http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2629202/50-000-gallons-crud...

TEN THOUSAND gallons of crude oil covers half a mile of Los Angeles after pipe bursts amid fears of environmental disaster

• Oil covers a huge area near the Atwater Village suburb and is said to be knee-high in many places
  
• Leak occurred after a 20-inch above-ground pipe burst outside The Gentleman's Club strip bar
  
• Flow to pipe was shut off remotely just after midnight local time - but leak continued for 45 minutes
• Two workers at nearby industrial plant were taken to hospital to be treated for 'respiratory concerns'
  
• 

By JOHN HALL

PUBLISHED: 10:37 GMT, 15 May 2014 | UPDATED: 16:17 GMT, 15 May 2014

The Los Angeles Fire Department says a ruptured oil pipe has caused about 10,000 gallons of crude oil to spill on to the city's streets. 

The oil - which covers a half-mile area and is knee-high in some places - escaped after a break in an above-ground pipeline outside 5175 West San Fernando Road in the Atwater Village suburb.

According to Los Angeles Fire Department, oil was spurting 15 to 20 feet into the air from a burst 20-inch pipe, with the leak reported shortly after midnight local time.

Burst Water Main Creates 5-Storey Geyser, Destruction in Russian City (May 17)

A water main burst in Rostov-on-Don, in southwest Russia, created a huge spout reaching the top of the five-story building close to it. The rubble and water from the blast smashed windows and damaged cars parked nearby.

Videos, which emerged online, show the enormous fountain next to a five-storied apartment block. The accident happened during a water main pressure check, according to the local media. The pressure was so high, water overflowed the roof.

“I was struck when I saw water flooding my apartment, from both sides,” Ekaterina, who lives in the damaged house told donnews.ru. “There was a roar, it was scary! We were relatively lucky, some of our neighbors’ apartments were so flooded they had to use buckets to bail out the water.”

The burst main blasted a huge hole in the road, measuring several meters in diameter. At least seven cars were damaged; all of them have broken windows and some have more serious damages.

The pressure check was carried out by the Lukoil company, which car owners and residents of the damaged house are now going to sue.

Source

http://rt.com/news/159628-burst-water-main-rostov/

82 Water Main Breaks Over 5 Days in Milwaukee Wisconsin (May 20)

The number of water main breaks in Milwaukee continues to climb.

Since Saturday, May 17th, there have been 82 water main breaks, the majority occurring in the north and northwest parts of the city of Milwaukee.

There have been so many water main breaks since Saturday — the city has contracted extra workers to handle them.

The problem showed up on Saturday when the city shut down one of its two water treatment plants. City officials did that after Milwaukee Water Works found a leak on an 84-inch water main located outside the Texas Avenue Pumping Station on the south side. That station pumps water to the Howard Avenue Water Treatment Plant.

The Howard plant was then shut down. That left the Linnwood Water Treatment Plant to provide water to the Milwaukee Water Works' service area. When water pressure from the plant was increased, water main breaks started to occur.

Sources

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/number-of-water-main-breaks-...

http://fox6now.com/2014/05/20/its-still-happening-dpw-reports-numbe...

http://fox6now.com/2014/05/22/more-water-main-breaks-in-the-city-of...

‘Something had to give’: Creaking Soviet hot water pipe explodes showering town in concrete and boiling water

• An underground high-pressure hot water pipe exploded shooting water 30 metres into the sky
• Terrified passengers on board a bus caught by the bus were forced to flee
• Large lumps of concrete and asphalt were strewn across the area
  

These are the shocking scenes as a Soviet-era subterranean hot water pipe exploding, forcing boiling water from under the ground and shooting into the sky.

The pipe exploded without warning, throwing large chunks of concrete and asphalt into the air while riding on a column of boiling water.

Motorist Oleg Sorokov, 38 was driving through the Russian city of Barnaul, in Southern Russia when he felt the earth start to move.

After the pipe failed, hot water was blasted at least 30 metres into the sky forcing traffic to swerve out of the way.

Passengers on board a bus were forced to jump to safety as the vehicle was blasted by the high-pressure stream.

The font bumper on the vehicle was ripped off by the water's power.

Mr Sorokov's car was equipped with a dashboard mounted video camera which perfectly captured the dramatic scenes. 

His car was only a short distance away from the faulty pipe when it exploded.

He said: 'At first I thought it was an earthquake. But then I saw the water gushing upwards and knew that we have this hot water heating system in town and realised it was probably just an accident.

'The noise was terrific, the blast itself and then the continuous whoosh of the water cascading upwards. The whole of the road was a total mess.'

Mr Sorokov spent almost a minute filming the scene before edging past the water jet to relative safety.

The incident happened in the southern Russian city of Barnaul, near the Kazakhstan border.

One bus which was caught by the spray had to be abandoned as high-pressure hot water blasted through the floor of the vehicle. One of its windows was shattered by the jet.

