HOLLISTER
In light of the latest water main break closing off San Benito Street for several days last month, a Hollister utility official said that there is “not necessarily” a major problem with the pipeline infrastructure downtown.
“It varies – we can go six months with no leaks and then have three,” said Henry Gonzales, utilities supervisor with the City of Hollister.
The March 3 main break occurred on San Benito Street near the intersection of Vine Street causing the road to be shut down from Nash Road and Palm Street for days. The flooding was severe enough to send water north to Haydon Street.
Although the cause of the break on San Benito Street hasn’t been found, Gonzales said the No. 1 cause of leaks is earth movement.
“A lot of it has to do with earth movement and settling of the ground,” he said.
Aging pipes are a concern for the city, and Gonzales said that some pipes have more wear and tear than others.
“It’s hard to say,” he said. “Some areas don’t ever have leaks. It’s hard to pinpoint.”
Maintenance is on-going for the water mains, and Gonzales said the utilities department does maintenance on valves and parts above the surface.
“We do what we need to do above ground and valve maintenance,” he said.
He said that the department does a “pretty decent job” on maintenance.
