"Unexpected"

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Waterbury looks to feds as it faces millions to repair and maintain water main

WATERBURY —U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal told local, state and federal officials Friday the water crisis in the city is a "warning to every municipality that it could happen to you." 

The number of cities and towns in the state with aging infrastructures means more potential water breaks that demand continued work to replace aging pipes, and valves necessary to service thousands of residents and businesses, Blumenthal said at a press conference with local, state and federal lawmakers. 

"Waterbury is working on it and we're here to help them," he said.

…. The city estimates the cost for the past two weeks of work to the water main system to restore and maintain water to 100,000 residents cost about $2 million to $3 million. It also estimates the immediate replacement of 10 valves will cost $5 million to $6 million.

Here’s the real story, and the explanation:

“Unlike roads and bridges, upgrades to a water system are an underground expenditure.  ‘That's $8 to $10 million that people won't see,’ Hayes said. ‘It's a crisis that needs to be addressed.’

No politician ever got his picture on the front page of the local newspapers posing in front of a maintenance project, so the money gets spent elsewhere. Municipalities and states ignore their infrastructure until a crisis “unexpectedly” comes crashing into the scene, and they they wail for residents of other states to bail them out.

You want to see money flowing to pipeline and other infrastructure maintenance projects, ask the Somalis to start some construction companies.

AI:

In December 2025, Waterbury, Connecticut, experienced a catastrophic failure of its water infrastructure, which officials and residents attributed to decades of neglected maintenance and century-old piping. 

Recent Major Incidents

  • December 2025 Disaster: A 120-year-old 12-inch main began leaking on Thomaston Avenue, eventually breaking and undercutting a parallel 36-inch high-pressure transmission main. This "domino effect" caused a system-wide loss of pressure, leaving approximately 100,000 customers (60% of the city) without water and necessitating a multi-day boil water advisory.

  • September 2025 Failure: Just months prior, an air relief valve failed on a 30-inch high-pressure main on Huntingdon Avenue, draining millions of gallons of water and forcing school closures.

  • Historical Frequency: Investigative reports found at least 13 major water main breaks in the city since 2004, with five occurring on Thomaston Avenue alone. 

Evidence of Neglect & Systemic Issues

  • Aging Infrastructure: Large sections of the city's water system are over 120–130 years old.

  • Deferred Maintenance: Many older valves have not been "exercised" (tested by opening and closing) for up to 25 years because crews feared they would break if touched, a practice that eventually contributed to the 2025 failure.

  • Underinvestment: Critics argue the city has long relied on "Band-Aid" repairs rather than comprehensive upgrades. While a $30 million infrastructure program is now underway, it follows decades of what officials acknowledge as a "belated program" to address the system's needs.

  • Lack of Redundancy: During the December 2025 break, a secondary high-pressure line that could have prevented the outage was offline for scheduled reinforcement, leaving the city with no backup.