TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) -
The cold weather is causing traffic issues for drivers in west Toledo after two water mains broke.
City crews responded Wednesday to a 12-inch water main line that sprung a leak along Kenwood Boulevard between Drummond Road and Meadowwood Drive. A 16-inch water main also broke on Byrne Road, shutting down one lane of traffic heading southbound between Dorr Street and Nebraska Avenue.
Temperatures this cold for a long period of time can put a strain on water lines. This poses challenges for workers because if they are unable to shut off the flow, they will have to pump out excess water and repair the line.
"When it gets this cold for this long, it's difficult for these guys to be out here. They're out here day and night," said Bob Phillips, general foreman for Toledo Water Distribution.
Phillips says those emergency repair jobs can pile up during long stretches of cold weather.
It is a tough job even in ideal weather conditions. Workers with Toledo Water Distribution have to be ready at any time, and in any weather, to get to work when water lines spring a leak.
"When it gets this cold it tends to break under paved areas, and when they break in paved areas, that's twice as difficult. The hardest part is sometimes getting the water turned off because of the system," said Phillips.
For these crews, making it through the work day means bundling up with layers.
"Some of these guys, the only way to keep from freezing is to stay wet. Once they get out of the water, then they're frozen," explained Phillips.
Once workers are out in the elements, Phillips says everybody looks out for one another.
"That's why we have three-man crews. Everybody takes care of each other. These guys are like family; they live together in those trucks," said Phillips.
Copyright 2013 Toledo News Now. All rights reserved.
Workers are braving the cold to try and repair a water main break in west Toledo.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and Toledo News Now, a Raycom Media Station. 
