WORCESTER—The Worcester City Council heard an update this week on a series of water main breaks that have caused disruptions across the city in recent weeks.
Mayor Joe Petty said he hadn’t realized how many breaks had occurred until reviewing the report, though he was aware residents had experienced water pressure issues.
Public Works Commissioner John Westerling reported that 18 of the 19 recent breaks have been repaired. The remaining repair, on Millbrook Street, is pending as the city finalizes a traffic rerouting plan.
Westerling said that on Dec. 6, a 24-inch water main installed on Norton Drive in 1975 had corroded to the point of becoming paper-thin. He brought a section of the pipe to the meeting to illustrate the damage.
“I would pass this around, but it is extremely sharp, like the edge of a knife,” he said. “There is something in the soil there that we need to evaluate to determine why that pipe corroded to the point that it did.”
The same pipe broke in 2018 and was repaired at that time, Westerling added.
On Dec. 8, another 24-inch pipe broke on Frontage Road, a main feeder pipe for the two water tanks on Indian Hill. Three days later, on Dec. 11, the Norton Drive pipe broke again and was emptied, with water rerouted through other parts of the system pending a full replacement expected early next year.
Westerling said the remaining 16 breaks stemmed from the Frontage Road failure, calling it “a major pipe to the network.”
“Those are throughout the city,” he said. “They range from a 2-inch pipe to a 16-inch pipe. They range from cast iron to ductile iron, and they also range from pipes that were installed in 1915 to 1970.”
During repairs, backup pumps were used and water pressure was closely monitored. While the immediate issues have been resolved, Westerling said winter temperatures could lead to additional breaks.
“We believe that the network will be in good operating order,” he said.
In response to a question from Petty, Westerling noted that some pipes in Worcester were installed “20 years after the end of the Civil War.”
City officials are now evaluating corrosive soil conditions to determine whether they contributed to the failures, particularly given that pipes around 50 years old are generally considered “young” and typically remain in good condition. Westerling suggested that pipes near I-290 on-ramps may be affected by winter road treatments or the weight and pressure of traffic overhead.
Petty requested a future report detailing which mains have been replaced and which are scheduled for replacement in the coming years.
Councilor Morris Bergman questioned how so many breaks occurred in such a short span of time.
“The number of years I’ve been on the council…I’ve never seen this many all at once,” Bergman said, asking whether pressure maintenance across the system played a role.
Westerling said the Frontage Road break caused pressure fluctuations that likely contributed to failures elsewhere, though the city’s automated system typically manages pressure effectively.
Looking ahead, Westerling said the city must continue investing in infrastructure planning, pipe replacement, and staffing within the Department of Public Works to ensure rapid response capabilities.
“We have hundreds of miles of water main under the road, and we have no idea how many of them are in soils that turn them into this condition,” he said, again holding up the corroded pipe section.
Councilor Kate Toomey praised city workers — including police and other departments — for managing the situation. She also raised concerns about an issue near Lake Avenue, which Westerling said involves a sewer pump undergoing a large but routine reconstruction.
Preventative measures could also include closer system monitoring, including the city’s “iHydrants,” which use newer technology to measure water pressure throughout the network.
Steve Smith, a veteran reporter with 17 years at The Hartford Courant, now brings his passion for photojournalism to Worcester. An award-winning photographer, he has covered major events like U.S. soccer, pro football, and UConn basketball. He is also the official photographer for the Miss Massachusetts competition and works as a realtor. Contact him at steve@stevephotographysmith.com
