CAMPUS BRIEFS: Wednesday, January 13, 1999

Water main leak causes mess on Locust Walk The Walk was partially closed for most of the day while Philadelphia Water Department workers responded to a complaint of a water main leak. Job foreman Paul Dorety said the leak was reported by an anonymous University official after water began to pool above the surface of Locust Walk near the curb. "We're not sure if it's an abandoned water service or if it's on the [water] main itself," Dorety said. He estimated that the leak would take between three and four hours to fix after it was found. Although cranes and bulldozers were already on the scene by 2 p.m. yesterday, Water Department spokesperson Joanne Dahme said the source of the leak had still not been located as of 5 p.m. She added that the problem was most likely caused by the change in temperature, which has been below freezing at times over the past few days and nights. "Usually when we have cold weather, we see an increase in leaks in some of our smaller water mains," she said. Dahme explained that at the surface of water main leaks, repair crews usually know exactly where to dig by using radio wave frequencies to pinpoint the source of the leak. University staff members in Van Pelt and College and Logan halls all said the repair work had thus far not caused their facilities to lose water service. -- Sharon Male