The water line break on Newgarden has caused significant damage to the roadway, necessitating the section of road be closed for repairs. (Salem News photo by Morgan Ahart)
SALEM — A water line broke early Tuesday morning forcing the closure of a section of Newgarden Avenue.
Just after 5 a.m. Tuesday morning Salem police received reports of a broken water line at the intersection of Prospect Street and Newgarden Avenue. Officers contacted the Salem Water Department who rapidly shut the water main down to allow repairs and prevent further damage. The pipe was replaced and service was restored by 9 a.m., according to Salem Utilities Superintendent Don Weingart.
“It was a fast and effective response from our maintenance crews who were off service at the time of the break,” said Weingart.
In the short time before the water was shut off 500,000 gallons of water were lost. The break was caused by the disintegration of a 10-inch cast iron check valve, first installed in 1948. There was no single inciting incident for the break, merely years of wear.
“It was simply the age of the system,” said Weingart.
The valve itself was not functional as its internals had been removed during an update in the past, but the outer frame remained for structural reasons. While the water department strives to prevent any breaks and maintain constant flow, Weingart noted that some of the city’s water system dates back to the 1800s and they simply “can’t control what happens under the ground.”
The section of pipe that gave way fortunately was in a low-pressure area of the city’s system; however, the area of the break still experiences 85 to 90 pounds per square inch of pressure. While there was a slight decrease in system pressure as a result of the break, it has since been corrected following the repair.
While the water line repairs are complete, the damaged area of road still requires repair. Newgarden will be closed from Mullins Street to north of the railroad tracks behind American Standard through Friday, July 22, to conduct repair work on the damaged section of road.
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