Dry ground likely cause for Fairfield water main break

Dry ground likely caused a water main brake Wednesday morning in a Fairfield neighborhood, the city’s public utilities director said.

Crews were dispatched at 7 a.m. to a water main break on Martha Lane at Boehm Drive.

“When we get really, really dry weather, just like in the winter the ground starts moving,” said Fairfield Public Utilities Director Adam Sackenheim. While there has been spurts of rain, there hasn’t been significant amounts of rain for the better part of a month, he said.

“That ground is like concrete,” he said.

The water flow was throttled down after crews arrived on scene so they could make the repair. In all, the repair took about five hours between dispatch and clearing the scene, Sackenheim said. About 90,000 gallons of water was lost.

The shifting ground caused a stress fracture in the line, which is otherwise in good condition, he said.

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About the Author

Michael D. Pitman

Michael D. Pitman has been a reporter in southwest Ohio since 1999. He's covered local governments in Warren and Butler counties, as well as state and national issues. He currently covers the cities of Fairfield and Hamilton.