Back in the summer of 2021, a spate of water main breaks disrupted life in Gardner, Mass. (pop.: 21,000). As The Gardner News reported at the time: "Three water main breaks ... resulted in the city losing approximately 4 million gallons of water, according to [Mayor Michael] Nicholson, who added that the amount of water has since been replenished to the city’s water supply by the recent rain in the area."
The short-term rupture saw incredible water loss, and city officials pointed to aging infrastructure as the central issue, a common theme in the U.S.
Some of Gardner's lines and vales dated back to the 1880s.
“All of these [valves] are being replaced as we speak in that construction project, it’s just we’re on the old system still and the break happened a few months too early,” City Engineer Chris Coughlin said in 2021.
Indeed, a key water main in the city will now be replaced to the tune of $1 million in federal funds. This line, laid underground in the late 19th century, supplies more than three-quarters of Gardner's water.
Gardner is not alone in this mission.
Across the U.S., civic projects like this are under way. They may be focused and relatively circumscribed in nature, but the impact of these projects is monumental.
Nonetheless, even a project of this scope tends to be years in the making.
"Since that pipe was first installed, 25 individuals have been elected President of the United States, 11 states have joined the United States, women gained the right to vote. Put simply, the world has changed, but yet we still rely on that single pipe for one of the most vital services we provide to our residents," Nicholson said at a groundbreaking ceremony last week.
The world continues to change, but the need for clean water remains constant.
