Fridley's Water Main Leak a Drop in the Bucket Compared to Minneapolis'

Thursday was not a good day for city water mains in Fridley and downtown Minneapolis. But a much bigger broken main made more of a mess in Minneapolis.

The troubles started in Fridley at about noon Thursday on Norton Avenue NE when a six-inch pipe burst, according to Jim Kosluchar, director of public works for the City of Fridley. Several homes were without water for two to two-and-a-half hours, he said, and city workers finished repairs about 4–5 p.m.

Meanwhile, nine miles south of Norton Avenue, at about 2:30 p.m., a private contractor struck a 36-inch Minneapolis water main near Hennepin Avenue and Second Street, flooding streets for blocks around with icy-cold water and cutting off service to many residences and businesses nearby. Most water taps and area traffic were flowing again by mid-morning Friday.

For Fridley, it was the second water-main break this week—Van Buren Street NE also suffered a break, Kosluchar said.

He attributed the incidents to winter weather conditions. "It's colder temps driving the frost down, putting a strain on underground piping," he said. 

Fridley has about 20 water-main breaks each year, Kosluchar said.

Related:

• Fridley Water Main Breaks in Record Heat

• Digger Strikes Pipe; Gas Leak at 58th and 2-1/2 Street

• Flooding from Tree Stuck in Pipe Closes East River Road