are responding after a large water main broke Sunday at the intersection of Southeast 69th Avenue and Duke Street.
The broken main is a 16-inch cast iron main from 1930, according to the Portland Water Bureau. They estimate the repairs will take about 24 hours.
Since Jan. 1, the Portland Water Bureau has responded to about 75 main breaks. The average number of main breaks per year is about 200.
“This is caused by very cold water running through pipes, which makes them brittle,” the bureau reported in a news release. “As the ground expands as it freezes and contracts as it thaws, this puts stress on the already brittle and aging pipes.”
Customers in the area of the water break will notice a reduction in water pressure or have their water turned off temporarily while repairs are made.
Discolored water, caused by sediment in the pipes that gets agitated during a break, can also appear in the area surrounding a water break. This is not a health risk, according to the Portland Water Bureau.
(© 2017 KGW)
