A water main break on Route 2A that left many north Lincoln residents without potable water for several hours on Monday was not due to old pipes — concrete at the base of a signpost recently installed by MassDOT workers apparently punctured the main.
Phone calls (about 40 in all) began pouring into the Water Department even as two staff members spotted the leak as they drove by on other business. “Great job by them not dismissing standing water on the side of the road,” Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam said.
MassDOT had installed a concrete base for the new signpost down to a depth of five and a half feet — the same depth as the top of the water main and directly over it, he said. “The recent windy weather must have rocked the sign, wearing a hole in the main. But the main itself appeared to be in good shape.”
The department quickly shut off the main and workers from the DPW, Water Department and a private contractor quickly made repairs, getting the water turned back on at 3:30 p.m.
“Since their infrastructure damaged our infrastructure, I’ll see if I can get MassDOT to cover the cost of the repairs,” LaFalam said. “I invited them out to view the depth of their sign base and underground obstacles in that area while the pit was open, and they did send someone out to take a look.”
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