Widespread Broken Water Lines Prompts State of Emergency in Arizona (Feb 7)

2,000 families are without running water due to widespread water outages that have plagued several northeastern Arizona counties and provoked emergency orders by Arizona's governor and the Navajo Nation's president.

A total of 1,729 water outages from a severely damaged water system consisting of concrete and clay pipes has been confirmed by the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA).

"In all my years I've never seen anything like this," said Erny Zah, spokesman for the Navajo Nation's president and vice president. "People are starting to get an idea of how serious this is."

Sources

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/02/07/Emergency-declared-in-Nav...

http://thenavajopost.com/2013/02/08/there-are-1729-water-outages-ac...

Water Main Break Floods Streets in St. Paul Minnesota (Feb 9)
A 20-inch water main ruptured in downtown St. Paul late Friday, sending an estimated 1.75 million gallons of water coursing through the streets of Lowertown, disrupting service and prompting the city to test the area's tap water.

The break occurred around midnight on Wall Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets, with water cascading down Wall and Broadway streets toward Kellogg Boulevard for two hours.

For nearly 12 hours after the break, the city advised residents in affected areas not to drink the tap water until testing was completed.

On Saturday afternoon, production distribution manager Jim Graupmann said crews had a chance to inspect the pipe and were attempting to determine the cause.

"We may not know, ever, but we'll take a look and see," he said.

The pipe dates back to 1952, Graupmann said, but added that isn't older than average for the system. The last time he recalled a break of this magnitude was in 1991.

A large swath of St. Paul had its water service affected by the break. The exact number of affected customers is unknown, but homes and businesses east of Interstate 35E, west of U.S. 52, south of University Avenue and north of the bluff line experienced water supply and pressure issues, according to Graupmann.

That area includes St. Paul's Lower West Side, Downtown and Lower West 7th neighborhoods.

Source

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_22555002/st-paul-broken-wate...

San Francisco Pipe Burst Spills Chlorine Into Creek, Kills Dozens Of Rare Fish

SAN FRANCISCO -- Dozens of fish, including rare steelhead, were killed after a drinking water pipe burst and sent thousands of gallons of chlorinated water rushing into a San Francisco Bay area creek.

The city's Public Utilities Commission said it discovered the leak Saturday near Crystal Springs Reservoir, part of a drinking water system that serves 2.5 million Bay Area residents.

Officials said they expected the fish death toll to reach a couple of hundred fish.

"That's obviously especially problematic – killing any fish is problematic – but with threatened steelhead, you do not want to have that happen," said Steven Ritchie, assistant general manager for water at the commission.

San Mateo Creek flows about five miles from the reservoir to San Francisco Bay.

Ritchie said the 1932-era pipe that broke was likely corroded, but the official cause of the burst is not yet known.

When the pipe burst, it sent chlorinated water at 1,000-gallons per minute down a hillside and into the creek.

Crews were able to slow, but not stop, the leak after several hours, and repairs to the pipe are ongoing, Ritchie said.

Ritchie said he does not expect a long-term environmental problem there.

State Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Regional Water Quality Control Board are investigating the incident and could assess penalties for the fish killed and any environmental damage.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/12/san-francisco-pipe-burst-_...

Water Main Break Shatters Windows in Texas (Feb 22)

A water main break shattered the windows of a house in Fort Worth early Friday morning.

Around 12:15 a.m., a man inside his house at 3955 Pate Dr. said it sounded like hail was hitting his home. When he went to investigate,  he discovered a large water main had ruptured in the street in front of his home.

The "hail" turned out to be loose rocks displaced by the water that was shooting out of the broken pipe and into the man's front yard.

The man also discovered that three windows in the front of his home had been shattered and water from the line was coming inside the house.

The Fort Worth Water Department closed four valves to stop the flow of water about one hour and 45 minutes after the man called 911.

Emergency crews said they couldn't immediately identify why the line breached.

Source 

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Water-Main-Break-Shatters-Windows-...

Water Main Break, Multiple Sinkholes Affect 23 Homes in San Francisco (Mar 5)

Things have gotten worse for the San Francisco neighborhood where a water main broke last Wednesday. Streets were flooded and several homes were damaged that day and there were also two resulting sinkholes, one in the street and one in a backyard. Now, there are at least three more and three homes have been red-tagged.

A handful of city agencies met to talk about the disaster Monday. They then went to the neighborhood to meet with residents. Since day one when there was one sinkhole in the street and one in the backyard, three more have been discovered, the most recent one on Monday afternoon at a house where the owners just moved in only two weeks ago. They haven't been ordered to move out yet, but three other families have.

Three homes on 15th Avenue are red-tagged. The sign says, "Soil unstable beneath home." Two of those red-tagged houses share a 20-foot sinkhole inside the homes. "It measures 20 feet in diameter, probably 4 to 5 feet deep," said Chuck Wilson, one homeowner's brother.

The 16-inch underground water main on 15th Avenue broke just before 3 a.m. The water exploded up through the concrete and asphalt road above and created a river two-feet deep flowing across Wawona. Twenty-three homes were affected. That day, there was one sinkhole in the street where the break happened and one more in a backyard, but the red tags came days later when more sinkholes began appearing.

Cindy Coyne's home is red-tagged. She says State Farm is now backpedaling on coverage it promised at the beginning. "We need to know now. We need to make decisions for our future, for our children who are living in a hotel at the airport," she said.

Source

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&a...

Massive Water Main Break Wreaks Havoc Near Washington DC (Mar 19)

An unexplained break in a 60-inch water main in Chevy Chase, Maryland caused a 30-foot geyser that knocked out a street light and created a massive crater that swallowed sidewalk, trees and roadway, prompting mandatory water restrictions for 1.8 million people in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

A 20-foot section of the five-foot pipe at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Chevy Chase Lake Drive had to be replaced, according to officials from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission.

