Six Water Main Breaks Reported in Arlington

The heat is causing havoc in Arlington Thursday where the city is working to repair six water main breaks.

The series of breaks are on the city's southwest side and will result in road closures.

• W. Pleasant Ridge Rd near Pleasant Oaks Ct.
• W. Green Oaks Blvd near W. Pleasant Ridge Rd
• W. Pleasant Ridge Rd near Sangre Trail
• Waterview Drive near W. Green Oaks Blvd.
• Tennessee Trail at W. Sublett Rd.
• Mintwood Place near Ann Dr.

“Water usage has increased this summer, which means the pressure in our system also increases as we pump more water,” said Water Utilities Director Buzz Pishkur in a statement on the city's website. “The higher pressure sometimes causes breaks in the pipes that are most vulnerable. However, our crews are actively working on these breaks.”

Arthur Galvan lives down the street from the break at W. Pleasant Ridge and Pleasant Oaks Court. When he lost water at his home Thursday, he hopped on his bike to see if something had happened. He quickly saw crews and a large hole in the ground.

“When I came down it was gushing pretty good,” said Galvan.

That particular line is a 42 inch line – the largest kind the City of Arlington uses. It was spewing water everywhere.

“You know how much pressure that thing has got,” said Galvan.

City water officials blame the heat for the breaks. They say as temperatures rise, so does the demand for water.

“As you pump water, when people use more water, you put more pressure into your mains,” said Buzz Pishkur, Director of Water Utilities for the City of Arlington. “And typically, that’s what causes main breaks.”

Pishkur said his department spent most of the past year locating and testing valves along those mains – which is why in this case, crews were able to stop the flow of water quickly.

“Those are very positive in containing the water loss, the damage that it causes, and allowing us to get started moving towards the repair process,” said Pishkur.

The city hopes to have most of the lines fixed by Thursday night. Because the line at Pleasant Ridge / Pleasant Oaks is much larger than the others, it could take two to three days to get it back up and running.

"We’ll find temporary ways to serve those people until we get that line repaired,” said Pishkur.

Galvan said this isn’t nearly as bad as when his air conditioning went out, so he doesn’t mind waiting.

“I work out at the YMCA, so I’ll go to the Y and take a shower if I have to,” said Galvan.

Some roads in the affected areas are closed while crews work. Both westbound lanes of Pleasant Ridge Road are blocked off just west of Martin High School. Traffic is being rerouted onto the eastbound lanes, which now has one lane moving in each direction.

NBC 5's Tim Ciesco contributed to this report. Check back and refresh this page for the latest information.