A spokesperson for the local fire brigade said: 'We believe there was a blockage further down the pipe which meant the high pressure water could not travel around the pipe system.  Something had to give and it gave right here.' 

According to local sources, the underground water pipe is several decades old and has been neglected for several years as maintenance budgets have been slashed.

Now, local officials are planning on contacting Moscow to release funds to guarantee the security of their water system.

It is understood the underground hot water pipe was part of some form of Geothermal heating system.

Seconds before the explosion, Mr Sorokov was driving along the road unaware of the impending disaster.

Motorist Oleg Sorokov captured the very moment when the blast occurred on his dashboard mounted video camera.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2639648/Watch-amazing-momen...

http://www.carbonated.tv/news/siberia-bus-geyser-video

Horrific Freak Accident Turns Bus Into A Boiling Death Trap

A Siberian bus turns into a dangerous geyser as boiling water shoots directly into the car full of passengers

The last thing you expect when riding the bus, minding your own business, is to suddenly become victim to torrents of boiling water filling up the inside.

A busload of passengers in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, fell victim to the odd accident after their bus fell through a hole in the road, disturbing a pipe underneath. Ultra hot water wasn't just hitting the bus -- it spouted up directly inside near the driver's seat.

The above video shows rescuers braving the boiling water to pull out passengers. The water is so hot and the steam so intense that rescuers are jumping around from foot to foot trying to get the riders to safety.

Ruptured Water Main Dissolves Road, Traps Bus in Maryland (May 23)

A street in Prince George’s County resembles a movie scene after a water main break caused parts of the road to collapse, stranding a commuter bus early Friday morning.

The 10-inch water main break was reported just after 6 a.m. in the 1800 block of Metzerott Road in Adelphi. The roadway remains closed between New Hampshire Avenue and Riggs Road.

The large overflow of water has caused the road surface to shift and separate in spots. A MetroBus became stuck in the middle of the road when the driver attempted to make a U-turn to avoid the flooded roadway, a Metro spokesperson said.

Source

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/05/23/metrobus-stranded-on-crum...

Major water main break, road collapse in Salem, NH

A major water main break, which led to a road collapse was reported Friday morning in Salem, New Hampshire.
Police are detouring traffic in the area of town commonly referred to as "The Depot."
Commuters are being warned to avoid the area, unless it is absolutely necessary to travel there.

Photo credit: Salem Police

Photo credit: Salem DPW

The entire intersection of Routes 28 and 97 is being shut down and no traffic will be allowed through.

The following detours are in place and are subject to change:

Route 28 NB will be directed to Main St. eastbound
Route 28 SB will be directed to Main St. westbound
Main St. EB will be detoured at Granite Ave. with a hard closure at Millville St.
Main St. WB will be detoured at Pleasant St.

There is no estimated time when the intersection will be opened for vehicular traffic.

A water main break also caused trouble in Salem last week.

Source:

http://www.necn.com/05/30/14/Major-water-main-break-road-collapse-i...

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Water Main Erupts in Pennsylvania (Jun 1)

A water line break sent a geyser into the air Sunday morning near the corner of Willowbank Street and Valentine Hill Road, canceling services at a nearby church.

Borough officials shut off water at the scene at about 9:30 a.m., stopping the spray after more than 90 minutes.

Bellefonte police officer Todd Walter, who was at the scene, said the break appears to have been on the water main that feeds the industrial line to the former Corning plant on College Avenue in College Township.

The Church of the Good Shepherd called off services Sunday, the Rev. Frank E. Skies said, because crews were set up near the church and were closing streets, keeping parishioners from reaching the church.

Police said the break was about 50 yards from the church, along Logan Branch stream.

Source

http://www.centredaily.com/2014/06/01/4203789/bellefonte-water-line...

Water main break causes problems for drivers, businesses

TULSA, Okla. – A water main break caused a slow down on a busy Tulsa street during rush hour.

Crews were out Thursday night to repair the break near 41st and Memorial. It took them a little over two hours just to get the water turned off so that they could start fixing the line.

“A guy came in and was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it was a tidal wave,’” said business owner Renee Stark.

FOX23 found out it was a 12-inch line burst that sent water into the air during rush hour.

“It’s just like a double whammy, especially with the water just like bursting up. There was some agitation going on with other vehicles,” Sean Sanders said.

While the water was rising, business owners said they hoped it didn’t spill over the curb and into their shops.

While it is unclear how the main burst, Tim Griffin said he is angry that it’s happened again.

“This is about the third or fourth time that the water lines have broken,” Griffin said.

“Whenever everything was breaking like at every corner every day when I came into work a new water line was broken. And now here it is summer and we have another water line broke again. So, obviously I think there’s a problem,” said Stark.

Workers told FOX23 it’ll be about 8 to 10 hours before the line will be repaired and the water turned back on.

Source: http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Water-main-break-causes-probl...

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Water Main Breaks Affect 2 Dozen Businesses Near 41st And Memorial

TULSA, Oklahoma -

"A water line that's at least 50 year old cracked Thursday night in east Tulsa, and by daylight, it had three breaks, interrupting water service at 41st Street and Memorial.

