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burst water main creates havoc, disrupting entire neighborhoods, causing businesses to close temporarily, blocking roads, leaving your home without water, and potentially causing severe property damage. While the inconvenience of a water main burst is immediate, the fix may not be. So, how long does it take to fix a water main break? While it may be true that crews are often on the scene quickly and are working as hard as possible the answer isn’t always straightforward. A variety of factors impact the burst water main repair time, and in this blog post, we’ll cover a few of them.
Understanding the Time It Takes to Fix a Water Main Break
When it comes to the question of how long it can take to fix a water main, there are several considerations. Water mains are not only underground; they can be laid along or under roadways–– they snake through properties and even under buildings. Unlike the time it may take to repair a
burst pipe in a home, due to their positioning, a burst water main can be a highly complex process. In worst-case scenarios, this can take a repair from a few hours to days or even longer.
Location of the Break
Location is one of the biggest considerations for figuring out how long it can take to fix a broken water main. Not just the broken water main itself but the surrounding utility lines, critical infrastructure, and more can all delay repairs. Permits, safety considerations, legalities, and specialized equipment needs can all delay repairs. The more complicated the access can be also mean coordination with other agencies and companies which can also cause delays.
Severity of the Break
Not all water main breaks are created equal. A small crack or pinhole leak can sometimes be repaired in just a few hours, and with newer technologies and approaches, one can discover the source of a burst water main using cameras and other skills. In cases where the water main burst is severe, such as an especially large water main, cascading fractures etc. these can significantly impact how long it can take to fix a broken water main.
Availability of Repair Materials and Equipment
Municipal water systems can be comprised of a variety of materials. As technology has changed, so have our pipes, from cast iron to plastics, changes to joins and seals, and installation methods. That hodge-podge system can also cause delays when it comes to
fixing a burst water main. While repair crews usually have the equipment and materials to fix a broken water main quickly, finding parts that match the existing installation can be difficult and lead to a more difficult job replacing parts with newer ones if possible to extend the lifespan of the new water main.
Weather Conditions and External Factors
Weather can play a role in causing a burst of water main and impacting how long it can take to fix a water main break, both as cause and effect. Heavy rains after a drought, small leaks being expanded by freezing temperatures etc. can all lead to a water main break. Those same factors can also impede a water main break repair. Flooding, heavy rain, and storms can all make it unsafe or even impossible for crews to get to a water main repair immediately. Frozen ground can also make it hard, even with heavy equipment, for excavation to be done so crews can reach the burst water main.
What Happens If the Water Main Break Isn’t Fixed Quickly?
Water main breaks are already borderline catastrophic, leaving you and others without water, impeding traffic, and more. However, failing to fix a broken water main quickly has the potential for even further consequences. We’ve already mentioned traffic, but flooding from a burst water main can also cause property damage to surrounding homes and businesses, problems with local infrastructure, destabilize public access and safety, and even
problems with local wastewater systems. Delayed water main break repair increases the risk of further damage and ballooning repair costs.
Timely Repairs Can Prevent Bigger Issues
We’ve outlined several factors that impact how long it can take to fix a broken water main. These factors can cause repairs to range from a few hours to several weeks, hiring an experienced plumbing service like Blue Mills Plumbing ensures that your burst water main repair is handled efficiently and professionally.
If you experience plumbing issues, from the catastrophic burst water main to a small leak, contact the team at
Blue Mills Plumbing. We’re here to help restore normalcy and prevent further damage, no matter the complexity of the issue.