The cause of the break is still being investigated and may take months to determine, officials said, who noted the incident resulted in the loss of nearly 60 million gallons of water.

Damages to the area surrounding the water main break will take weeks to repair, WSSC officials said. Restoration is needed to roadways and sidewalks and damages trees will also have to be removed, officials said.

As a result, the far right northbound lane on Connecticut Avenue remains closed near the break, according to WSSC officials.

Sources

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-03-19/local/37825704_1_wssc...

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=864&sid=3255676

http://wtop.com/46/3261187/Water-main-break-restrictions-lifted-in-...

http://www.gazette.net/article/20130324/NEWS/130329422/1029/water-r...

Geyser Gushes From Broken Water Main in Toronto (Mar 23)
 
An underground pipe ruptured and sent water gushing out of the ground like a geyser in Toronto’s east end on Saturday morning.

Water sprayed several metres into the air and pounded against a townhouse complex on Kingston Road, just east of Galloway Road.

Source

5 Water Main Breaks in 5 Days - Hoboken, New Jersey (Apr 1)
Following four water main breaks since Thursday, March 28, a fifth one was reported early Monday morning, April 1st.

A boil water advisory remained in effect in Hoboken Thursday night following two earlier water main breaks that blew out pressure and created a sinkhole that swallowed a car.

Residents in the area said at one point, there was about 4 feet of water flowing down the street.

“I was working upstairs when I heard a big thud, like something fell down. I looked out the window and I saw a huge crack in the street with water gushing out,” one man said.

Water flooded the streets, seeping into nearby homes and businesses and causing the street to buckle. By the time crews arrived, a sinkhole had opened up and swallowed a car.

The first water main break sent water rushing into nearby basements that were destroyed during Sandy.

“All of these basements got flooded about 4-feet or so,” resident Robert Costa said.

“We cleared it all out right after Sandy so we lost everything again,” resident Sean MaGee added.

Another man who just replaced his boiler after Sandy had a few feet of water in his basement because of the main break.

Once again, residents were evacuating and preparing for days or even weeks of hardship.

Sources

http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/fifth-water-main-break-in-five-da...

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2013/04/fourth_hoboken_wa...

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/hoboken-water-pipe-leaks-b...

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/hoboken-water-2-water-mains-rup...

http://media.nj.com/jersey-journal/photo/2013/03/-2cacb88b362ad10c.JPG

* Water Main Break Swamps Ohio Neighborhood [ABC News; 12 April 2013]

People were warned to boil water as a precaution after a broken 36-inch main swamped an Akron neighborhood, submerging cars, trapping residents and washing away foundations.

The pipeline was shut down after the break Thursday night, but not before rising water trapped some people in homes and cars. Nearly a dozen people were rescued by boat.

Akron Water customers in suburban Copley and Fairlawn and areas of west Akron were warned to boil water for at least two minutes before using.

Stanley Glover, 53, said the basement of his home flooded. "It was just pouring in like a water hose, busting through the foundation," he told the Akron Beacon Journal.

Three evacuated families from the neighborhood stayed for the night at a Red Cross shelter. St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, located near the break, canceled classes Friday.

Some residents who ventured onto the streets of the West Hill neighborhood ended up on the tops of their cars to avoid the water.

The pipeline break carved deep ruts into the pavement, left behind a thick layer of mud and threatened the basement of a commercial building.

Fire Lt. Jeff Schueller, a member of the Akron Fire Department's dive team, said a boat was used to evacuate as many as 11 people from two homes that took the brunt of the flooding.

Akron Police Lt. Rick Edwards said no one was injured but loss of property might be significant.

* Water main break on Market St. in Greensboro [MyFOX8.com; 13 April 2013]

GREENSBORO, N.C. — A water main broke early Saturday morning on East Market Street in Greensboro.

As of 1:30 p.m., city officials said East Market Street was closed between South Church and Linden streets.  Traffic is being redirected in the area.

There was no estimate as to how long the stretch of road would remain closed or how many people’s water service is affected.

* Rising Sun water main break fixed [Cecil Daily.com; 12 April 2013]

This was the scene last night in Valley View Village off East Main Street in Rising Sun, where town public works crews were repairing a broken 12-inch water main.

Rising Sun's Department of Public Works employees were finally finished repairing a broken 12-inch water main around midnight, according to Superintendent Ron Thomas.

The almost 4-foot-long split was discovered around 4:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon in the Valley View Village neighborhood off East Main Street.

"We cut out 116 inches of pipe," Thomas said Friday, adding the department had to hire a contractor to help with the repairs. "The contractor operated the heavy equipment. We did the hand digging."

Residents of the townhouse community may see cloudy water today and Thomas advised people to boil water before consuming it. 

* Chevy Chase water main break could happen again [WTOP; 10 April 2013]

CHEVY CHASE, Md. - A water main break like the one that shot a geyser several stories into the air and caused major damage in Chevy Chase last month could happen again elsewhere in the region.

Work continues Wednesday to repair the area damaged after a 60-inch water main burst March 19 in Chevy Chase. Crews have filled in the area around the burst pipe. (WTOP/John Aaron)

Montgomery and Prince George's counties have up to 800 sections of pipe like the one that ruptured in Chevy Chase on March 19.

Additionally, Montgomery County Councilman Roger Berliner told WTOP he was surprised to learn an early warning system couldn't spot this type of break.

"We thought we had a monitoring system in place that we could assure our public that they are safe," Berliner said.

