Minneapolis officials are still unaware of what caused a water main to break in North Minneapolis on Monday afternoon. The break put a portion of the city on a boil water advisory through Tuesday.
The repair is expected to be finished within the next several days. Still, city staff will be spending plenty more time analyzing what may have caused a typically very dependable cast iron pipe to break at about 5:45 p.m. on Monday on the 2900 block of 2nd Street North.
Maragaret Anderson Kelliher is the Minneapolis director of public works. She shared that the pipes that broke are known for being very dependable.
“These pipes are the workhorse of the system. They are very dependable pipes, these cast iron pipes, so that’s why we need to do a little more investigation about pressure and other things,” Kelliher said. “Generally, they hold up very well unless something happens to them, which we have had instances like that in the past with construction and other things.”
Kelliher did not rule out something external happening to the pipe as a possibility this time, but did say it would be evaluated for any defects or weaknesses.
City officials expected excavation to be complete Tuesday evening and a new pipe to be installed overnight. The pipe will need to undergo a series of tests before it is reintegrated into the system.
As for the boil water advisory, city officials say it is precautionary. So far, there hasn't been evidence of any water being contaminated. However it remains in place until testing is complete, according to Annika Bankston, the city’s Water Treatment & Distribution Services director.
“Bacteria testing is ongoing, and we hope to have those results in about 24 hours in accordance with the test procedures,” Bankston said, adding that water would hopefully be deemed safe at that point.
The advisory is currently in effect on Third Street North from 26th Avenue to Lowry Avenue and along Fourth Street North from 26th Avenue to 29th Avenue. Free water bottles are available to the affected residents at Fairview Park.
For more information on the break and the boil water advisory, visit the city’s website here.
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