The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
No impact to water quality
By Alissa Johnson
The Mt. Crested Butte Water & Sanitation District had its hands full last week dealing with service line breaks in Mt. Crested Butte. A valve failure led to increased pressure in parts of the system, causing old, inferior pipes to break.
According to district manager Todd Fessenden, the district had several crews working to repair and identify the cause of nine different leaks in the Mt. Crested Butte system: two in the vicinity of the base area, one by the Chateau Condominiums, and several by Paradise Road.
“We had a pressure-reducing valve in the system that failed and allowed a higher water pressure into the system. What that did was expose plumbing connections that were substandard or inferior,” Fessenden said.
Each of the breaks took place in service lines that consisted of galvanized pipes or at places where those galvanized service lines interacted with copper pipes. According to Fessenden, “Galvanized pipes are inferior and prone to corrosion and failure.”
He also explained that customers—rather than the Water & Sanitation District—own the service lines and a lot of the galvanized lines were installed in the 1970s.
“Those lines have since—because they don’t hold up like copper or plastic—degraded to a point where they are so thin they’re just ready to break. Once the pressure got high enough we found leaks where all these galvanized pipes were or they had a copper line but with a piece of galvanized in it, either as a repair or partial repair,” Fessenden said. When next to each other, the two types of metal interact in a way that leads to corrosion.
The pressure-reducing valve that caused the influx of pressure into the system has since been repaired, Fessenden said that water district crews worked hard to find the breaks and help homeowners repair their service lines. He encouraged customers to replace galvanized lines when possible. He emphasized that there are other situations that can cause a rise in the system’s pressure, such as when district pumps start and stop or when the fire district shuts down a hydrant. Older, galvanized lines are at risk.
“If you have a galvanized service line, it’s an accident waiting to happen,” Fessenden said. He also noted that the water district isn’t responsible for customer service lines, and it’s up to the customer to have plumbing compatible with the water district.
“Our system relies on mechanical equipment, whether that’s valves or pumps, to deliver water to the customer, and you can have pressure fluctuations as a result of this… If plumbing systems are up to our specifications, those types of things won’t cause the water line to break.”
Hiring a qualified plumber can be a good first step to determine whether a house has galvanized service lines. It’s important to note, however, that sometimes there will be copper pipes in the house and the portion of the line between the house and district’s main line, which is hidden under ground, may be galvanized.
“Any time a customer discovers a galvanized service line, it should be replaced with copper or plastic to avoid these problems,” Fessenden said.
He did encourage residents near the breaks to check their hot water heaters; a couple leaked through pressure blow-off valves as a result of increased pressure.
Otherwise, residents shouldn’t have noticed major impacts from the breaks. Once a larger leak is detected, the valves are shut off so water can’t flow out of the pipes and the water in the system storage tanks is preserved. Fessenden also confirmed that water quality was not impaired.
“The water was safe to drink, and we would let folks know of a water quality issue,” Fessenden said.
Residents in the vicinity of the main breaks might have noticed some discoloration because the change in flow in the pipes can stir up things like rust. In that case, Fessenden recommended flushing pipes for five to ten minutes, starting at the bottom of the house and working up.
“It should clear up,” Fessenden said. “If anyone has concerns or if water doesn’t seem normal, they should give us a call at our main extension. We have folks available 24/7.”
Fessenden also confirmed that he will be leaving his position as district manager by the end of the month. “I’ve heard rumors already it was because of the water leaks!” he said. “I am taking a job as deputy public works director with the town of Erie to be closer to family and support my children’s college plans in the area. I will miss the Mount Crested Butte Water & Sanitation District, it’s a great employer with a great staff and very supportive board of directors.”
