Water Line Leaks Close Lenoir Temporarily

About 9:30 a.m., a water line that serves both Lenoir and the Union cracked. The line is located between Davis Library and the Union, and it took OWASA crews about an hour to fix the leak, said Greg Feller, public affairs administrator for OWASA.

The area saw substantial rainfall this weekend, and Feller said the crack could have been caused by settling in the soil, which can happen when the weather changes from dry to wet.

"There are a lot of factors in what can cause a water line to leak," he said. "In a lot of cases, we don't know definitively what the cause is."

Lenoir was closed from 9:30 a.m. to about 11 a.m. while crews fixed the leak, said Carolina Dining Services Director Evan Klingman.

Union Director Don Luse said water service in the Union was cut off during that same time period.

Another leak occurred about 3 p.m. when a pipe on Raleigh Street, which also serves Lenoir and the Union, cracked. OWASA crews fixed the leak by 4:30 p.m., Feller said.

The leak in the Raleigh Street pipe could have been caused by utility construction work done in the area last week, Feller said.

Lenoir closed again from about 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. because of the leak, Klingman said.

Water service to the Union also was turned off from about 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Luse said.

Because the pipes carrying water are underground, it is impossible to tell how much water leaked out of the pipes, Feller said.

When a water line is leaking, the water will seep up through the ground or pavement, Feller said. He encourages all area residents to report any leaks they spot to OWASA.

"We need help from everyone," he said, "It's really good to have people help out, especially with the drought."

Although the leaks were fixed soon after they were reported, students said the closings at Lenoir disrupted their meals.

"My lunch was severely delayed," said sophomore Justin Rao. "When I'm hungry, I'm not very pleasant."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.