Staff photo / Ed Runyan Workers dig into Connecticut Avenue on Youngstown’s West Side on Monday looking for a leak in a large Mahoning Valley Sanitary District water transmission line under the street that may be responsible for ice buildup on Connecticut Avenue. The buildup appeared early last week.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District was working on Connecticut Avenue on the West Side on Monday trying to locate what it thinks is a hole in a large transmission water main running under the street.

Tom Holloway, plant operations manager for the MVSD, which provides drinking water to Youngstown, said he does not expect any inconvenience for MVSD water customers because there is a second water transmission line in that area.

The most obvious issue is the buildup of ice on the street and along the edge of the street, Holloway said.

The area of the street where they are working has been shut down to vehicle traffic since early last week because of the ice buildup. Kirilla Contracting is assisting MVSD workers on the project, Holloway said.

The waterline carries MVSD water down Connecticut Avenue to a facility on West Avenue near downtown that feeds water to Youngstown. Between Connecticut and Oakwood avenues — both one-way streets — is a 30-million gallon reservoir owned and operated by MVSD that rises high in the air in the area where the workers are looking for the leak.

When a person looks at the reservoir from the street, he or she can see little more than dirt and grass, but there is a concrete structure inside it “like a big holding tank,” Holloway said. Many people looking at the structure think it might be an “elevated park, but it’s not,” he said.

Youngstown draws all of its water from the reservoir into downtown Youngstown, he said. Youngstown has a water tank not far away that takes water from the reservoir to provide pressure to carry the water to users nearby.

Holloway said Youngstown and MVSD started looking at the buildup of ice on Connecticut early last week.

The Youngstown Department of Public Works notified the news media Jan. 21 that Connecticut Avenue between North Dunlap and Moherman avenues was closed because of hazardous ice conditions on Connecticut.

The news release stated that the city would be looking for the source of the ice buildup once temperatures rose above 20 degrees. Large piles of icy snow could be seen on either side of Connecticut Avenue on Monday morning. The area remained blocked from vehicle traffic Monday.

The MVSD was established in 1926 to provide a public water supply to the member cities of Youngstown and Niles beginning in 1932; and by special contract to the Village of McDonald beginning in 1944. The members serve surrounding areas such as Girard, Canfield, Mineral Ridge, Lordstown and portions of 10 other townships to approximately 220,000 residents, according to the MVSD.