But Jim Neustadt, Director of Communications and Community Relations for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, says WSSC has always been upfront about the limitations of the monitoring system.

The system works by listening for the noises made when pre-stressed wire breaks. But if a section of pipe contains no wire, like the failed piece in Chevy Chase, the system would not detect the failure.

Crews rebuild a curb Wednesday in Chevy Chase. The work is as part of ongoing repairs after a 60-inch water main burst in March. (WTOP/John Aaron)

Crews rebuild a curb Wednesday in Chevy Chase. The work is as part of ongoing repairs after a 60-inch water main burst in March. (WTOP/John Aaron)

"We have never said [acoustic monitoring] is fail-safe," Neustadt said. "We know that as much as we do, there's always something that can happen."

A full report on the break is expected to come out in July. The massive water main break left 1.8 million WSSC customers on water restrictions for several days while crews worked to replace a 20-foot section of pipe.

Work to restore damage to a nearby creek bed, trees, a portion of Wisconsin Avenue and sidewalk were expected to take weeks.

* Pearland: Red water runs out of faucets after 16-inch water main break [abc13.com; 13 April 2013]

The city of Pearland says a water main break near City Hall is the cause behind red water running out of some faucets in at least one neighborhood.

PEARLAND, TX (KTRK) -- Pearland city officials say residents who've seen red water run out of their faucets all day should not be alarmed.

The city says the red water is the result of a 16-inch water main break off FM 518 near City Hall, but the water is safe to drink.

The water main break happened around 9am after construction workers dug too deep and hit the main.

It took workers more than seven hours to flush out the line and complete the repairs.

The city says the majority of residents who were affected live in the Shady Crest neighborhood. However, Eyewitness News also received reports from residents in Oak Brook Estates off Dixie Farm Road.

Stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for the latest details. 

* Central San Diego neighborhood without water after main break [10News; 13 April 2013]

SAN DIEGO - A neighborhood in central San Diego is without water Saturday morning due to a water main break.

The break occurred at about 4:30 a.m. in the 4800 block of Federal Boulevard. About an hour later, water was shut off while crews work to repair the 12-inch cast iron pipe that burst.

The water district says 33 homes and six businesses are affected.

Water is expected to be restored by about 5 p.m.

Massive Water Main Break Inundates Akron Ohio Neighborhood (Apr 12)

(Follow-up on Kojima's report yesterday)

Crews from the city of Akron used front end loaders to dig out homes along Valley Street on Friday as the clean-up got underway following a massive water main break on Thursday.

The break sent a river of water and mud into nearby neighborhoods, submerging cars and pouring filth as much as six feet deep into some basements.

On Gold Street, the rushing water collapsed the foundation of one home that was left uninhabitable.

Power and gas service to the affected homes remained out on Friday as Akron housing inspectors began assessing the damage.

Dale Bench was there as the water was rising and was able to go into his Valley Street house on Friday.

“All the electric and all the gas is off in all these residences around here and to some of the commercial buildings,” said Bench. “We are in the process of trying to get those turned back on. Each building has to be inspected.”

Bench said the street looked like Niagara Falls after the water started gushing after 6 p.m. on Thursday.

“For real, we don’t have flood insurance,” said Bench. “Who has flood insurance on a rental? Who would ever think it would flood down here like this? You got four man holes so was it negligence…was it negligence or was it a flood.”

Neighbors continued to share their experiences on Friday.

“It sounded like it was raining, but I looked out the window and you couldn’t see no rain so I went up to the window and looked out the window and it was flooded, water everywhere,” said Kari Jiminez. “I was worried because you could hear it going into the basement from the outside, so we didn’t know what was going to happen.”

City crews were also cleaning up the debris at the massive hole opened up at the site of the break.

The water undermined the foundation of a local extruding company building which could not operate its shop on Friday.

St. Vincent-St. Mary School was also closed on Friday because of the break.

The Red Cross was maintaining a shelter for residents who had nowhere else to go.

A boil water advisory remained in effect from western Akron through Copley and Fairlawn.

“This is a 36 inch water main, plus it’s under a lot of pressure. This water main serves almost all of west Akron, so when it went you get a lot of water out of a 36 inch water main,” said Jim Weber, Construction Manager for the City of Akron.

Sources with video

http://fox8.com/2013/04/12/residents-displaced-digging-out-after-ma...
http://fox8.com/2013/04/11/people-trapped-in-homes-after-water-main...
http://fox8.com/2013/04/13/boil-advisory-lifted-after-water-main-br...

Enormous Hot Water Geyser From Ruptured Water Main in Russia (Apr 11)

A hot water pipe that runs under the main square in the city of Smolensk burst during the day, flooding the area filled with cars in boiling water.

A couple hundred miles west of Moscow, the artificial geyser's eruption threw tons of trash and stones as large as a building bricks into the air, damaging cars and scaring onlookers.

People were going about their business next to a collective-farm area when a fissure in the pavement began spitting steam. Seconds later the little perforation split open to unleash a mephitic torrent of boiling water that soared above the rooftops of nearby three-story buildings.

Sources

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/huge-boiling-water-geyser-erupts-...

http://jalopnik.com/russian-drivers-unfazed-by-gigantic-hot-water-g...

Burst Water Main in UK Forms 45-Ft Geyser (Apr 29)
Water was sent shooting high up in the air after a water main burst in "spectacular" style.

Residents were forced to put out sandbags to stop flooding in Chestnut Avenue, Wokingham, on Sunday morning.

The supply to homes had to be switched off for a short time while engineers worked at the scene in Berkshire to stop the flow of water.

Paul Viney, who lives nearby, said he believed the water was spurting up to about 45ft (14m) for two hours.

