Water Main Break Disrupts Service

Residents along two blocks of Ventura’s Poli Street went without water for 7 1/2 hours Friday morning after a 57-year-old water main broke, authorities said.

Most affected were homes on the 700 and 800 blocks of Poli Street, where service was out from 3:30 to 11 a.m. About 100 to 150 people live in the area, officials estimate.

Those living near the 11-block stretch of Poli Street from Cedar to Hemlock streets also temporarily lost water. Service was resumed within about 30 minutes in those areas, though many homes had lower water pressure than normal, said Don Bauer, water distribution supervisor.

The culprit was a 7 1/2-foot crack in a 10-inch cast-iron pipe that was installed in 1941 and is slated to be replaced later this year.

“That’s pretty old,” Bauer said. “That’s getting pretty close to the oldest stuff we have.”

Recent large temperature fluctuations and minute earth movements have played havoc with underground water pipes in recent days, Bauer said. Older pipes are especially susceptible to such stress.