Swampscott repairs 3 water main breaks

SWAMPSCOTT – Department of Public Works crews were busy making repairs to three water mains in town on Wednesday.Traffic slowed down temporarily on Humphrey Street at lunchtime on Wednesday due to a water main break on Shelton Road. Department of Public Works Director Gino Cresta said the six inch main near 62 Shelton Road broke early Wednesday afternoon. He said crews were on the scene immediately and the break was repaired in a matter of hours.But two other water mains in town also broke on Wednesday afternoon. Cresta said there was a second break at 51 Shelton Road and a third break was at 22 Stetson Ave., which is on the other side of town.Cresta said some residents were without water temporarily because the DPW had to shut down two gates to isolate the breaks so it could be repaired.Cresta said there were no road closings due to the breaks and less than a dozen homes were without water Wednesday evening.”We have already completed repairs on the break at 62 Shelton Road,” he said, adding he expected to have the other two two breaks repaired by 11 p.m. Wednesday.”I have two crews out there working.”Cresta said the three mains that broke were all more than 50 years old. He said all the water mains in town are buried four feet below the surface and at this point he is unsure why there were three breaks in one day.”Right now I suspect it could be the weather,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of freezing and thawing so I suspect that is the reason. When you have a lot of freezing and thawing it really takes a toll on the pipes, especially the older mains.”