The Perfect Storm: Anatomy of an Elusive Water Main Break

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director Perry Plummer and Community Services Director John Storer about a recent major water main break in Dover.

The conversation begins with Storer explaining how the break was first detected late on the night of Feb. 7 when operators noticed more water leaving the system than normal. Despite immediate efforts to locate the break, it remained elusive even after daylight, prompting activation of the city's Emergency Operations Center under Chief Plummer's direction. The break was releasing approximately 2,000 gallons per minute (about 3 million gallons per day), but unusually, no water was visibly surfacing anywhere in the city.

Plummer explains how they implemented an incident command structure to coordinate resources efficiently, including fire and police personnel searching the streets, drones with thermal imaging, helicopter support, and engineers. The team systematically isolated different sections of the water system while simultaneously planning for potential water conservation measures if the situation worsened. They also activated an emergency water interconnection with neighboring Somersworth.

After extensive searching, they finally discovered the break at 432 Central Avenue, a vacant building overhanging the Cochecho River. The broken pipe inside the building was sending water directly into the river—a "perfect storm" scenario that made detection especially difficult. Both officials praise the collaborative efforts of city staff and the patience of residents during the incident.

Parker then speaks with Erin Bassegio from Planning and Community Development and Brian Early from Media Services for their monthly update on city activities. They discuss recent Planning Board meetings, City Council budget workshops, Energy Commission initiatives, Zoning Board approvals, and updates on the Cochecho Waterfront Development Advisory Committee and the city's two TIF boards.