Operators at Logan Todd Regional Water Commission (LTRWC) which owns that line noticed the situation very quickly and were able to shut off valves and make adjustments in the system to alleviate the problems the break caused.
Denise Gunderson, office manager of South Logan Water, said their customers had low water pressure Wednesday night but things were back to normal by Thursday morning.
Gunderson said she sees the river everyday and had noticed the debris building up for a while. She had last notified the State Highway Department on March 4, telling them that the debris needed to be cleared because it could cause a problem, especially for the water line.
The water line runs under the river. The build up of debris ends up causing erosion along the shore, sometimes exposing the water line. When it is exposed, debris - such as logs and tree limbs - can hit the line and damage it.
This is most likely what happened Wednesday.
Gunderson said when she told the Highway Department about the problem they said they could not do anything about it at the time because it was spawning season. That is regulated by the Division of Water.
Russell Law, Water and Wastewater Superintendent for Adairville, said that although the line is a main one, the system was able to quickly reroute water to Adairville and South Logan customers. Water service was never cut off. The tank levels are lower than normal, but they are already rising.
“We have enough for water consumption and for fire protection,” Law said.
This is not the first time this line has had trouble.
“That line has got some long history to it, said Brent Traughber, systems manager for LTRWC.
The line has been around since before LTRWC took over and is probably around 30 years old. Although the line was always a concern, Traughber said it is a large line and they hated to replace it if it was still working.
“It needs to be brought up to better standards,” Traughber said.
Since the line belongs to LTRWC, they will be responsible for the costs associated with the break and the repairs. Traughber said they plan to replace the line instead of just patching it as has been done before.
LTRWC was aware of the break almost as soon as it happened, Traughber said. They quickly closed valves to shut it down.
“We probably didn't lose that much water at all,” he said.
Gunderson said they are working to get State Highway Department workers down here soon to get the debris cleared out. Water workers can't yet access the place where the break occurred because of high water and the debris. Once that is cleared they will be better able to see exactly what happened.
While that line, which brought water to Adairville from the north, is closed, Adairville will be getting water from the east and west.
Traughber said Adairville and South Logan are working together in the situation to make sure all the residents water needs are met.
“This emphasizes the need to have the interconnectedness we have,” Traughber said.
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