Three separate water line breaks along 41st Street near Memorial Drive have left 24 businesses without water.

The City of Tulsa said the first break, at 7940 E. 41st Street, happened about 5:45 p.m. on Thursday.

The second break took place just before 9 p.m. a few blocks west and another near the 7400 block happened about 6 a.m. on Friday.

The repairs are done on one of them, continuing on the other two, but the city hopes to finish sometime Friday night.

Store manager Tim Griffin marks the waterline from a flood that almost came in the door late Thursday. The water receded, and now there's no danger that anything is coming in the door, including customers.

"Our business is at a standstill until we get it repaired. We have a loyal clientele thankfully, but they're not going to wade through water and cones to get to us," said Griffin.

City crews have been working since late Thursday on a series of breaks on the same line. Three of them hit over a 12 hour span within a quarter mile of each other."

Source : http://www.newson6.com/story/25712604/water-main-breaks-affect-2-do...

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Water main break closes Cedar Point for the weekend

Amusement park closed on busy summer weekend

SANDUSKY -- After a major water main break, officials were forced to shut down Cedar Point and Soak City Saturday morning.

A water main break on the main line that supplies Cedar Point, Soak City, and its hotels means that visitors will have to make a change of plans for the weekend.

Cedar Point released the following statement Saturday evening:

"We continue to work with the City of Sandusky to restore water service to Cedar Point. The latest assessment is that the necessary repairs will require several more hours to complete. Once the water main is repaired, there are additional procedures that must be taken to restore water pressure to all areas on the property, and testing that must follow to ensure the systems are working properly and the appropriate water quality is established.

At this time we have made the decision to keep the park and resort properties closed until Monday, June 9th when – subject to any unforeseen complications – we would anticipate resuming normal operations. As the repairs advance throughout the evening and into Sunday we will provide additional updates.

We recognize that this situation has caused many of our guests to be disappointed. We are sorry that this has happened.

All Cedar Point tickets will be honored on any operating day in 2014 where the park is open to the public.

Please visit cedarpoint.com for additional updates and information."

Guests hoping to continue their fun on Saturday are also allowed to redeem their tickets for Cedar Point and Soak City at Wildwater Kingdom in Aurora or at Kings Island in Cincinnati.

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, who owns both parks, reached out to hotels guests in the area to let them know about the closing.

The city of Sandusky is currently working to repair the system located under the Cedar Point parking lot.

Source: http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/2014/06/07/cedar-point-closes-...

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Water main break douses home, car in Huber Heights

HUBER HEIGHTS —

A house in Huber Heights was drenched Saturday morning after a water main break shot water dozens of feet into the air.

The water department was able to shut off the water supply, which stopped the geyser from falling onto the house and car in the driveway in the 5200 block of Longford Road.

The owner of the house and car told the News Center 7 crew on scene that a chunk of pavement dislodged by the water struck and shattered her car's back windshield.

Neighbors were without water service after the supply was shut off. A boil advisory was distributed to nearby homes.

Source: http://www.whio.com/news/news/local/water-main-break-douses-home-ca...

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Water main break closes Brewerytown intersection

A 36-inch water main break flooded thousands of gallons of water down a Brewerytown block plus left an intersection shut down.

It happened at 27th and Master streets around 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

Water rushed out of a broken 36-inch transmission main and ran down Master Street as if it were a river.

"It looked like a waterfall actually. I was happy it was running the other way, downhill towards the park," said Allen Smith.

"I didn't think it was that bad but now I see all the water is gone and it's really that bad," said James Upshaw.

The good news for residents is that this wasn't the pipe that brought water to their houses, so their service wasn't interrupted.

However Carmen Rivera, whose family owns the corner store one block below the break, showed us the mess left behind in the store's basement.

Thousands of dollars worth of inventory was ruined as it floated around in water that reached about the fifth step to the upstairs.

At least one resident also reported basement flooding.

"Water was everywhere. In our basement we didn't know where the water was coming from. We live on a small block and we came up to the end of the block and it was like an ocean," said Monique Kelly.

Once the water receded, at the intersection there was a hole in the roadway about the size of two cars.

The water department blocked off the intersection with concrete barriers and caution tape.

The water department does not have a definitive timetable for when the road will be fully repaired.

Meantime, the Route 7 SEPTA bus and a number of school buses will be detouring around that area.

Source:  http://6abc.com/news/water-main-break-in-strawberry-mansion/101948/

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Watermain Break Damages Road, Portion of Peach Street to Be Closed For Days

A watermain break causes a sinkhole to open up Tuesday, the size of an entire driving lane.
And that's all causing quite the traffic headache on a busy Erie road this week.

A 3-block portion of peach street, between 26th and 29th, will be closed for a couple days, as crews work to fix the road.

A watermain broke early Tuesday afternoon, and it caused some pretty bad damage to the road.
It happened along peach street, near 29th.

