Heavy rain triggers spike in Oklahoma City water main breaks
(UI) — Oklahoma City recorded about 40 water main breaks in the week of Aug. 25, a surge tied to recent heavy rainfall, according to KOCO 5 News. The failures have disrupted traffic and required ongoing repair work, especially along Western Avenue.
Utilities officials say saturated ground has strained the city’s aging underground pipes. “People are likely seeing a significant increase in just this past week because we’ve had an increase of rain,” said Jasmine Morris, public information marketing manager for Oklahoma City Utilities.
Clay soils across the region swell when wet and contract when dry, shifting pipes and leading to breaks. “That puts pressure on our pipes, shifts and moves them, and we do see an increase in breaks,” Morris explained, as reported by KOCO 5 News.
The city typically sees 600 to 800 breaks per year, but more than 1,100 occurred in the last fiscal year. In response, the Utilities Department has doubled its budget for water line replacements from $10 million to $20 million. Officials expect the pace of breaks to ease in the fall as rainfall lessens, though they caution that pipe failures will continue.
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