The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Aging infrastructure the culprit
By Kendra Walker
Earlier this week, the town of Mt. Crested Butte experienced a water mainline break on Gothic Road resulting in temporary loss of service to residents and businesses in the area. The Mt. Crested Butte Water Sanitation District worked diligently to repair the break as soon as possible and all water services were restored on Tuesday.
The break occurred on Monday, October 28, located around the 500 block of Gothic Road just north of Snowmass Road near the Elevation Hotel. According to the Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District’s district manager Mike Fabbre, aging infrastructure on the water main line caused the break. “The ductile iron pipe from the 1970s has a dime-sized hole that will need to be cut out and repaired,” he said on Tuesday morning.
“The extent of the excavation required a lot of resources as it is approximately 14 feet deep in the middle of Gothic Road,” he said. “The district and its contractor have been working diligently all night on this difficult repair to return services to our community and we appreciate their understanding and patience.”
The break and repair work did affect the surrounding area’s water services, including residences and businesses near Gothic Road between Hunter Hill Road and Treasury Liquors. “Residences and businesses in the general vicinity will have temporary loss of services but the impacts are undetermined at this time,” he said.
Fabbre on Tuesday afternoon confirmed that the break has been repaired and all water services were restored as of 1 p.m. “All water lines have been pressurized, all restrictions have been removed and water service has been restored. Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this repair.”
The district also reminded residents that they may notice air in the line or cloudy water. “Please flush thoroughly to return fresh water to your service line and in-house plumbing.”
In a social media post, the town of Mt. Crested Butte shared instructions for residents affected by the break. “Use all necessary facilities and fill water containers for extended use if the repair takes 24 hours. When your water is shut off, please refrain from using water to prevent air from entering your plumbing. Using hot water when the water is shut off will drain your hot water tank or boiler which could introduce sediment into the in-house plumbing and/or cause appliance damage.”
Due to the urgent nature of the repair, the town also extended construction work hours to allow for work outside its regular 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. parameters.
Fabbre said that the break was completely unrelated to the district’s wastewater interceptor line capacity issue. Earlier this year, the district shared that the main sewer interceptor line collecting sewage throughout town is reaching its capacity during certain times of the year. As previously reported in the Crested Butte News, the district has made clear that any new major developments would push the current interceptor line over capacity, so no new permits will be issued until the problem has been addressed. Over the summer, the board agreed to allocate $550,000 from the district’s capital reserve funds to begin site investigation activities related to the Gothic interceptor improvements.
Fabbre said residents can contact the district if they have any questions or concerns regarding this week’s water mainline break.
