Palmer has another leaking water main

PALMER — Bringing up bad memories of ripped up roads and diverted traffic, the city has declared an emergency due to a leaky water main underneath the intersection of West Dolphin Avenue and North Alaska Street.

Currently, the leak is only minor, but the emergency declaration allows the city to start stockpiling pipe in case of another, more serious break, Palmer Public Works Director Carter Cole said.

“In the condition of the piping and the way the ground moves during the thawing period, I would be surprised if we make it through spring without it bursting,” Cole said. “We are positioning ourselves to be ready if that happens.”

Cole said if the pipe breaks south of the intersection, homes in north Palmer could be affected. The supply companies are coming out of year-end inventories, and no one has the product the city would need to replace the mains, Cole said. Hence, the emergency declaration.

Cole said the pipes in the area of concern have outlived their 50-year life span. The city was already in the process of developing plans to replace the mains, perhaps with a assessed fee to the local property owners to pave West Dolphin Avenue at the same time.

The plans crafted thus far include separate sections for the water main replacement and the road paving, Cole said. This means the city can move ahead with replacing the water mains using already secured grant money without waiting for the paving funds to come through. But that is only if the lines break.

Since the city replaced the mains in the downtown area, the system pressure is up by about 15 pounds, Cole said. This is a good thing, as it means there is less water loss, but it is putting additional strain on the lines not yet replaced, he said.

As an additional precaution, the city is stockpiling pipe for water mains underneath South Bonanza Street as well.

“We are sitting here with our fingers crossed, trying to make the preparations the best we can,” Cole said. “But we are a little nervous now.”

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.