South East Water said it was alerted at about 07:40 BST and a technician was on the scene within an hour who managed to turn the water supply off some time later.
Hole in road

The damage was repaired and supplies were returned to the 34 properties affected by 13:30 BST.

Mr Viney said: "It was quite spectacular. I have never seen anything like it. It was a pretty big burst of water gushing out.

"Residents were putting out sandbags to try and prevent driveways flooding.

"There was a one foot wide hole left in the road."

The hole in the road was repaired with the carriageway reopened by about 15:00 BST.

Steve Benton, distribution manager at South East Water, said: "We would like to apologise to our customers who were affected by the incident yesterday and thank them for their patience.

"It was a spectacular burst and our staff did a great job turning off the water supply and carrying out the repair work so quickly."

Source

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-22337791

Rash of water main breaks across the U.S. over the past 48 hours showing the diagonal stress on N. America.

A.  Ishpeming, Michigan (Apr 28)

B.  Madison Alabama (Apr 28)

C. Charlotte, North Carolina (Apr 29)

D.  Carlisle, Pennsylvania (Apr 29)

E.  Ackley, Iowa (Apr 30)

F.  Plymouth, Michigan (Apr 30)

G. San Ysidro, California (Apr 30)

H. Tulsa, Oklahoma (Apr 30)

Water Main Break Floods San Diego Suburb (May 7)
A water main burst underneath a North Park street Monday, sending thousands of gallons of water flooding onto neighboring streets.

The water buckled the street and sidewalk while neighbors frantically tried to save their belongings as water flowed into nearby homes.

North Park resident TJ Linnard described it as a geyser shooting 20 feet in the air.

“We just didn’t believe it was happening,” Linnard said. “Walked over here and saw the ground crack.”

Sources

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/north-park-florida-street-cou...

http://www.760kfmb.com/story/22176905/water-restored-after-main-bre...

Massive Water Main Breaks in Boston and Montreal Flood Streets (May 10)

Water and sewer crews responded to a large water main break that sent water rushing into a North End intersection Friday night.

Boston fire officials say the break occurred just before 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Stillman and Endicott streets.

According to a spokesman from the Boston Fire department, crews responded to the intersection of Stillman and Endicott Streets around 7:22 p.m. in the North End for a “large water main break” that spilled into the roadways and flooded into nearby basements.

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2013/05/10/north-end-water-...

Source

MONTREAL, QUEBEC (May 9)

A water main break near the intersection of St. Paul and Inspecteur streets resulted in traffic chaos in Montreal Thursday morning as commuters tried to get to work.

Source

Water Main Break Causes Massive Geyser in Kalamazoo, Michigan (May 17)

A violent water main break on West Michigan Avenue that turned into a geyser leaving a gaping hole in the pavement as water shot up as high as the power lines until city crews could stop the flow.

Crews have since shut the water off, but West Michigan between Monroe and Sprague is closed because the road is completely flooded.

They're still working to find the break and determine what caused it.

A precautionary boil alert has also been issued for people in the area.

video

Sources

http://wkzo.com/news/articles/2013/may/18/water-main-break-near-cam...

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/kalamazoo_and_battle_creek/wat...

Milwaukee Water Main Break Sends Water 2 Stories High (May 19)
A water main break out in front of a business near 27th and Silver Spring in Milwaukee, Wisconsin shot water more than two stories into the air early Sunday morning, May 19th.

There’s no word on what caused the break.

Source

http://fox6now.com/2013/05/19/water-main-break-sends-water-two-stor...

Water main break shuts down Sharonville roads

SHARONVILLE, Ohio —

Crews are repairing a water main break Saturday afternoon in Sharonville. 

The break was reported about 2 p.m. at Reading and Creek roads. 

Water flooded nearby streets, prompting police to shut down Reading Road between Creek Road and Main Street. 

Water service was shut down in the area until the break was repaired. 

Officials said service probably wouldn't be restored until Sunday morning.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/water-main-brea...

Denver Water Main Break Creates Geyser in Roadway (May 20)

A water main break sent a geyser of water shooting into the air on Detroit Street in Centennial on Monday morning.

Denver Water told 7NEWS a 12 inch main broke on South Detroit Street between Dry Creek Road and Jamison Avenue.

Photos and video from 7NEWS viewer Jennifer Cler showed the water shooting more than 10 feet in the air.

Denver Water crews shut off the water and will repair the main Monday afternoon.

Twenty-five homes are without water, according to Denver Water.

Source

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/water-main-break-on...

Water Main Erupts in Southern UK (May 27)
A geyser of water erupted from a burst water main and caused flooding in Didcot yesterday.

The water was reported on Station Road between the B4493 Foxhall Road and Cow Lane, near Didcot Parkway Station, at about 6.30am.

Penny Kiley, of Lydalls Road, Didcot, said when she and her partner saw it later in the morning the water was still “the height of a lamppost” gushing up into the sky.

She said: “I’ve never seen anything like it.

“We live just round the corner and as we came round the bend we could feel the spray on our faces coming off it.

“People were standing around and taking pictures and filming it. The whole thing was pretty extraordinary.”

Source

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10444988.High_drama_after_water_ma...

Water Main and Electrical Pipe Breaks Create Hazmat Situation in New Jersey (May 28)
Fire authorities and utility crews are working to contain a potentially hazardous mixture that bubbled up in some streets in a New Jersey town after a water main and an underground electrical pipe containing mineral oil ruptured Tuesday morning.

John Mauthe, fire chief in Bergen County's River Edge, said the mineral oil is used to cool the electrical pipe, which transmits more than 200,000 volts of electricity between substations.

