36 Inch Water Main Damaged Friday
Friday afternoon a construction company excavating the old Clark High School football field nicked a 36 inch water main causing a geyser of water that has been spraying since.
Hammond Water Department personnel were immediately on scene of the incident Friday however an outside contractor had to be hired because the repair requires specialized equipment.
“The area where the line was nicked is making it tough to isolate the problem,” Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. told RNS Tuesday. The valve that isolates that area failed as well so the shut off could not be completed right away. “It’s a major expense and requires lots of time to repair that exact valve,” McDermott said. “Crews have minimized the flow to that area in an attempt to limit the amount of wasted fresh water.”
“There is no threat to any water customers at all, this is just an inconvenience that should be fixed by Wednesday,” McDermott said.
Eventually the insurance for the contractors that damaged the line will cover the repair costs. Hammond’s water plant which feeds many neighboring communities is rated to pump 75 million gallons of water per day so this isn’t catastrophic.
Photo – What’s Up Hammond!!!
