CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte Water crews faced nearly half a dozen water main breaks in one day Saturday. It's a sign the cold snap has its grip on the charlotte region.
A stream of ice cold water could be seen freely flowing through south Charlotte's Sedgefield neighborhood. "I first noticed it a day or two ago," said Alex Lawing, who lives in that community.
Yet, he told us no one's yet been by to repair it. "I was surprised by how deep and muddy the puddle was."
The source of all the water was easily noticeable. A steady fountain of water could be seen coming up thru a raised, cracked part of the sidewalk pavement.
"I didn't realize until right now that there's the bursted spring coming up over there," Lawing said. "Why it was going on for that long? It was pretty curious"
That situation was just one of at least six pipe issues Saturday we either learned of thru Charlotte Water or just by finding it on our own. That’s how we found repair work by a Charlotte Water contractor that snarled Wilkinson Blvd. traffic.
"We are tying to prioritize based on which ones need emergency assistance and available crews," said Cam Coley, spokesman for Charlotte Water.
FroM N. Church St. To MLK Jr. Boulevard in Uptown, the breaks are happening all over town.
"We have over 4,3000 miles of water pipe and so there's something to fix everyday," Coley said.
The cold that causing all of this can also complicate repairs. "The crews and their supervisors are doing a great job of rotating the guys cause, unfortunately, they have to get wet to fix the pipes"
It’s underground infrastructure that takes a brutal beating during extreme temperatures. "We depend heavily on customers telling us what they see so always call 311 and select “water emergency," Coley added.
"This incident with the water here is the first time I've seen something like this," Alex Lawing said.
Charlotte Water says it's really relying on the public in preventing breaks. Tips include insulating pipes in unheated portions of your home and knowing where the master shut off is in the event of a break.
It's not clear yet when Charlotte Water might be able to respond to that break in the Sedgefield community.
Even after crews repair a pipe, Charlotte Water sometimes has to wait to re-pave the road. Asphalt can't be made during sub-freezing weather, meaning lane closures might stay in place until work can be completed.