When that pipe broke, the mineral oil combined with the water spilling from the broken water main to send a hazardous ooze up into the streets, Mauthe said.

Crews are using sand and dirt to soak up the oily mix and authorities urge residents to avoid the liquid in the streets. Mauthe said most of the mixture was contained to the streets, but some did seep into the sewers.

Some roads were blocked off Tuesday morning and authorities said they may remain closed throughout the day as hazmat teams assess the scene and Department of Public Works crews repair the pipes.

Source

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Water-Main-Break-Mineral-Oil-P...

Major Water Main Break Floods Denver Neighborhood (May 30)

A 24-inch water-main ruptured near Interstate 25 and 15th Street Thursday evening, causing mayhem. Water was pouring down from the 15th Street bridge onto I-25, reducing the southbound lanes. Traffic was backed up for miles.

Water was also flooding parts of West 29th Avenue and seeping into homes and businesses along the street.

Many residents in the area are without water.

Approximately seven blocks on 29th Avenue between Federal Boulevard and Vallejo Street are without water.

Denver water says approximately 40 residential units including one apartment building and three commercial buildings are without water on 29th Avenue between Federal Boulevard and Umatilla Street during the repairs.

They are currently delivering bottled water to customers impacted by the water outage.

29th Avenue remains closed between Zuni Street and Wyandot Street and will remain closed until repairs are complete.

It's not known what caused the water main to break.

Crews say cleanup and repairs to the street may take days due to the size of the rupture.

Source

http://www.9news.com/news/article/339018/339/Water-main-break-pours...|topnews|bc|large

Massive Water Main Break Floods Detroit Streets, Forces Rescue (May 30)

A 42-inch water main break flooded several streets Thursday morning along the river and forced firefighters to make a rescue in Detroit.

It happened near Jefferson and Rosa Parks Boulevard, not far from the post office.

The streets flooded so severely, a man who was fishing along the river had to be helped out of the water by fire crews.

He wasn't injured.

The Detroit Water Department says a 42 inch pipe burst, causing the problem.  Water was being shut off at that main to stop the gushing of water. 

The entire repair job is expected to take up to five days.

Sources

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/water-main-break-traps-man-in-hi...

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/massive-water-main-brea...

Three Water Mains Rupture in Vallejo, California (June 6)

Nearly simultaneously, water mains burst at Solano Avenue and Mariposa Street, at Webb Street and Pearl Court, and at Elliott and Dillon drives around 4 p.m in Vallejo.  In all, about 40 homes were affected. 

Sources

http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/vallejo-firefighters-respond-least-4-...

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/north_bay&i...

Water Main Rupture Blows Geyser in Kansas (June 18)

Water was gushing about 30 feet into the air Tuesday morning outside of Nebraska Furniture Mart in Kansas City, Kan.

A water main apparently broke on Prairie Crossing, between Parallel and Village West parkways on the western side of the giant furniture store.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the water main to burst or if any nearby businesses were affected.

The KCK Board of Public Utilities was looking into the break.

Source

http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/region_kansas/kck/busted-main-sends-wa...

Massive Water Main Break in Louisiana (June 15)
video

The scene in Shreveport's Allendale neighborhood Saturday resembled a virtual ocean spewing from a burst water main on Kenneth Street, near Andrew and Dunlap Streets.

One of the casualties was a home located at 1312 Andrew Street, which became partially submerged as the gallons flowed from the broken main toward the home.

"The house was just ruined."

The renter, who chose not to show his face on camera, says the rush of water was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

He says his children's clothes, shoes, books, and anything that was near the floor was completely covered in water.

"Floors are ruined. I'm finding out that electrical, some of my outlets are ruined."

Directly next to the water main, stands 114-year-old Saint Mary Baptist Church. It's basement quickly filled with about 5 to 7 inches of water.

"I've seen water mains bust before but nothing like this," says church board member, Don Ellis, Sr.

That's because this particular main was a transmission main, a 24-inch pipe that transports large amounts of water from one section of the city to another.

That cast iron main has since been replaced with updated PVC pipe.

"We've been getting things, couplings that fit, that would work, that would keep it from leaking," says Barbara Featherston, Interim Director of Water & Sewerage Dept.

Source

http://www.ktbs.com/story/22614881/local-residents-still-drying-out...

Burst Water Line Creates Large Geyser Near Salt Lake City (June 24)

An estimated 500,000 gallons of water exploded out of a building in Riverdale Monday afternoon.

The water flowed up through the roof of the building, creating a geyser 50 to 60 feet high.

A piece of carbon steel pipe flew across the room and damaged a hypochloride tank.

The coupling burst shortly before 12:30 at a building near 4550 S 700 W. The building sits atop a deep ground water well, one of 18 in the in the district.

Brad Nelson, Drinking Water Manager for Weber Basin Water, said the water flowed for about 30 minutes and caused an estimated $500,000 in damage.

Nelson said the coupling probably failed due to a combination of time and pressure.

The facility takes drinking water straight from a well, chlorinates it and sends it to customers, Nelson said.

"We've run this well station for 10 years without any problems," he said.

Nelson said he doesn't know yet what caused the coupling to fail and that it could take up to eight weeks to repair the station.

Sources

http://fox13now.com/2013/06/24/pipes-burst-creating-large-geyser-in...

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865582143/Well-malfunction-cause...

Powerful Water Main Rupture Blows Roof off Texas Home (June 26)

A rupture in a water main sent a high pressure geyser rocketing toward a Fort Worth home Tuesday night. It blew out windows, tore off the roof and flooded the house with up to a foot of water.