About 9 water works customers were left without water service in the area, but that's expected to come back sometime Tuesday evening.
The road though, could be closed until Thursday, while street crews work to repair it.

There hasn't been a significant change in temperatures. We're used to seeing the cold weather fluctuations cause watermain breaks, but without that, we wanted to know how this could've happened.

Erie Water Works CEO Paul Vojtek explains, "There's a lot of thing that can cause it. We're staring to see charges in the temp of the water. I  noticed it probably went up 20 degrees from last week to this week, sometimes that causes air to be released," said Vojtek. "And usually when you see a big break like this, a lot of times that's related to in the lines. We've been doing some of flushing because we've seen the temperature changes," Vojtek added.

Again, the Water Works estimates the road to be closed to all traffic at least until Thursday.

Source: http://www.erietvnews.com/story/25742752/watermain-break-damages-ro...

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Water main break shuts down several Armory Square streets

Syracuse, N.Y. -- South Clinton Street between West Fayette Street and East Jefferson Street, as well as Walton Street between South Franklin Street and South Clinton Street are closed due to a major water main break.

View full sizeSouth Clinton and Walton streets are expected to be closed for more than eight hours.Jacob Pucci | jpucci@syracuse.com  

The break occurred at around 9 a.m., one Syracuse water department worker said. The water main that broke is 16 inches around, which is considered large.

In addition to the water main, gas, electric and telephone lines run parallel to the pipe and the road closure is expected to last "at least" eight hours, but the one worker said the closure could extend even longer.

He said more road closures could be possible. Stay tuned for updates.

Source: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/06/water_main_break_shu...

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Broken Water Main In Burbank Causes Street Flooding, Sinkhole

BURBANK (CBSLA.com) — Crews are cleaning up the mess from a broken water main Tuesday evening that created a sinkhole in the parking lot of the Burbank Fire Department’s training center.

Burbank police say the break was reported about 5:15 p.m., with water spewing into the streets surrounding Victory Boulevard and Ontario for at least three hours, causing a sinkhole spanning 20 feet long and 20 feet deep to form in the facility’s parking lot.

Burbank Fire Department Capt. Peter Hendrickson said buildings at the training facility were also affected.

“It shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The water flowed out of here into the streets and was handled by the flood-control system,” Hendrickson said. “The problem that we have is this is our training facility, and our EOC [Emergency Operations Center] and it is completely flooded. It has about 6 inches of water inside our classrooms.”

The Burbank fire captain said it’s unclear why the main broke. However, he said his department will be prepared Tuesday evening in the event of any major incident.

“We do have a backup EOC at our police station. So, if something happens tonight – earthquake, large fire, any type of major incident – we can open up our EOC at the police station,” Hendrickson said.

Dozens of neighbors took advantage of the deep runoff.

But police, who closed Ontario and Fairview streets between Victory Boulevard and Pacific Avenue, were forced to clear the area, citing fear of possible power lines that may hit the flowing water.

“We were all running around in the water. We had some donuts that we were surfing down. The kids had their boogie boards and they were surfing,” Alisabeth Boensel said, adding that it’s unfortunate so much water was wasted during a drought.

“It kind of sucks to lose all that water,” she said.

There were no reports of homes flooded in the area. However, it’s expected that 30 residences will not have water until possibly Wednesday morning.

The Department of Water and Power is working to determine the cause of the break.

Source: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/06/17/water-main-break-in-burba...

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Water Main Break Floods Streets In South Philly

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A water main break in South Philadelphia early Friday morning damaged at least one home and created a traffic headache.

The fire department received a call at about 5:40 a.m. about a ruptured water main break at 2nd Street and Oregon Avenue.

Firefighters arrived at the scene and alerted neighbors to move their cars to avoid damage from the flowing water.

Crews with the water department eventually capped five valves and stopped the rushing flow of water. Water department officials said the main was 12 inches.

The streets impacted are the 200 block of Oregon Avenue, the 2600 block of St. Christopher Drive and the 2600 block of S. 3rd Street.

At least one home on St. Christopher Drive took in water.

As a result of the crash, Oregon Avenue westbound between 2nd and 3rd Streets is closed.

PECO crews were called to the scene to inspect a utility pole that was located right near where the main ruptured. It is believed that the pole shifted as a result of the water and moving soil.

Source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/06/20/water-main-break-floods...

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Large water main break affects many Beaver County residents

Aliquippa residents say break on Tyler Avenue is one of several during last few months

ALIQUIPPA ,Pa. —A giant water main break that left thousands of Beaver County residents with no water or with low pressure has been repaired, the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa said Monday.

Water is being restored to all of the affected areas, but residents are asked to conserve water as repairs are ongoing, the water authority said.

Heather Vono lives on Tyler Street where the break occurred.

"It's disappointing because this is the fourth break on the same street in six months and in some point in time, the return on investment has to be, 'Let's stop paying double time, time and a half, to external contractors who don't reside in the city and replace the line,'" said Vono.

