Main break forces Lewes to shut down water system
Employees of Lewes Board of Public Works were forced to shut down the town's water system at midnight Jan. 8 to repair a ruptured 12-inch water main at the corner of Savannah Road and Third Street.
Mayor Jim Ford said he was told the line was to be offline for no more than five hours, and it was expected to be up and running when folks woke up this morning.
With the help of Harry Caswell, Board of Public Works General Manager Darrin Gordon said, the main was repaired and the system was back online by 2 a.m.
"This is what we do," Gordon said. "We prepare for the worst-case scenario and then over perform."
While there is no way of knowing, Gordon suspects the main break was caused by the extreme cold conditions early this week. He said there have been other pipe breaks reported in Lewes, but no other major problems like the main break.
The break was was discovered Wednesday morning. The Public Works staff did what they could to repair the main, but the constant pressure of the system created problems, Gordon said.
Joe Touchton of the water department said workers were unable to ascertain how bad the break was because the pit excavated to get at the break was constantly filling with water.
Beebe Healthcare, whose downtown Lewes hospital is on city water, alerted its employees about the situation and asked those working last night to bring their own personal drinking water.
Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and handling page layout, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
