Another water main break at the huge West Third Street-U.S. 35-Trotwood Connector intersection affected traffic near the Dayton-Trotwood-Jefferson Twp. border for hours Wednesday morning.
Aging and damaged pipes can be affected when there is a several-day stretch of freezing temperatures like the Dayton area saw last week.
City of Dayton Water Utility Field Operations Manager David Shade said the run of water main breaks is not likely over, because as temperatures start to warm back up and pipes thaw after a freeze, it’s not unusual to have more breaks.
Montgomery County Environmental Services spokesperson Megan O’Leary said Friday that the county department has responded to roughly 60 calls for water main breaks so far this month.
December saw another 52 calls, according to Montgomery County Environmental Services. The county water provider asks residents to call in any water they may see bubbling out from the pavement or grass, as this could indicate a leak. The 24-hour emergency number for is 937-781-2678.
O’Leary urged residents to drive slowly and safely, as crews have been out working.
“In these freezing temperatures, the water can quickly turn to ice,” she said. “We salt the area, but extra precaution is always a good idea when approaching workers on site.”
Shade said city of Dayton crews had already responded to 22 water main breaks this month as of late last week. That compares to 10 in January 2023, 15 in January 2022 and 12 in January 2021.
Shade said it’s more likely to have water main breaks with multiple freezing days in a row like we had last week. In January 2023, Dayton reached at least 32 degrees on 30 of 31 days, and never saw the temperature drop below 15.
People concerned about pipes bursting in their homes are encouraged to open up their cabinets to get more heat on them, Shade said. Running a steady tiny trickle of water from taps in the coldest weather can also help to prevent freezing.
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