VIDEO: Watch Amber Nicotra's Report

The MWAA released a statement saying the break affected approximately 1,500 to 2,000 customers in the city of Aliquippa and in Hopewell, Raccoon and Potter townships.

"We have no clue when we're going to have water again. We can't wash clothes, we can't shower, we really can't do anything," said Renee Plevel, who was away when she heard about the break on Sunday. "We immediately started filling up 5-gallon buckets of water at camp to bring home with us."

Customers in emergency situations are advised to fill containers and jugs at the water plant on Hopewell Avenue and at water buffaloes at the Potter Township Fire Hall and the Raccoon Township Fire Hall, which was also affected by the break.

"We have low water. We have other stations on standby in case of any fires," said Raccoon Township supervisor Ed Malloy. "We're getting used to it. It happens quite often."

Residents said they're worried who will ultimately foot the bill for the repairs.

"Because it's the water authority, they are not part of the city. So, we're all very interested as to where that funding is going to come from to pay the contractors that are now on double time for the fourth break in six months," Vono said.

Water Main Break Sends Gallons Gushing Into Air

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- A water main break sent thousands of gallons of water through the pavement and into the air in Aurora Thursday afternoon.

The water main break happened about 4:45 p.m. on Jamaica near Colfax Ave.

The break sent water gushing through the pavement and into the air until Aurora Water could shut down the line.

Greg Baker with Aurora Water said residents in 13 apartment buildings were left without water for a time until crews brought in an alternative source for water.

Water was restored but residents were encouraged not to shower during repairs. They could flush toilets and the water was safe to drink.

Repairs to the water main could last until 2 a.m. Friday but crews were working to get water restored to everyone as quickly as possible.

What caused the break is being investigated.

Source: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/06/26/water-main-break-sends-gallon...

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Family’s Home Destroyed By Water Main Break

PITSBURGH (KDKA) – A family lost everything as water poured into their basement early Sunday morning in Lincoln Place.

Lisa DonGiovanni panicked when she heard, and then saw, hundreds of gallons of water from a broken main on Mifflin Road rushing down the hillside.

It was headed straight for her home on Keefe Street.

“It was like a river,” DonGiovanni said. “It just came down through the two yards and down into our driveway.”

Within minutes, her basement was filled with 3 feet of water, lifting her freezer and refrigerator. DonGiovanni managed to save her TV, but everything else in her basement was destroyed.

“We lost everything,” she said, “our furniture. It’s a finished basement. Our furniture, our washer, our dryer, I don’t know if the insurance company – the water company – I don’t know where I’m going to go.”

In addition, decorations and table cloths she had purchased for an upcoming graduation party were also floating in the basement. Flood waters also caused heavy damage to a Ford Explorer parked in the garage.

“We’ll just start over,” DonGiovanni said. “Nothing you can do. I did my crying already this morning.”

Source: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/06/29/familys-home-destroyed-by...

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Water main break closes downtown Raleigh road

Raleigh, N.C. — A water main break forced crews to close a downtown Raleigh road Sunday afternoon.

The break ripped up asphalt on West Street from Peace to Harrington streets, police said. The block of Peace Street will be closed through the night and could still be closed Monday morning.

Source: http://www.wral.com/water-main-break-closes-downtown-raleigh-road/1... 

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Water main break closes lanes in downtown Nashville

A 12-foot water main broke this morning near downtown Nashville. Officials have closed several lanes of traffic.

The break occurred at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Lafayette Street. Two lanes on Fourth Avenue are now closed, as well as one on Lafayette. Two police officers are on site, according to Sonia Harvat, spokeswoman for Metro Water Services. The businesses in the immediate area that would be affected are closed today, said Harvat, so no customers have been disturbed.

Crews are currently working to expose the pipe, she said, at which point Metro Water Services will be able to assess the damage

Source: http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2014/06/29/water-main-br...

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State of Emergency in Rotterdam Because of Water Main Breaks

ROTTERDAM, N.Y. -- A state of emergency is now in effect in Rotterdam because of a series of water main breaks. The biggest happened around 3:30 a.m. on Princeton street and then three more followed throughout the day.

It's estimated about 22,000 people are without water because of the breaks.

The breaks are being reported at Schermerhorn Road, the Corner of Bernard Street and Wallace Ave, and Princetown Road.

So not only is the water shut off, but a lot of streets are closed because of the construction. A lot if the Rotterdam residents are realizing just how much they take water for granted.

"I mean everyone here is, they are not bathed, they are very dirty civilians right now," said a civilian.

Not bathing is definitely a concern for a lot of people. On a more serious note, especially with this heat, the town is asking people to check on their elderly neighbors or anyone who isn't able to come out and get water for themselves.

For people that do have water, the health department said to boil it for at least one minute before using it to cook or clean.

It's expected that the breaks will be repaired by midnight Tuesday, but the town said it does not expect to have clean water into homes until Thursday.

