The city of Ames reported another water main break Thursday morning, which is just one of the many water main breaks to have occurred within the recent months, beginning around November. 

Water main break on Carnegie. Also flushing lines continues for new water plant. Rusty water, pressure fluctuation & interruption possible.

— City of Ames (@cityofames) February 25, 2016

Currently, the city of Ames is conducting water pipe testing on newly installed pipes that will connect the future water plant with the existing water plant infrastructure.

The city of Ames has been consistent in reporting the water main breaks for each occurrence, and has strongly highlighted the issue of rusty water.

In a press release by Susan Gwiasda from Feb. 15, in concerns to the water main break on Clark and Wilson Ave., the release states, “due to the size of the water main break, rusty water is possible throughout the city. Rusty water is not dangerous to drink, but can stain clothes if used for laundry.”

The release stated that water main breaks are more common during temperature fluctuations, which create a freeze-thaw cycle and ground shifting.

City councilman Tim Gartin has weighed in on the concerns of the Ames community through the Facebook group “Ames People” in which he posted a response from public works director John Joiner.

In the response, Joiner said that the city council has approved $1.3 million per year into the water system improvements capital improvements program, that works to address water main upgrades and maintenance.

He noted the concerns of the breaks occurring in “older” neighborhoods and said that, “in selecting project locations, we consider many factors such as age, material, condition (if known), service history, rusty water calls and frequency of breaks.”

One of the more recent water breaks emitted up to a million gallons of water into the Ames’ streets, according to an article done by WHOtv on Feb. 15, citing the information to come from Dale Weber, utility maintenance supervisor with the city of Ames.

For citizens who have suffered damage from the water breaks, however, many are seeing that the water main breaks fall under the Act of God clause, and not on the city, which means that Ames is not held responsible for the break.

For those wanting to weigh-in on more water related issues, the city of Ames Water and Pollution Control Department will hold an open house for the North River Valley Well Field and Pipeline Project from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, in the Rotary Room of the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave.

The department is proposing new water wells on public land to, “replace failing order wells” and to keep up with an “increased demand for water.”

The new well field will include three wells and an interconnecting pipeline, according to a release by the city of Ames.