by Stephen Peterson, originally posted on December 20, 2016

ATTLEBORO — The city has had to deal with three water main breaks in less than two days.

The latest, Wednesday morning, were on Pike and Peck streets, with parts of the roadways shut down to allow water department employees to work.

Read Street was the scene of yet another water main break early Tuesday morning.

Police and firefighters responded about 1 a.m. to Read Street, a lengthy and busy connector from Route 123 near the South Attleboro Fire Station to South Main Street. The road was shut down, as was water service to the area.

Up-and-down temperatures, as has been the situation recently, often contribute to water main breaks, but the water main down Read has been problematic because of its age, as well.

The road has been the scene of at least seven water main breaks over the past 1 1/2 years, with four breaks last year in a span of several months.

The breaks have sent thousands of gallons of water flowing like a river down the road. Some of the breaks have flooded residential property.

Earlier this year, the city authorized a $122,500 study to prioritize maintenance and replacement of water mains throughout the city.