Small North Denver Station water main break isolated and repaired; staff flags aging mains

Hastings Utilities staff described a small water leak near the North Denver Station that was first reported Sept. 2 and escalated when initial inspection ruled out sprinklers. Maintenance crews excavated to investigate a suspected valve (identified in records as V1057) but found the leak on a 6-inch service and an unmarked, decommissioned service line instead.

Staff said they used hydro-excavation — a vacuum-jet combination — to safely expose the assets, and workers applied a wrap-around clamp to a crack that crossed the pipe’s diameter. Pressure was reestablished, the mains were flushed to remove sediment, and service was restored; staff reported the entire repair and reestablishment of service took about nine hours from initial intervention.

Presenters noted the local mains near North Denver are very old and records are sparse: staff said some mains could be approaching 140 years and that the system’s inoperable valves can enlarge outage footprints during repairs. Board members discussed whether to budget for replacement in future capital plans; staff said they are prioritizing lead-service-line replacement and using an infrastructure fee to address low-hanging priorities, but replacing a large 16-inch valve tied to century-old main may be costly and should be weighed against alternatives.

Crew names cited included Shane McIntosh and Chase Nelson as primary technicians on the repair, and staff said they will discuss options for a new service line and further targeted replacements at future meetings.