By Sara Quam
Recent fluctuating temperatures have caused trouble for more than arthritis and good hair days.
Two water mains broke in Luverne as a result of ground movement, and area towns have had similar troubles.
Luverne employees Jim Rockman, Verlyn Van Batavia and Water and Wastewater Supervisor Al Lais worked on Highway 75 Saturday and Sunday after a 10-inch pipe broke open.
The team started work Saturday at 10:30 p.m. and continued through 3 a.m. Sunday. They picked up again at 6:30 a.m. and worked until 9:30 p.m. when the problem was under control.
This particular main was problematic because of its large diameter and the amount of water that sprung from it. Lais said it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the break, so he and his co-workers did a lot of digging.
Monday brought another break -this time a 4-inch main on Blue Mound Avenue.
City staff quickly shut off that water and were able to seal the break. However, Lais and his crew still had to dig an 8-foot-deep hole in order to reach the problem. In the process a phone line was damaged and had to be repaired.
Lais said people will know when a water main breaks because water will exit the ground with high pressure or even a thin stream. Either way, if water looks out of place - as it would now, with the rest of the ground covered in snow and ice - it's best to contact the city.
As for prevention, Lais said he just knocks on wood. "It's just up to whatever nature decides to do."