Saugus DPW concerned with 9th water break

SAUGUS – It was a small water break on Jane Drive, but it still has Department of Public Works Superintendent Joseph Attubato worried.
“It’s the ninth one since July – the new fiscal year – and it’s not even cold weather yet,” he said.
Last week traffic was snarled when a pipe on Main Street near the VFW snapped. Tuesday, a pipe on Jane Drive sprung a leak, which Attubato said wasn’t too bad, but the fact that it happened during relatively mild weather concerned him.
Past years have seen the DPW swamped with water breaks and often on some of the coldest days of the years. Nine might not seem like a lot in terms of breaks – the town had suffered 45 by February 2007 – but Attubato said it all depends on how you look at it.
Nine breaks during relatively mild weather does not bode well for the possibility of fewer breaks during the colder season.
Water freezing underground causes rocks to shift, which is where the problems usually start in regards to broken pipes. Attubato said the shifting rocks wear on the pipes over time and eventually crush them.
He pointed to the Main Street water break as a prime example. That aged pipe, he said, was resting on ledge, which today is unacceptable.
“That was a tough one,” he said. “The pipes aren’t supposed to be put on top of rock.”
However, he said it is also tough when the bulk of the community is built on ledge.
When the pipes are repaired, Attubato said workers are required to jackhammer out the rocky land and fill the area with softer material that acts as a cushion for the pipe.
“Years ago, whoever did this job didn’t take the time to do that,” he said, referring to the Main Street break.
While Attubato said he is still waiting to hear what caused the Jane Drive leak, he is still more concerned with the timing.
“If we’re getting them now what are we going to do when it really gets cold,” he asked.