Water main break suspected but not found

An unexpected drop in the level of water in a town-owned water tank prompted automated notifications on Thursday to Lincoln residents about a water main break, but it turned out there was no break, and the cause of the sudden surge in water use was never found.

Residents received recorded phone messages and emails from Water Department Superintendent Greg Woods on the morning of August 15 saying there had been a water main break somewhere in town but that the exact location hadn’t been identified. Those with town water were asked to call the Water Department right away if they were experiencing low water pressure or discolored water, which would have helped officials pinpoint the source of the problem.

The action was prompted by officials who noticed readings showing that the 1.2-million gallon water tank on Bedford Road was quickly being drained, which indicates “an excessive amount of water use,” Woods said on Thursday afternoon. This usually means that a water main beneath a road has broken somewhere and is gushing water, which would result in a sudden accumulation of water in the roadway or reduced water pressure in homes that are downstream from the break, he said.

However, the Water Department never got any calls from residents about such problems, and water usage levels returned to normal by about 1:00 that afternoon.

Coincidentally, there had been a water main break in town the day before, and officials briefly shut down that part of the system in case the repair at that site had failed, but such was not the case.

“It’s kind of mysterious,” Woods said. “It’s worrisome when you can’t find it.” He speculated that someone may have turned on an irrigation system or that numerous residents decided to water their lawns at the same time, since it hadn’t rained in several days.

The next water billing cycle probably won’t reveal who suddenly used so much water, since usage is billed only twice a year and a brief surge won’t stand out in that time span, he added. However, “we assume it was metered water use and someone will pay for it,” Woods said.