In the meantime, there is a water tanker at the Curry Road Shopping Center filled with 8,000 gallons of water. People are bringing whatever kind of containers they have to fill up.

The tank will be available until 10 p.m. Monday, and again starting Tuesday at 8 a.m.

Source: http://albany.twcnews.com/content/news/749282/state-of-emergency-in...

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New Jersey Water Main Break Sends Water Gushing like Geyser (Jul 3)

A large water-main break this afternoon caused water to shoot 10-15 feet in the air, prompting the closure of all exit ramps from Route 1 to Ryders Lane.

The geyser-like break occurred on Ryders Lane near Labor Road and Route 1 ramps, North Brunswick officials stated in an email alert.

Water gushed through a gaping hole in the road, pushing out rocks and debris. Before the road was closed, several rocks reportedly struck passing cars.

Officials in several townships have asked drivers to plan alternate routes as crews worked to stem the rushing water.

In East Brunswick, Ryders Lane is closed from Tices Lane to Route 1in both directions.

“The roadway is presently closed and expected to remain closed for the foreseeable future,” Rutgers police stated in an e-mail alert.

Source

http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/07/watch_water-main_brea...

Water-main break closes 7th Avenue in downtown Phoenix

A decades-old water-main burst in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday, flooding Seventh Avenue just north of Interstate 10 and closing part of the roadway, officials said.

Authorities expect northbound Seventh Avenue to be closed well past the evening rush hour.

A city spokeswoman said the 12-inch water main burst Tuesday afternoon, the pressure which caused northbound lanes of Seventh Avenue to buckle between I-10 and Willetta Street. Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area.

Troy Hayes, an engineer for the City of Phoenix, confirmed that the water main was originally installed in the 1930s.

Employees of the city's Water Services Department are working to stop the flooding and repair the main break, the spokeswoman said.

Most of the flooding occurred on Willetta Street, where Matthew Gibeau has lived for 19 years.

"First time I've seen it like this," said Gibeau, 53. "Looks like the Mississippi."

Gibeau said he walked out of his backyard to see water flowing in the roadway and skimming the curbs. The flooding mostly stayed to the street and did not extend over sidewalks or onto residential property.

Gibeau said he was disappointed to see all that water go to apparent waste.

"I think we have just wasted our water supply for the summer."

Source: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/07/08/phoeni...

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Huge water main break in Stone Oak area

Elizabeth Zavala, San Antonio Express-News : July 8, 2014 : Updated: July 8, 2014 5:36pm

SAN ANTONIO -- SAWS urgently is asking residents of the Stone Oak area to immediately discontinue outdoor water use after a large water main break Tuesday morning at Bitters Road near U.S. 281.

San Antonio Water System reported in a Twitter post a little after 11 a.m. Tuesday that a 48-inch main break had occurred because of a mechanical malfunction at the Bitters Road Well Field, which supplies water to the Stone Oak area.

A video posted on Twitter showed massive amounts of water shooting into the air and gushing from behind the Bitters Road facility. Cars could be seen driving down the road in the background.

A news release issued Tuesday afternoon said that the primary water pipeline from the former BexarMet infrastructure that serves the Stone Oak area is out, but that crews were making emergency repairs.

Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Huge-water-main-brea...

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http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-tampa/armenia-ave-closed-a...

Southbound Armenia Ave. closed at St. Joseph St. after road collapse

TAMPA - A giant hole opened under Armenia Avenue early Thursday morning near the intersection of  W. St. Joseph Street (one block south of Columbus Drive).

Tampa Police said it appears a large water pipe ruptured causing the road to collapse.  The depression measures 40 feet by 15 feet.

All traffic southbound from Columbus Dr. will be diverted, at least throughout the weekend.  

Repairs will take a couple of days, and the road may reopen Monday afternoon.

Tennessee Water Main Break Creates 50-Ft Geyser (Jul 10)

A water main break on Woodland Street in Columbia blasted water 50 feet into the air Thursday morning.

CPWS Executive Director Wes Kelley said, “It was something to see.”

“We heard from a bystander the problem began about 3 a.m. He reported he saw the ground start to bubble and then it sounded like a shotgun blast and it came right up through the pavement.”

Jonathan Hardin, director of water of operations for CPWS, said crews were dispatched to the scene at 5 a.m. and spent five hours repairing the break. He said crews were also handling another water main break on South Main Street at the same time.

“We saw this huge geyser shooting up in the air,” Hardin said. “I would guess it was shooting in the neighborhood of 50 or 60 feet. It was pretty high. I’ve never seen a main break of that height before. It was a pretty instantaneous release.”

The force of the main break destroyed some of the pavement in the roadway, he said.

“When we arrived, it had already broken out a 3-foot-by-3-foot section of pavement itself,” he said.

Source

http://columbiadailyherald.com/news/local-news/surprise-forecast-50...

Water Main Break Pummels Texas Home (Jul 11)

Jerry Manis, who was home sick, said he woke to the sound of glass breaking. At first, he thought the house was being broken into. Then he realized that water was peeling the shingles off his roof.

