Municipal Authority crews repairing water main break in Lower Burrell

New Kensington’s municipal authority crews were repairing two waterline breaks Thursday — a main line in Lower Burrell under Violet Drive and another waterline under Kennedy Avenue in New Kensington.

Fluctuating temperatures and ground movement caused the two breaks, said Ron Balla, assistant superintendent of distribution for the Municipal Authority of the City New Kensington.

The Violet Drive break occurred Wednesday night around 7 p.m., Balla said. The 12-inch, cast-iron main line under the road is a major supply line. A large portion of the city lost water for about an hour on Wednesday night, he said.

There are a little more than 5,000 households in the city, officials said.

When a municipal authority crew found and isolated the break under Violet Drive late Wednesday, water was able to be restored to most residents in the city. The crew returned at 7 a.m. Thursday to repair the main line, that was still affecting about 32 homes, Balla said.

It was expected that the repair could last into Thursday evening, although water could be restored to the Violet Drive homes by late Thursday afternoon, he said.

Another crew was working on the Kennedy Avenue break on Thursday which affected about 20 homes, Balla said.