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I decided to make a little detour after leaving the Hancock County Commission meeting Thursday afternoon, driving down to River Avenue in New Cumberland for a quick stop at the Arthur Watson Overlook.
Driving to and from work each day, I get a bit of a view of the Ohio River while crossing the Veterans Memorial Bridge, but, as I make every effort to be diligent and pay attention to traffic patterns and surrounding vehicles, it only amounts to a quick glance. Visiting downtown New Cumberland is one of the few places really available to get a good look at what's going on with our dominant water source.
It occurred to me, both through my viewing and a brief conversation with a New Cumberland city employee, it had been quite some time since we've seen the Ohio River that frozen.
It's one thing for a still lake to freeze over, it's something else entirely for a constantly moving body of water such as the Ohio River to be close to a solid sheet of ice, and for multiple days at that.
I want people to keep that in mind as our area continues to struggle with water line breaks. I know a great deal of attention has been focused on the issues in Weirton, mostly because it has been going on for so long, but Weirton truly isn't alone in this.
Every community in the Ohio Valley has had line breaks in the last few weeks. We're seeing it even more this week because of the deep freeze we've been experiencing.
Yes, there are circumstances that have exacerbated Weirton's situation, including not being able to mix the water the way it's typically done as a result of the upgrades currently under way at the water treatment plant.
When ground was broken for the project in late August, I doubt anyone could have predicted we would have this kind of weather, especially this early in the winter season.
I'm in no way trying to downplay the situation, as I know it's been frustrating for the community. Residents in some areas have been without water for extended periods of time. Several businesses have had to reduce their services, or close outright. The social media rumor mill hasn't helped much, either, as there are some individuals who only want to stir the pot.
Unfortunately, the massive freeze of this last week has set things back, and, it will most likely get worse before it gets better.
As anyone who has paid attention to the patterns during this time of year can tell you, water line breaks tend to increase in the winter months. Cold weather such as we've experienced makes it even worse. Water lines are located underground, which already puts a certain amount of pressure on them. Whether it's galvanized steel, clay, or PVC, such pressure stresses the material, and if stresses continue in a certain area, breakage can occur.
Add to that a cycle of freezing and thawing, resulting in shifts in the earth around a pipe, and the stress on those lines increase even more.
We're in the midst of a deep freeze, and, according to reports from the National Weather Service, it's starting to warm up. Wednesday morning, I woke up to see a temperature of -7 degrees Fahrenheit. Jan. 29, one week later from that point, predictions call for us to get around the mid 30s. That's a steep shift in temperatures. It wouldn't surprise me if we see line breaks all over the place in the coming days.
Remember that we're only about a month into the winter season. I truly hope we've seen the worst of it, and that these systems throughout our region don't have to go through any more negative situations, with service returning to normal as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, only time will tell how everything will play out.
(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter/X @CHowellWDT)