The boil orders have all been lifted, but challenges remain for Weirton’s water system.

Anyone who has paid attention to the affects of cold weather knows this is a time for a higher-than-desired number of water line breaks in our area. Sudden shifts in temperature aren’t necessarily good for metal, especially pipes buried underground where additional pressure from harder, frozen dirt can add to the concerns.

Since the Thanksgiving holiday, though, Weirton has suffered from more than 50 water line breaks, leading to the Weirton Area Water Board, on Dec. 18, to issue a mandatory conservation order, with residents and businesses required to watch their water consumption until water levels in the city’s tanks could get back up to proper levels to serve the community.

Typically, that wouldn’t take too long, but the line breaks continued, including one on a main line located in the city’s downtown Dec. 27. That break led to the need to issue a city-wide boil order, which lasted for several days.

Understandably, people have been frustrated. We’re sure that frustration has been felt even more by the men and women who work for the water services, who often have had to be out in the cold weather, at all hours of the day, repairing lines, often standing in water while doing so, on top of their everyday duties to operate and maintain the system.

They work hard to serve the people of our community, doing whatever is needed of them to ensure there is a supply of safe drinking water available for use by residents and businesses.

The water situation we currently are experiencing will be over soon, and probably forgotten by most sooner than one would think.

However, in all the frustrations of today, and in the weeks and months ahead, we would encourage everyone to think about the work of the city’s water department employees. Think of their challenges and sacrifices as they serve, and, whenever possible, find a way to thank them.