MWRA Hammers On In Search For Pipe Coupling

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority begins a new strategy this week as it continues its search for a key piece of evidence in the pipe break that put two million people in eastern Massachusetts on a boil-water order last month.

Searchers say radar shows "hot spots" on the Weston bank of the Charles River where the 10-foot-wide pipe coupling could be.

But the MWRA's Ria Convery says any more digging will destabilize the repaired pipe.

"We're going to take some borings, which pretty much means hammering down some rods into some sites that have been located on this radar, to see if we hit something," Convery said.

The excavation was put on hold last week after crews recovered a small piece of the pipe coupling. So far, the search has cost the MWRA $137,000 — a number to which the MWRA is paying close attention.

"We have to make a decision at each step — is it gonna be worth it? You know, how much is it gonna cost? So we're approaching it very cautiously and taking it on a step-by-step basis," Convery said.