Burn ban lifted but water line breaks mount

HAMILTON, MO — Hamilton municipal water crews battled a major water line break over a 2-day period beginning Aug. 30, 2012. The line break was No. 40 recorded in the city and was soon followed by two more breaks, many caused by drought conditions. Hamilton’s water lines are as old as the 1930s, and shifting ground and instability caused by dry conditions continue despite some recent rainfall. Crop appraisers estimate the corn crop generally is producing less than 20 bushels per acre. The drought of 2012 is generally being compared to the worst of the 1930s.