Henrico officials planning upgrades to Staples Mill water main

Henrico Public Utilities officials have completed emergency repairs to a water main that broke at Staples Mill Road and Thalbro Drive Thursday night – the latest in a series of breaks that have occurred during the past year and a half or so at or near that location.

The latest incident forced the closure of Staples Mill Road in both directions near its intersection with West Broad Street, but Henrico Public Utilities Director Bentley Chan told the Citizen that the road should be reopened to traffic in both directions in time for use by Friday evening commuters.

“We do appreciate everybody’s patience,” Chan said.

The line likely ruptured in part because of the very cold temperatures, Chan said, and also possibly as a result of the county’s efforts to flow water from its Western Henrico treatment facility to Eastern Henrico earlier this weeks after the city’s water supply shut off, leaving Eastern and Northern Henrico residents without water.

“When you try to react that quickly, there’s usually a lot of pressure [that builds in the pipes],” he said. “If it’s not kind of controlled in the right way, it goes through the system and causes a bit of a wave. It kind of hits all of those points where we may have previously done repairs and it kind of shakes things loose.”

The water main line along that section of Staples Mill Road dates to the 1950s, Chan said, which could help explain why it has suffered a handful of breaks in that general vicinity during the past 18 months. Chan’s department has plans to replace a large section of the line – from West Broad Street to Bethlehem Road – but first must complete a planning process later this spring and summer.

During that process, they'll evaluate whether to install a larger line or alter its path, among other issues, Chan said.

"We don’t want to miss the opportunity to make something better," he said.

In the interim, he said, officials are planning to install new connections to serve all of the properties that front Stapes Mill Road on the side on which the pipe is located, which should help keep their water service on in the event of future breaks to the line.

When a water main breaks, it can do so circumferentially – in a circular shape around the pipe – or in longitudinal form – a split or crack along the pipe. When the former situation occurs, officials often are able simply to place a band or clamp around the break and reseal it. But when the latter occurs, a section of the pipe needs to be replaced.

Thursday’s incident on Staples Mill Road necessitated that officials cut an entire section out and replace it, Chan said.

During earlier breaks in the same area, officials are able to replace leaking valves and install new valves that allow them to better close off sections of the pipe if necessary, he said.