Four water main pipe breaks in southeast Denver today have caused widespread water outages in the areas, and repairs aren’t expected until midnight.
The four pipes — two 12-inch and two 8-inch mains — burst after a faulty valve caused high pressure to build up in the system, according to a Denver Water media release.
The valve has been fixed and crews are working on repairing the broken pipes at 7863 E. Bucknell Place, 3410 S. Akron St., 3000 S. Newport St. and 3001 S. Valentia St., Denver Water said.
The mechanical valve, when operating correctly, adjusts its opening automatically based on water flows and pressure sensitivities.
In this case, the valve got stuck in the open position and failed to regulate water flow in the area, creating too much pressure for the four nearby pipes that consequently burst, according to a spokeswoman for Denver Water.
It is unknown why the valve malfunctioned.
The water outages have caused a flood of phone calls to the department’s customer service lines, and callers are experiencing long waits.
Customers affected in the area include: Two apartment complexes — with 100 units — and 12 homes on Akron Street from Floyd Place to Girard Avenue; six homes on Bucknell Place from Spruce Way to Trenton Street; nine homes on Newport Street from Cornell Avenue to Dartmouth Avenue; and ten homes on Valentia Street from Verbena Way to Cornell Drive and Wabash Street.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
