WEST READING, Pa. – Some homes in West Reading experienced service disruptions after a water main break Thursday.
The West Reading Borough Public Works Department is working to repair the break in the 300 block of Linden Lane, according to a notice on the borough’s website.
Service was disrupted to the residences in the area, the borough said.
The borough says main breaks can cause a loss of water pressure or a temporary loss of service while the main is shut down to isolate the emergency. Most interruptions to water service are repaired within six to eight hours, according to the notice.
The notice says that unless you are told otherwise by a representative of the Borough, your water is safe to drink.
Water mains fail when the stresses placed upon them are greater than the strength of the pipe.
The borough says external forces on a water main include:
Traffic loading
Temperature changes
Underground work that leads to a direct or indirect impact on the pipe.
The imbalance of stresses to the strength of a pipe may show itself in various ways, such as:
Joint leaks
Pipe breaks; or
Service line detached from the main.