The break left as many as 70 homes without water Tuesday night. Asphalt and rock littered the front yard of the home in the 3600 block of Walton Avenue. 

Homeowner Ann Spencer was inside when the line broke, and said the water hitting her home sounded like power lines snapping in a storm. She ran outside though when her ceiling started to cave in.

“I went out the patio door and it almost knocked me over, coming over the house in the backyard,” she said.

Spencer and her boyfriend Norm Green said the geyser sprayed the home for up to 45 minutes before city crews were able to turn the water off.

“Everybody was just looking in awe, you know,” Green said. “There was nothing you could do.”

Source

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/06/26/water-main-hole-floods-fort-wort...

Compilation video that also includes footage of a North Dallas water main break that occurred on June 24.

7ft Water main burst, Dallas

A water main measuring seven feet in diameter ruptured early Monday morning near White Rock Lake. The break happened just before 5:00 a.m. in the 2800 block of West Lawther Drive, near White Rock Road, and caused massive headaches for neighbors and drivers in the area.

“It’s a very important pipeline,” said Randy Payton with the City of Dallas. The 84-inch pipe transmits drinking water from the southern portion of Dallas to the northern parts of the city. It is the third largest pipeline in Dallas, and had been operating for around 30 years. It is still unclear what caused the pipe to rupture.

This was the second water main break in Dallas in just over 24 hours, and the third break in the past week. Tarrant County and Collin County have also been battling water main breaks in the past week.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/07/01/massive-water-pipe-ruptures-in-d...

Yet Another Water Main Break in Dallas Texas (July 3)
A water main break early Wednesday morning sent water cascading 50 feet in the air on 8600 block of Skillman Street.

Source

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Water-Main-Break-Shoots-50-Feet-In...

Ruptured Water Main Creates 30-Ft Geyser in Atlanta Georgia (July 4)
Rosalyn Stokes thought she would be celebrating Fourth of July fireworks Thursday. Instead, she had to deal with water works after a 30-foot-high geyser erupted in her front yard.

"I found water just gushing out of my front yard like a geyser," said Stokes. She said her first thought was who was going to foot the bill for repairs. Her son shot video of the geyser on her cellphone.

Another neighbor, Velma Jacobs, grabbed a camcorder and recorded video of the geyser, too. She said it shot up so high, it soaked a series of power lines over their street. She was worried the water and electricity wouldn't mix.

"It scared me. It really did," said Jacobs. "I didn't know what was going to happen. I said, if those lines fall, it's going to be some severe damage out there."

Source

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/woman-spends-holiday-battling-...

Water Main Break Sends Geyser Through Middle of Utah Street (July 8)

A water main broke and sent water shooting up out of the middle of the street in a Murray Utah neighborhood Monday afternoon.

The incident occurred near the area of 5500 South and 1100 West around 5 p.m. City officials were able to get the water flow stopped around 5:30 p.m.

Water can be seen in the video above shooting 30 to 40 feet into the air. Rocks, concrete and other debris were also blasted into the air. It was not a manhole or other cover that broke; the force of the water ruptured the asphalt.

The 12-inch water main was carrying culinary water.  The cause of the rupture has not been determined.

Source

http://fox13now.com/2013/07/08/homes-flooded-after-geyser-of-water-...

Colorado Water Main Geyser Damages Home, Cars (July 21)

Thousands of gallons of water gushed out of broken water main before crews could stop it.

Neighbors described it as a geyser.

"I've never seen anything like this before," one told 11 News.

Water didn't just spill onto the road, but shot out of the main, towering over the nearby homes. One family was displaced after the water damaged their home. Two vehicles were also damaged.

The water main broke near Windsor and Palmer on the south side of Pueblo. The sound was so loud, residents living a few blocks away reported hearing it.

The Board of Water Works says they don't know what cause the break. Crews repaired the damage and will be back Monday morning to finish repairing the road.

Source

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/Water-Main-Break-Damages-Home-Tw...

Water Main Break Floods New Orleans Neighborhood (July 23)
A ruptured water main flooded streets and vehicles for 15 blocks. Honking horns and frantic knocks on doors were a dawn wake up call to a world gone wet.

"I was shocked. I couldn't believe it," said Joe Perdue.

"Oh my Lord, I hope my car is not in a hole or something," said Alan Dalton, smiling ironically as he looked at where his car sat in the hole.

Alan Dalton parked his car where he always parked it, and the pipe broke right underneath it, partly submerging the vehicle he treasured.

First there was the challenge of getting Alan's car out of the hole. The tow truck got stuck in the mud, a back hoe had to rescue it, forming a chain of vehicles that Alan watched sadly.

Source

http://www.wwltv.com/news/Broken-Thirty-Inch-Water-Main-Floods-Neig...

West Virginia Water Main Break 'Puts on Wild Show' (July 24)

A water main broke in Charleston Tuesday morning and sent water 40-50 feet in the air.

The break was reported about 7 a.m. Tuesday along MacCorkle Avenue between the Southside Bridge and the Frontier building.

This water main break is not affecting traffic because the water is shooting toward the Kanawha River.

Sources

http://www.wowktv.com/story/22907911/water-main-breaks-in-charlesto...

http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/Water-Main-Break-Reported-in-Cha...

Another Erupting Water Main in North Dallas Topples Traffic Light (July 25)

A break in a Dallas water main toppled a traffic signal around 5 a.m. Friday morning.

Water flowed down Arapaho Road in north Dallas Friday morning after a large main ruptured.

It happened after 5 a.m. near the intersection of Arapaho and Hillcrest roads.

Source

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Traffic-Signal-Toppled-in-Dallas-W...

