From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Sept. 13, 1988:

Dry weather this summer had caused deep cracks in the ground that were now threatening the city’s water mains, according to Bob Leach, assistant utilities director, whose crews had been working hard to keep up with water main breaks in recent weeks. “We’re just working ourselves into the ground,” Leach said. “Everybody’s tired. We’ll just keep fixing them.” Leach said the moisture stored in the soil was dwindling, causing the soil to contract and pull at the mains, causing the breaks. There had been at least one break reported every day for the past three weeks, with as many as four or five on a bad day. Without some rain, Leach said, the breaks could get worse in the winter.