“It’s to be expected.”

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) — Just last week, four water line breaks impacted homes and businesses in Rapid City. While that may seem like a lot in a short period, Rapid City’s Assistant Water Superintendent, Brett McMacken, said it is to be expected.

McMacken explained that water line breaks are normal for the summer months for a variety of reasons.

“About this time every year, we have an increased service demand for water,” McMacken said. “We’re getting into a hotter period of the year, more tourists in town, more demand for water. And so essentially, we’ve got to respond, and we’ve got to push that water, extra water, into the system. And so, that’s what really causes some of the breaks this time of year is really pushing more volume of water into the grid just to meet the demand.”

He added that the city manages more than 400 miles of water line pipe, so weak spots in the grid will naturally always pop up.

“We have a variety of different pipes and pipe sizes in the community, and it’s to be expected that as pipes age, they’re going to eventually fail or the shifting of the soil or rocks,” McMacken explained.

McMacken said the system is always moving and shifting so as volume flow change so do the pipes. He added the city does a great job with capital improvement projects to maintain the pipes and replace them as needed.

He said he expected more line breaks to come up after the Fourth of July. He asked the public to call the city’s call center if they notice water running on the streets, which may seem suspicious, so crews can monitor the situation.

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