You're not going to believe this one! Our next door neighbor texted me in the late afternoon and asked if we had water - she did not. We did have water, fortunately. Well about 2 hours later we no longer had water. So she heard that there was something going on down on Shore road - it looked like this!
Turns out that the gas utility has been installing new yellow gas lines under Shore road. They use a method called "Horizontal Drilling." The cut a hole in the road and insert a drilling head that can be "steered" as they drill a horizontal hole under the road for about 100 feet, to another hole they cut through the concrete. Well... Unfortunately the gas line drillers didn't know about a water main below this road, because the water main is so old. So their drill, drilled right through the water main. In two places! There was water everywhere!
Then the people from the water company needed to come in with heavy equipment, find where the water main was damaged, cut through the concrete roadway, and then repair the broken main. What a mess! This is where one of the broken mains was. Then they need to dig down and find the exact spot and make a larger hole in order for the workers to have room to make the repair.
Here one of the repair workers in standing in a water filled hole where a repair needs to be made. They have a huge truck with a long snout that they they put into the water filled hole to pump it out, so they can make the repair. They worked non-stop to do all that in two places, and our water was back on well after dark - perhaps around 9 PM! I got to talk to a number of the workers and ask what happened and how the repair method worked. They wear all very friendly and were happy to explain what had happened. I love knowing about stuff like this!
As darkness falls, they have about finished the first break, and they will work on this break, which is right at the foot of Laurel Avenue. What an amazing process this is, isn't it?
2 comments:
Sorry to hear you were without water. It is a mess. We take so much for granted with water and utilities being there for us. Of course, you would go exploring and find out all of the details. Big job for all of the workers to keep going until it is completed.
I would be interested to know if you noticed any small flags or spray painted markings in the area where the gas company was using horizontal drilling equipment? Underground water lines, electric utilities, internet cables and gas lines should all be marked well before drilling. A water line is not hard to locate.
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