by Carla Occaso, for the Montpelier Bridge

Two water main breaks in Montpelier have shut down Jordan Street and created problems in the area of Country Club Road in Montpelier Aug. 8. The Jordan Street break looked like a big bubbling cauldron about 10 feet in diameter at around 6:30 p.m., but at 4:40 p.m., when it initially blew, it shot water high into the air according to several witnesses in the neighborhood. “It was a straight up geyser,” said Tim Sinnott of Parkside Drive, who was checking out the site with his family. Sinnott said water shot 120 feet into the air. 

Sid Cushing, water and sewer supervisor with the Department of Public Works, was monitoring the situation when The Bridge stopped by. Cushing said a 12-inch water main burst, sending up a water geyser that was visible on Memorial Drive — a main road at the bottom of the hill in this area up near the western entrance to Hubbard Park. The geyser shot up above the treeline for about 20 to 30 minutes, Cushing said, until they started shutting it down. Cushing said they have to slowly shut down a water main when a break occurs before work can be done to repair it. In this case, the department has to excavate the newly paved Jordan Street and determine the extent of the damage before the break can be repaired and the street repaved. Again. 

The whole process should take about 10 to 12 hours, Cushing said. A boil water notice will be issued when water is turned back on. 

Several other neighbors came out to look at the bubbling hole and talk about the situation. Many complimented the DPW on their response time.

The other water main break — in the area of Country Club Road — was reported at 8:26 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8. No further details are available except that the Department of Public Works is “working on this issue” per a VT-ALERT notification.