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7d8_1375217505

30 July 2013
A giant geyser of water came crashing down on buildings, destroying homes and sweeping away cars after a burst water main released a torrent of water over a residential area near Rio de Janeiro.

London suburb wakes up under THREE FEET of water after massive leak from mains

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2385840/Herne-Hill-wakes-TW...

The centre of a London suburb woke up under a metre water this morning after a burst water main caused chaos.

Firefighters and paramedics were called to Herne Hill in south London at 5.30am this morning after water began rising above waist height.

Cars, bus stops and shops are half-submerged at the junction of Herne Hill and Half Moon Lane, where people in 36 homes were stuck.

Residents have been forced to stay indoors while other trying to get to work waded through the flood carrying people on their backs.

Water Main Break Roils Downtown Boston (Aug 12)

A massive water main break shut down Tremont Street at Mass Ave early Monday morning.

The outbound part of Tremont Street was closed to drivers. Traffic on Mass Ave opened to commuters even as water continued to come out of the street.

The water main break happened just after 4 o’clock in the morning. At that point, water was gushing from the break onto Tremont Street at Mass Ave with force, moving a lot of debris including bricks and portions of concrete up and out of the way leaving a mess.

Crews worked to shut the water off but due to the pressure of the erupting water, a portion of the street had already buckled.

Sources

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/10011399452214/massive-wat...

http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/23107782/2013/08/12/water-main-bre...

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/08/12/tremont-street-water-main-bre...

Massive Geyser in San Antonio Texas (Aug 13)
A water main break caused quite the spectacle on Tuesday afternoon near the Alamodome.

What looked liked a geyser could be seen from I-37. The water was shooting at least 40 feet into the air from a water main break at the intersection of Hoefgen Avenue and Carolina Street.

San Antonio Water System workers were trying to stop the gusher around 4:30 p.m. SAWS said they do not know what caused the break and are unsure how many customers and businesses are affected.

Source

http://www.kens5.com/news/Water-main-break-causes-massive-spout-nea...

Water Main Explodes in Southeastern UK (Aug 17)

A water fountain to ‘rival the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas’ sprung up in Charing following a water main burst.

What started as a 20ft high water spout, described as having the strength of a firefighter’s hose, soon became a raging torrent - thought to be around 50ft high.

Rubble was sent flying and a crater was left in the surface of the road following the incident.

More than 100 shocked residents of Charing crowded the High Street throughout the late evening yesterday after the rupture, which happened at around 9pm.

High Street resident Simon Clubley, 49, said: “The water spurt started in the middle of the road, and just got bigger and bigger.

“We didn’t hear any bang, but there was a lot of noise from the water.

“It was like a rocket going up in the sky, and within minutes it was reaching at least 50ft.

“It was really spectacular, more impressive than the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas.

“This was not just a leak, it was phenomenal. There was tarmac raining down all over the road, as well as flint from below.

“Most of the village came out to watch, and I guess there were around 100 people watching at various points.”

Source

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentish_express/news/water-main-explosi...

Cover-up Version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU5CDS70B8s

Water Main Erupts in Northern Virginia (Aug 18)

Chunks of asphalt, rocks, mud, and other debris were left behind after a geyser erupted on Catalpa Court in Dale City.

A water main break Sunday night on the neighborhood street in the Catbrier Heights section near Dale City Volunteer Fire Department Station 10 on Dale Boulevard left at least 50 townhomes without water.

Witnesses said the geyser shot at least 10 feet into the air. In its wake, a 10-foot wide sinkhole was created where the main ruptured.

“There was water everywhere,” said William Golden, who shot a video of the geyser. “No one has been able to drive on the street since it erupted.”

Dodging police tape set up around the sinkhole, several residents were seen walking and carrying groceries and other necessities in plastic bags to their homes.

The cause of the eruption was unknown late Sunday night.

Sources

http://potomaclocal.com/2013/08/18/geyser-leaves-sinkhole-closes-da...

http://www.wtop.com/164/3425569/Water-main-break-damages-Prince-Wil...

Sampling of water main breaks in the U.S. over the past week.

Source

Water Main Break in Birmingham Alabama (Aug 31)

Crews from the Birmingham Water Works labored through the early afternoon to plug a hole in a water main that created ageyser in the Roosevelt City neighborhood for more than eight hours today.

A neighborhood resident called police, reporting the sound of an explosion, at about 6 a.m., a police officer on the scene said. Water Works personnel were on the scene in Roosevelt City Park by 9 a.m. and brought in heavy equipment at about 1:30. A police officer estimated the height of the column of water at as much as 80 feet.

The cause of the break in the water main was not clear, though a Birmingham police officer at the scene said there was no indication that anyone had been digging at the site.

The crew's first attempt to place a metal clamp over the hole in the 10-inch pipe failed when the water, under high pressure, blew out a rubber lining on the clamp. Workers said the hole in the pipe was between two and three inches in diameter.

A second attempt to put a wrap-around clamp over the hole in the pipe succeeded at about 2:40 p.m.

Water Works employees referred questions to an agency spokeswoman. Efforts to reach the spokeswoman were not immediately successful.

Source

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/08/birmingham_water_works_crew_ta....

Water Main Breaks Plague St. Louis Missouri (Sep 1)

Multiple streets were flooded in north St. Louis as more than a dozen water mains have ruptured in recent days.

Crews with the St. Louis Water Department continue to work through the night to fix the water mains as some residents are without water inside their homes.

Dozens of families are going on day two of no running water after a 20 inch water main broke just north of the Edward Jones Dome on August 31.  Water started bubbling up at the corner of 7th and Biddle and flowed into nearby streets. Residents are told it will be sometime September 2 before it's fixed and the water is back on.

