Water main breaks in middle of cold snap

A major water break on Washington Avenue over the weekend was quickly identified but still left local homes wondering why their water was running a little brown this weekend.

Caleb Peterson, director of Cloquet public works, said a typical break involves a small hole that leaks at a fairly slow volume. In this case, the pipe ruptured and the city’s water loss was estimated at more than seven times a typical leak.

“To put this in perspective, the system was losing more water than some fire hydrants around town are able to supply,” Peterson said. “Thankfully, the crew was able to identify and isolate the situation quickly, so only a one-block area lost service.”

He explained that the high demand rate in an isolated area creates high water-velocities in the system which scour pipes — resulting in turbid water, or water which has lost its transparency due to the presence of suspended particulates.

Peterson said the repair took almost 15 hours, as the extent of damage required a section of pipe to be removed and a replacement section fabricated off-site. During a typical repair, an external repair sleeve can be installed over the existing pipe.

Washington was the second leak in the past 12 days.

“Sudden cold or warming trends during the winter cause a majority of our water leaks,” Peterson said. “Cold temps make certain types of pipe more brittle. Combine the brittle pipe with external pressures from shifting ground or thermal contraction, and leaks result.”

To report a suspected water leak during normal business hours, call City Hall at 879-3347.

After hours, calls for service can be routed to the emergency public works dispatcher at 218-624-0391.