"I was at a loss for words, " he said. "There is nothing you can do. … Just feel helpless."

“We watched it continually get worse,” he said. “Then it started breaking up the asphalt.”

He said he and the other neighbors watched the geyser form, pointed directly at the Manis house.

“It was like a fire hose going into the Manises’ house,” Schlipf said, adding that it tore through shingles and windows.

The Fort Worth family is still staying at a hotel Monday after the water main shot out chunks of asphalt that tore through their roof and flooded several rooms.

The explosion tore apart portions of ceiling, damaged drywall in at least three rooms and ruined their belongings.

“I’m just thankful that nobody was hurt,” Amanda Manis said Monday. She said the brick house in the 6300 block of Whitman Avenue is unlivable.

The water main break caused an uproar in the neighborhood about 1 p.m. Friday, when neighbors heard a loud noise and saw water running down the street.

Freddy Schlipf, who lives across the street from the Manis family, said the roar was similar to a B-52 flyover.

Source

http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/07/14/5969802/water-main-break-fo...

Phoenix battles 5 water-main breaks

An aging infrastructure may be to blame for five reported water-main breaks in Phoenix on Wednesday. Troy Hayes, assistant director of water services for the city, said several of the incidents involved pipes that were installed more than 80 years ago.

"Some of these were put in in 1932," he said.

RELATED: Series of water-main breaks plague Phoenix

On Wednesday, there was a 6-inch break at a housing complex on Papago Drive near Seventh Avenue, according to Victoria Welch, a water-services spokeswoman. The water was restored around 11:30 a.m. and the backfill and cleanup had begun, but as the response crew was preparing to leave, the main broke again.

There was a 4-inch break on 55th Avenue and Baseline Road. Welch said no customers were impacted. Meanwhile, an 8-inch main break on 16th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard flooded the intersection and cut off water for 11 residents.

On East Washington Street, there was an 8-inch break that shut down the water service for 28 residents. Crews were called to fix another break on Seventh Street near Butler Drive.

Hayes said that after a break, crews cut off the broken segment and replaced it with a new pipe, which could last about 50 years. There is a post-repair review, in which officials determine whether the pipe will need to be replaced entirely.

Phoenix Water Services has a water-main-replacement program that evaluates pipes annually, he said. The pipes are examined for size, material and the year that they were installed to determine whether they need replacement.

This year's evaluation and review is expected to begin in August.

The 16th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard incident turned the intersection into a pool. Residents could be seen wading in murky brown water on Wednesday morning.

Officials closed Encanto Boulevard between 16th and Laurel avenues because of debris left by the flooding, Welch said.

A water-main break at the Greek Town Restaurant near Butler Drive and Seventh Street diverted three northbound lanes on Seventh Street to the shoulder as crews worked to repair the damage, Welch said.

Source: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/07/17/phoeni...

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Water Main Erupts in Groton, Connecticut (Jul 17)

An overnight water main that burst underneath a residential road in Groton left a gaping hole behind.

The water main under Midway Oval let go early Friday morning and sent a geyser of water shooting 50' up through the roadway.

Neighbors said they were awakened when chunks of asphalt began hitting their cars and homes.  One person said the debris smashed a window on his home and the windshield of his car.

"My wife heard a loud noise. We thought nothing of it and a few minutes later we checked outside and there's huge lights and there's water flying up in the air," neighbor David Blair said.

This happened at about 2:30 a.m. Friday, and the break left about 46 homes without water.

Groton Utility crews said the 8" water main left behind a huge hole that is now full of water.  Crews are working to pump the water out so they can begin to repair the break.

"When our first man got here, he said it was pretty high," said Raymond Valentini of Groton Utilities.

When the pipe burst, it not only sent water shooting 50' high in the air, but it also scattered rocks, which landed on lawns, on cars and even took out a few windows.

Source

http://www.wfsb.com/story/26050670/large-water-main-break-causes-si...

Explodes a pipe, chaos in Rome -- ITALY: car engulfed by an abyss [PHOTOS]

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Cracks in Ruggero Di Lauria, near Heroes' Square and Triumphal Arch of the market, due to a broken water pipe that caused flooding across the road and a few surrounding streets. A car parked across the street and 'over the big hole that has' opened in the road surface. The alarm and 'took place during the night and was attended by the Fire and technicians ACEA. Closed to traffic, in addition to Ruggero di Lauria, also some of the surrounding streets, including Via Andrea Doria, Via Candia, Via Pisani, between Via Candia and Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie, and via Francesco Caracciolo, between Tunis and off street Victor Pisani.

http://www.meteoweb.eu/2014/07/esplode-tubatura-caos-roma-auto-ingh...

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=it&tl=en&js=y&...

http://7online.com/traffic/businesses-closed-after-large-water-main...