"No water to drink, thirsty and it's very hot," says Bogard. "It's the same thing for in here, now water in there, the tub, can't brush your teeth, wash your face, toilet don't flush."

He says it's been like this since Saturday morning. That's when just down the street from his apartment the city water division says a 20 inch water main broke.

Some residents called Alisha Franklin who is with the St. Louis Housing Authority. She says she's been in contact with the Cambridge Heights property manager.

"They called the City of St. Louis and put out two Johnny on the Spots (portable toilets) for them, they are bringing in a water wagon so they can have fresh water and access to water," says Franklin.

“Crews are out 16 hours, relieving each other,” said Vincent Foggie with the St. Louis City Water Department.

Foggie said crews have been working since August 29 to fix the broken water mains.

Sources

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Rising-temperatures-causing-dozens-o...

http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/395887/3/Water-main-break-causes-w...

http://www.kmov.com/news/mobile/St-Louis-City-crews-continue-work-t...

Wyoming Water Main Ruptures 3 Times, Creates 70-ft Geyser (Aug 31)
A 12-inch main water line near Riverton Country Club sprung a leak Saturday, not once, not twice, but three separate times.

The pipe’s first leak around 4 p.m. Saturday sent a geyser of water 70 feet into the air and city crews initially reduced the flow of the line to prevent the golf course from flooding and planned to fix it on Sunday.

Warpness and City Administrator Steven Weaver inspected the leak that afternoon. “The amount of potable water rushing out of the break didn’t make sense to us, and a resident had complained they had no water at all, so the decision was made to fix it that evening."

The mayor said he returned to the site at 9 p.m. and said the leak had been repaired, but another one occurred in the same line just 50 feet away. City crews fixed that leak on Sunday morning, but then a third blow out occurred. “With three leaks in one section of pipe, I think it’s a time bomb waiting to happen,” Warpness said. “There must be something in the soil there that is acting on the iron pipe.”

Source

http://county10.com/2013/09/02/water-main-break-riverton/

Water Main Explodes in Muncie Indiana (Aug 31)

The street in front of Cathy Carter’s house house turned into “Old Faithful’ around 8 a.m. on Saturday after a water main broke.

“Water was just shooting up like a fountain, causing sparks in the electric line,” she said. “It shot straight up into the power lines.”

“It looked like a geyser,” said Dan Beaty, who was working in a yard nearby.

Neighbors said the jet-like eruption exceeded the height of mature trees and the power lines.

“It shot 50 to 60 feet in the air until we got it shut down,” said Indiana-American Water Co. spokesman Joe Loughmiller.

While water was being turned off, there was another break in the line on Morrison about 200 feet away.

It was the second major water main break in Muncie since July 20, when all five lanes of busy McGalliard Road were shut down near Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse and Cardinal Greenway. That break in an 8-inch, cast-iron main flooded and undermined both the eastbound and westbound lanes of the road.

And there was another major water main break on Sept 2 on Riggin Road near Walnut Street in the vicinity of the Delaware County Airport. That eruption shot water horizontally into a bean field.

Indiana Michigan Power shut off electricity in the area of the Morrison Road break on Saturday.

Denise Allen, owner of Wee Wisdom Nursery and Day Care Center on Morrison, was grateful she wasn’t open on Labor Day. Because of the loss of water and electricity, she would have had to send the children home.

“It was powerful,” Allen said of the eruption.

Source

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20130903/NEWS01/309030004/-Geys...

30 Meter Geyser in Auckland NZ (Sep 5)

Residents flooded by a burst water main on Auckland's North Shore sent water so high that one witness thought it was a tornado.

One witness said: "I thought it was a tornado. It looked like a huge fountain."

"Just the power of it is pretty impressive. You can see all the bollards out just from the pressure."

He said it was "shocking", and estimated the water was spewing 30 metres into the air.

A woman at a nearby shop said she the water main was still gushing water.

An electrician had been called in to assess the damage and insurers were on the way.

"The cause is still unknown," the spokeswoman said.

"Our crews are still there assessing the situation and trying to work out what happened."

Sources

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/9129778/North-Shore-geyser-floods-f...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=1...

Well Rupture Spews 30-Ft Water-Methane Geyser for Days in Los Angeles (Sept 16)

A company that worked on burning gas wells in Iraq attempted to plug an abandoned well that was shooting water and methane 30 feet into the air for 4 days, prompting the evacuation of 37 homes.

The well, near Imperial Highway and Truro Avenue, continued to spew methane even after crews were able to stop the flow of water, authorities said.

Monday morning (Sept 16), the well-capping company blasted 208 barrels of high-pressured water into the well spout to try to stop the flow of water and methane.

Imperial Highway and the 105 Freeway — one of the main routes to Los Angeles International Airport — were shut down temporarily Monday while workers performed the dangerous operation of shutting down the geyser, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Brian Jordan.

Families will be allowed to return to their nearby homes once the well is capped and readings show no methane is escaping, Jordan said.

He had no estimate on when that would be complete.

Sources

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-methane-well-leaking-20...

http://ktla.com/2013/09/16/workers-seek-to-cap-water-methane-leak-t...

Water Main Erupts in St. Louis, Missouri (Sept 17)
A massive geyser from a water main break shut down St. Charles street Tuesday morning.

The 16-inch water main break happened at the intersection of New Town Blvd. and Fountain Lakes Blvd. around 10:45 a.m.

Crews responded to the scene and turned the water off, though New Town Blvd. remains closed in the early parts of the afternoon.

The incident comes just days after another water main break had thousands of St. Charles and St. Peters under a boil and water conservation order.

Source

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/ain-break-shoots-in-St-Charles-22409...