Broken water line disrupts RMCH

Greg Otero, a RMCH Maintenance employee, sets up a barricade around a sinkhole caused by a water main break in front of Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital on Thursday morning. The broken water main flooded the parking lot but was quickly shut off after the break. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Zsombor Peter
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Work on an expansion to Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital's radiology unit hit a bit of a snag Thursday morning when a contractor accidentally hit a water line.

Hospital spokeswoman Elaine Bobo said the contractor was going off of a city-approved plan when workers hit the line that neither they nor the city seemed to know was there at approximately 11:30. Gallup Joint Utilities Director Lance Allgood said the contractor was taking soil samples at the time in preparation for the expansion.

Despite the faulty information, Bobo said city crews were quick to respond and to help bring the situation under control. Allgood confirmed that they managed to isolate the break and prevent any disruption in water service to the hospital, although one fire hydrant was still out of service.

Although the line had yet to be fully repaired by the end of regular business hours Thursday, Bobo expected it to be fixed some time this morning.

Allgood did not know how much water escaped. But because the line is hospital property, he said, any supplies the city contributes to the repair will be billed to RMCH.

The contractor was working on a 1,300-square-foot expansion of the hospital's outpatient radiology unit when he ran into the unexpected water line. The addition, Bobo said, will expand the waiting area and changing rooms, and make room for a new MRI machine and equipment to measure bone density.

Bobo did not have the anticipated cost of project at hand, but said it would be shared between the hospital and X-Ray Associates of New Mexico, the private radiology company RMCH has been contracting with since last May.

They hope to open the expansion by the end of this summer.