During a 1st Ward Meeting recently, Haverford Township Manager Larry Gentile told those in audience that a sewer pipe along Naylors Run Creek broke two weeks ago and it will cost $1.3 million to fix.

Using the words like “large” and “substantial” to describe the break, Gentile said on Wednesday, Oct. 5, that he implemented the township’s emergency repair system to fix the pipe, which was behind the Kohl’s department store. The store’s Township Line Road entrance was closed during repairs, but has since opened.

The cause of the breakage, Gentile said, is believed to have been caused by the heavy rains and flash floods that occurred after Hurricane Irene. At one point during the storm 6 inches of rain fell in one hour.

“There is not a storm system known to man that can take that amount of water,” he said, adding that, “within an eight hour period Haverford Township received 8.14 inches of water.” 

FEMA was called in to inspect the sewage pipe and it is still determining if it will contribute to the repair costs. The costs to fix the pipe will be $1.3 million, Gentile said.