A broken water main beneath Moyer St. caused a “dip” in the road, leading the Oxford Village Department of Public Works to close the street and shut off the water on Friday.
According to DPW Superintendent Don Brantley, a resident reported the “dip,” which was described as an “egg-shaped” area, approximately 4 inches deep with a 5-to-6-foot diameter, on Moyer St., between Mechanic and Hovey streets.
The DPW closed that portion of Moyer St. between 7:30 and 8 a.m. Friday after notifying police, fire and school bus personnel of the situation.
DPW workers began digging at the site and discovered the earth beneath the road’s asphalt surface was completely saturated with water. No water was present on the road surface prior to the dig.
An old 4-inch water main, installed sometime in the 1920s or 1930s, had “cracked” and was leaking, Brantley said. As a result, the water for all Moyer St. residents between Mechanic and Pontiac streets was shut off for approximately 45 minutes while a “stainless steel repair sleeve” was used to fix the broken main, according to Brantley.
In place of the saturated earth, sand was added around the main and dry gravel was used to backfill the rest the hole as a temporary measure.
Once the weather warms up, the affected area will be resurfaced with asphalt, Brantley said. Moyer St. was re-opened between 2 and 2:30 p.m. Friday.