Rawlins suffers 6 in-town water line breaks over Labor Day weekend

RAWLINS (WNE) — Over the Labor Day holiday, the City of Rawlins’ in-town water infrastructure experienced six breaks due to aging infrastructure and a slightly elevated pressure event.

Despite undergoing regular maintenance, a pressure-reducing valve failed. Although pressure remained within normal limits, due to Rawlins’ aging infrastructure, breaks occurred at weak points.

Due to the large number of breaks occurring simultaneously, staff from multiple divisions helped respond to repair the breaks as quickly as possible. The Utility Division, which regularly repairs water breaks, was joined by staff from the Water Treatment and Administration Divisions of Public Works, staff from the Administration Division of Community Development, and staff from the Parks Division of Parks & Recreation.

“As always, our staff remained on-site as long as allowed to fix the breaks and to restore water,” said Mira Miller, community relations/public information officer with the City of Rawlins. “Thank you to all the city staff who worked to restore water to residents. Many worked for over three days straight, only took breaks as required, and often worked until 1 a.m. or later and returned first thing in the morning.”

Miller also thanked affected residents for their patience, especially those who stopped by to thank and support the crews in their long hours of work.

This story was published on September 7, 2024.