Around three o’clock on Thursday afternoon, a water main broke between Tate and Cardwell Streets on Cedar. According to City Water and Sewer Supervisor James Nix, “This was a twelve inch main line. It was a newer line, and we are not sure yet exactly what caused the main to break, other than just water hammer pressure. This line is close to the tower and experiences more pressure.” The line leaked for six hours, as the crews worked to stop it.
Nix stated the pressure was great enough when the main broke to blow a two foot wide by one foot long chunk out of a solid steel pipe. The pressure pushed through six feet of dirt and through the pavement. Crews were immediately on the job to stop the loss of water. Willie Herrera, City Public Works Director stated, “We feel like we lost anywhere from between 150,000 to 200,000 gallons of water through this break and relieving pressure off the line.” City crews opened three hydrants to try to lower the pressure at the break.
Crews worked until midnight to get the break and the leak under control. “It was all City Departments working together to get this thing fixed,” stated Herrera. “We are grateful that we live in a community that has such a spirit of cooperation when we need to get things done.” The City Electric Department, City Street Department, and City Water and Sewer worked together all afternoon and into the night. The section of Cedar between Cardwell and Tate remained closed, as of Friday morning.
Nix stated, “It was freezing out there but all the guys stayed hard at work to get this thing fixed. I am also grateful for the City employees stepping up this way. It was a tough night.”
City Manager Jeff Davis stated, “We know this has been an inconvenience, but we are so thankful for all the crews that have worked so hard. We also want to thank BISD and the Health Department for stepping up and working with us on this to make sure our people were safe from drinking possibly contaminated water.”
Nix pointed out that this line was a 12 inch line and carries a much bigger load. “The last time we had a Boil Water Notice was when we had that main busted near United in August of 2017. That pipe was a 10 inch.”
Both men pointed out that there is currently no evidence of contamination, but water levels did drop to below 35 psi. When that happens there is always the danger of contamination. TCQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) recommends sending out a Boil Water notice when pressure drops to 20 psi. Nix stated that the City of Brownfield stays at an average of 50 psi on a normal basis. Nix also stated, “The tower stayed full during this event. This Boil Water Notice just means there is the possibility of contamination, so we want our people to be safe. We would rather be cautious with our citizens than take a risk.”
Herrera stated, “We know it is an inconvenience but it is better to be safe than regret it later.”
Both pointed out that it is okay to shower in the water. But it must be boiled for human consumption. “We have to take a sample today after 4 p.m. and get it to TCQ for testing. There will be a 24 hour turnaround on that, so the earliest the Boil Notice will be lifted would be around 4 p.m. on Saturday.” stated Nix.
Herrera noted that the City has the newest in computer systems which helps make the water monitoring quicker and easier, as well as more accurate.
Citizens are urged to please take this notice seriously and be cautious with your family’s water usage during this time.
TownTalk would like to thank the various City crews and others who worked so hard in such cold weather to get this main line fixed and get our water back to normal. They deserve our appreciation.
