1 year ago
41
Residents claim pipes have leaked in the streets for months
DID YOU GET TODAY FROM THE WATERWORKS BOARD? WELL, BRITTANY, I’M NOT REALLY SURE IF OUR INVOLVEMENT PROMPTED ANY ACTION, BUT I WILL SAY ABOUT 40 MINUTES AFTER WE EMAILED THE BIRMINGHAM WATERWORKS BOARD, THEIR CREWS FLOODED THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND BEGAN WORKING ON A LEAK THAT NEIGHBORS HERE SAY HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR MONTHS. OVER HERE IS LEAKING. YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE SOURCE OF ANTHONY MCCALL’S FRUSTRATION. HE SAYS FOR THE LAST MONTH, THIS WATER LEAK IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE HAS CAUSED HE AND HIS NEIGHBORS PLENTY OF PLUMBING HEADACHES. OUR WATER PRESSURE IS LOW. IT’S HARD FLUSHING THE TOILET. WE HAVE TO PUT EXTRA WATER IN IN THE TOILET. THE SAME PROBLEM ALL OVER AGAIN. NEIGHBOR PATRICIA KELLY HAS LIVED IN HER MAPLE AVENUE SOUTHWEST HOME FOR 50 YEARS. SHE TOOK PICTURES OF THESE LEAKS IN THE SAME AREA BACK IN JANUARY. WE JUST WANT SOME RESULTS, THAT’S ALL. AND WE’RE TIRED OF CALLING ONE GROUP AFTER ANOTHER AND AND NOBODY AND NOT GETTING ANY RESULTS. KELLY AND MCCALL CLAIM THEY HAVE CALLED THE BIRMINGHAM WATERWORKS BOARD REPEATEDLY, TWICE CREWS HAVE COME OUT TO PUT A STOP TO THE LEAKS WITHIN 5 TO 10 MINUTES AFTER THEY PULL OFF, WATER STARTED SHOOTING BACK UP AGAIN. WITHIN AN HOUR OF US EMAILING THE WATERWORKS THIS AFTERNOON, CREWS BEGAN SHOWING UP AGAIN, SPOKE PERSON RICK JACKSON SAID THEY MAINTAIN 4000 MILES OF PIPE, MUCH OF WHICH IS RUSTY AND BRITTLE. LIKE THIS ONE FOOT SECTION. IF YOU SEE A BREAK IN THE PIPE, WE’LL CLAMP IT. BUT THE ISSUE HERE IS WHEN WE CLAMP IT BECAUSE IT’S SO OLD AND BRITTLE, IT BURST SOMEWHERE ELSE, HE SAYS. THE LEAKS, MCCULLOUGH AND HIS NEIGHBORS ARE COPING WITH ARE EXAMPLES OF HOW MUCH OF THE SYSTEM NEEDS REPLACING SO THEY WON’T HAVE TO STARE AT A CONSTANT STREAM FLOWING BY THEIR DRIVEWAY. IF I WAS RUNNING MY WATER LIKE THIS, WATER OUT HERE LEAKING IN MY HOUSE, I HAVE A SKY HIGH. BUT THIS WATER HAVE BEEN RUNNING FOR A WHOLE MONTH AND THEY CAN’T DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. HOPEFULLY TODAY’S FIX WILL HOLD UNTIL A PERMANENT PIPE REPLACEMENT IS MADE. NOW, JACKSON’S SAYS THE BIRMINGHAM WATERWORKS BOARD ACTUALLY BUDGETED $25 MILLION FOR WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT THIS YEAR, AND HE HOPES TO BUMP A NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE MABEL AVENUE SOUTHWEST HERE UP THE PRIORITY LIST.
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Residents claim pipes have leaked in the streets for months
Anthony McCall says for the last month, the water leak in front of his house on Maple Avenue Southwest has caused him and his neighbors plenty of plumbing headaches. “Our water pressure is low, it's hard flushing the toilet. We have to pull extra water air in the toilet,” McCall said.Neighbor Patricia Kelly has lived in her home on the street for 50 years.She took pictures of leaks in the same area back in January.“We just want some results, that's all. And we're tired of calling one group after another and nobody and not getting any results,” Kelly said.Kelly and McCall claim they have called the Birmingham Water Works Board repeatedly. Twice in the last two weeks, crews have come out to put a stop to the leaks.“Within five to 10 minutes after they pull away, water started shooting back up again,” McCall said. Within an hour of us emailing the Water Works Monday afternoon, the utility’s crews began showing up again. Spokesperson Rick Jackson said they maintain 4,000 miles of pipe, much of which is rusty and brittle.“If you see a break in the pipe, we'll clamp it. But the issue here is when we clamp it because it's so old and brittle, it will burst somewhere else,” Jackson said.He says the leaks McCall and his neighbors are coping with are examples of how much of the system needs replacing.That way, they won't have to stare at a constant stream flowing by their driveway.“If I was running my water like this water, and I had a leak in my house, I would have a bill of sky high, but this water been running for a whole month, and they can't do anything about it,” McCall said.Hopefully, today's fix will hold until a permanent pipe replacement is made.
Anthony McCall says for the last month, the water leak in front of his house on Maple Avenue Southwest has caused him and his neighbors plenty of plumbing headaches.
“Our water pressure is low, it's hard flushing the toilet. We have to pull extra water air in the toilet,” McCall said.
Neighbor Patricia Kelly has lived in her home on the street for 50 years.
She took pictures of leaks in the same area back in January.
“We just want some results, that's all. And we're tired of calling one group after another and nobody and not getting any results,” Kelly said.
Kelly and McCall claim they have called the Birmingham Water Works Board repeatedly.
Twice in the last two weeks, crews have come out to put a stop to the leaks.
“Within five to 10 minutes after they pull away, water started shooting back up again,” McCall said.
Within an hour of us emailing the Water Works Monday afternoon, the utility’s crews began showing up again.
Spokesperson Rick Jackson said they maintain 4,000 miles of pipe, much of which is rusty and brittle.
“If you see a break in the pipe, we'll clamp it. But the issue here is when we clamp it because it's so old and brittle, it will burst somewhere else,” Jackson said.
He says the leaks McCall and his neighbors are coping with are examples of how much of the system needs replacing.
That way, they won't have to stare at a constant stream flowing by their driveway.
“If I was running my water like this water, and I had a leak in my house, I would have a bill of sky high, but this water been running for a whole month, and they can't do anything about it,” McCall said.
Hopefully, today's fix will hold until a permanent pipe replacement is made.
English (US)