and he says the system itself is huge.
Cleveland Water manages more than 5,000 miles of water mains.
Out of our control—he says our changing climate is creating stress on the system.
But a dry, hot summer can also cause the same stress on our pipes.
"So typically we see a very clear pattern like in the winter, you know, in the cold, the cold winter is correlated to high likelihood of frequency of water pipe, water main breaks," Yu said.
Cleveland Water told News 5 they couldn't accommodate an on-camera interview, but they sent us the following statement:
"Increased water main breaks this time of year are common. During the winter months, Cleveland Water averages 5 to 7 breaks daily and even more if we experience an extreme cold spell. That’s up from an average of 3 to 5 main breaks during the rest of the year. This increase is common for water systems similar in age and climate to Cleveland Water.
The predominant cause is increased force on water mains from the frozen ground. Thermal contraction of pipes can also play a role, while the age and construction material of pipes are also contributing factors.
As the 10th largest public water system in the country, Cleveland Water maintains more than 5,300 miles of water mains throughout our 640-square-mile service area. While we prepare every fall for the anticipated increase, each winter brings a different challenge as exact weather events can never be anticipated. We also proactively address main breaks by investing around $25 million a year on replacing mains."
Cleveland Water says if you see a water main break—report it: call their Emergency Line at 216-664-3060, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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