Union Lane water main breaks

Facilities Management crews worked throughout the day yesterday to stop a water main break on Union Lane that forced DOTS officials to close the Union Lane Garage until about 7 p.m. last night.

Officials first noticed water trickling down Union Lane on Saturday but were unsure if it was rainwater or the result of a water main break, according to Jack Baker, director of operations and maintenance for Facilities Management. When the water continued to seep into the street on Sunday, maintenance started at the top of Union Lane and began digging down the road until they found the leak. It took the crews two full days of digging before they discovered a pin-sized hole in a pipe valve, which they patched to stop the leak temporarily.

Although no buildings' water supplies were affected, officials will wait to permanently repair the pipe until Tuesday night because it carries water to Stamp Student Union. Because of the high volume of traffic in Stamp during the day, removing the broken valve yesterday would have highly disrupted the campus, Baker said.

"It's a tremendous impact on their operations," Baker said, adding that cutting off water supply would force food establishments to shut down for the day. "It's easier just to cover it up and get back on it tomorrow. ...We found it, we know what we need to do, so we'll let [crews] get a little rest and we'll start back tomorrow."

Baker said the leak will cost the department a few thousand dollars in labor and roughly $500 to repair the valve. While Baker said he is still unsure exactly how the hole formed, it was most likely caused by a small object, such as a pebble, rubbing against the valve for an extended period of time. Though they have yet to find the exact cause, officials have ruled out the possibility that the rupture was caused by cold weather, which is also a common cause of water main breaks.

"Given the fact that it was just a hole and not a crack, most likely it just happened over time," Baker said. "It's unlikely for a hole to materialize."

Baker said that more breaks are likely in the Washington metropolitan area throughout the winter because plummeting temperatures cause the ground to move.

"The area around here will see 60, 70 water breaks during the winter," Baker said.

Department of Transportation Services Director David Allen said the garage was closed temporarily yesterday to alleviate traffic on the road while crews worked.

"It was recommended that we close it," Allen said. "When [cars] have to make that turn onto Union Lane, they would have to back up or turn around."

The garage is expected to be fully operational today, Allen said.

foley@umdbk.com