NewsLeak

Repair crews are working feverishly to fix a small water main break in south St. Louis near the intersection of Chippewa and Hampton.

According to Curt Skouby, director of Public Utilities and Water Commissioner, the leak was not able to be fully repaired after two days of crews on the scene. But because the leak was small, crews will not be forced to shut off the water in the surrounding area until late in the evening, which would be a great inconvenience to residents and businesses if water was shut off all day, KSDK reported.

Spokesman for St. Louis City Water Tom Rothermich told the source that dropping temperatures made the break more difficult to fix but repairs should be complete before the end of the week.

Another water main leak was found on Central Avenue in Le Mars, Iowa, recently, and city crews worked together to repair the leak. The water main burst lowered the storage in the city's 1 million gallon water tower, prompting the water crews, public works and fire rescue departments to work with the Sioux City Water Department to stop the leak, the Daily Sentinel reported.

The Sioux City water staff brought with them sonar equipment to transmit high-frequency sound waves through the water to help locate the source of the leak in the pipes. Once the leak was isolated to a specific area, crews were able to focus on digging through the street to stop the leak, the source reported.

Audubon Street in New Orleans is a heavily traveled street that recently had a water pipe burst beneath it, causing water to leak through the pavement. After significant traffic put pressure on the asphalt, the material caved in, leaving a large crater in the street. If more pressure were to be put on the crater, a sinkhole could likely form, causing damage to the road and inconveniencing residents.

Neighbors of the area told CBS affiliate WWL that the water leak beneath the road started three months ago, but the Sewerage and Water Board said they have 60 days to repair all roads so the crews would not make it out to the site right away. But residents said the road only got worse while they waited for crews to arrive.

"It was like a small bayou, is what it was, running down the side of the street," said neighbor Murray Calhoun. "The side of the street had collapsed, we had holes in the street and I just thought it was a dangerous eyesore that needed to be fixed."

Similarly, in Clarksville, Tennessee, residents are inconvenienced with a water main break. Gas and water construction crews have turned off water service and closed some roads to repair a water main leak that needs a replacement valve, the Leaf Chronicle reported.

The Portland, Oregon, region recently endured a week of flood threats and landslides after heavy rain storms. The region is expected to get drenched by another storm very soon, which could cause more water damage and create driving hazards for drivers.

According to Andy Bryant from the National Weather Service, more rain and moderate flooding is expected to hit the Northwest coast, but it will not be as severe as the storms that just occurred. The most recent storm saturated the Portland area and caused the closure of many roads, including Highway 101, so crews could repair a massive sinkhole.

"What we saw last week was several rivers that had major or moderate flooding," Bryant said. "It affected roads, private property, homes, and we're expecting to see less of that."

Similarly, many streets in the Holmdel, New Jersey, area are undergoing repairs as well to better equip the roads for heavy rains and other inclement weather conditions. Funding for the repairs will be provided by the Neighborhood Rehabilitation Program, Collector Road Program and Annual Curb Replacement Program, the Holmdel Patch reported.

The repairs will include new draining systems and curb replacement that will better steer running water off the street into the sewer system. This will ensure standing water does not seep into the pavement, causing sinkholes and other road hazards, the source reported.