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What cities do when pipes break

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) ā€” A water main broke near Compass Academy on Wednesday, Jan. 15, causing the school to close early.

Compass Academy was not damaged, since the water main was under the roadway and not on school property.

City water pipes tend to leak if they are old, broken, or freezing water expands them too much. When things like this happen, the cityā€™s Water Division and the Public Works Department come in to check out the problem and see if itā€™s a danger to the public. If it is dangerous, the city will let the public know what to do to stay safe.

"And then they begin the repairs. So they'll often have to dig open the area, make those repairs, and then afterwards patch it all up when it's all said and done," said City of Idaho Falls Public Information Officer, Eric Grossarth.

Grossarth says about 20 to 30 water mains are repaired in Idaho Falls each year. There's a low chance of the pipes being broken by people since they are buried so deep underground.

If you notice a potentially broken or leaking pipe, contact your city's Water Division or Public Works.

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Noah Farley

Noah is a reporter for Local News 8.

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