(Le Mars) — City water officials had to repair, not one, but two separate water main breaks over the weekend. Rich Sudtelgte, the city water director, says both water main breaks occurred within 30 feet of each other, with the first main break reported Saturday evening at 1st Avenue Southwest and Plymouth Street.
Sudtelgte says the second water main break occurred a short time later in front of the American Legion hall.
Normally, water main breaks are thought to happen when the temperatures reaches sub-zero levels, but Sudtelgte says this has happened to city water crews once before.
The city water director says his crew didn’t notice the second break until they were repairing the first main break, and noticed water coming up through the street.
Sudtelgte says customers along Plymouth Street southwest from 1st Avenue to 3nd Avenue southwest, and from Plymouth Street to 1st Street south were all affected by the water main breaks. He says since city water crews were already summoned to repair the break, they also went ahead and conducted some repairs that were needed to a fire hydrant at Plymouth Street and 1st
Avenue southwest.
Sudtelgte says on average a water main break may cost the city around $4,000 to $5,000 to repair. He doesn’t know the estimate for the repair costs for the weekend’s water main breaks, but believes it may run higher than an average repair bill. In 2019, the city of Le Mars had to repair 14 different water main breaks.