LARGE WATER MAIN BREAK CAUSES ROAD TO COLLAPSE IN FORT LEE

Monday, July 28, 2014

http://news.msn.com/us/water-main-break-geyser-flood-ucla-campus-st...

Water main break, geyser flood UCLA campus, strand motorists

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A major water main ruptured underneath a street near the University of California, Los Angeles on Tuesday, spewing a geyser that flooded parts of the campus and stranded motorists on surrounding streets.

Kansas Water Main Break Creates Geyser Near County Jail (Jul 31)

A large water main break evoked images of the geyser “Old Faithful,” shooting water about 40 feet into the air Thursday morning on the south side of the Shawnee County Jail on the east edge of downtown Topeka.

The water main break was one of two that happened about 9 a.m. about a block away from each other.

The most spectacular of the two occurred on the north side of the T-intersection at S.E. 9th and Jefferson, in a grassy area immediately south of the jail, where water shot high into the air.  In the minutes after the break, plumes of water could be seen spraying high above the south side of the three-story jail, located at 501 S.E. 8th.

The other water-main break occurred a block to the south at S.E. 10th and Jefferson.

Water was cut off to a number of downtown area buildings as a result of the break.

Westar Energy trucks arrived on the scene about 9:15 a.m. to restore power to an area of downtown Topeka that lost electricity about the same time of the water-main break. Stoplights downtown were flashing or were out because of the power failure.

City officials said it wasn’t immediately known whether the power outage was related to the water-main break.

Nearby streets — including the area of S.E. 10th and Jefferson — were flooded as a result of the break at that location.

City crews reported small fountains bubbling up near S.E. 10th and Jefferson in areas where the roadway remained flooded more than an hour after the water had been shut off.

Source

http://cjonline.com/news/2014-07-31/water-main-break-creates-virtua...

Six million gallons of water poured onto a major roadway after a water main burst in Maryland

HYATTSVILLE, Md. (WUSA9) -- A water main that caused major issues on Rhode Island Avenue Thursday evening is back in service, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) reports.

All customers now have water, the WSSC reports, but the road remains closed while repairs continue.

WSSC says six million gallons of water were lost when the pipe burst on Thursday.

Both directions of Rhode Island Avenue (Route 1) between 43rd St. and Charles Armentrout Drive will be closed through Saturday while the repairs continue.

WSSC said crews are taking 18 feet of pipe out of the ground, where there's a 20 by 30 feet wide hole. There is also damage to a storm drain that must be fixed.

One southbound lane of Rhode Island is open, although officials still suggest that drivers choose alternate routes.

According to WSSC officials, the 73-year-old pipe burst on both ends at approximately 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The 12-inch pipe took three hours to stop the flow of water.

Source: http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/maryland/2014/07/31/traffic-w...

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Dalton Declares Water Emergency After Line Breaks

11:37PM / Monday, August 04, 2014

The temporary patch is holding to allow the reserve tanks to be filled to capacity, according to Dalton Emergency Management. The pipe to make the permanent repairs has not arrived yet but the expectation it will be here Wednesday to begin repairs by the afternoon. Full repairs are epected to take more than 12  hours, with completion by Thursday afternoon.

The water emergency remains in effect until the line is permanently repaired.

DALTON, Mass. — A water main break on Housatonic Street early Monday morning continues to affect water pressure in the area.

Dalton is under a water emergency, with requests that residents limit excess water usage until permanent repairs can be made.

The line comes from Pittsfield's Cleveland Water Treatment Plant and is the primary transmission main for about two-thirds of the city's water. The city's Department of Public Utilities was responding to the break.

According to officials, a construction crew broke the line near LP Adams, closing Housatonic from South Carson to Depot Street.

A high volume of water was spewing from the edge of the roadway.

Emergency crews were working to put a temporary patch on the hole. Water was turned off but officials hoped it could be turned on temporarily Tuesday morning. It will be turned off again so permanent repairs can be completed Wednesday.

Dalton Emergency Management posted on its Facebook page that "permanent repairs cannot be done until Wednesday because of the nature of the damage to the pipe and the type of pipe that is being repaired."

Pittsfield residents also were asked to "immediately curtail" water usage and prepare for sporadic episodes of low pressure and roiled water.

Dalton has a reserve of water that officials said should cover basic family usage — washing, dishes and bathrooms — but not excess use such as watering lawns or washing cars or multiple loads of laundry.

Once the water in the tanks is used, it can't be refilled until the line is reconnected.

Source: http://www.iberkshires.com/story/47120/Dalton-Declares-Water-Emerge...

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Gas line, water main ruptures force evacuations in Bellevue

By KOMO Staff Published: Aug 6, 2014 at 9:23 AM PDT Last Updated: Aug 6, 2014 at 5:48 PM PDT

BELLEVUE, Wash. - Seven homes were evacuated in a Bellevue neighborhood Wednesday after a water main and a gas line ruptured at the same time, officials said.

Police and emergency crews responded to the scene, in the 14700 block of SE Allen Road, at about 8:45 a.m. after reports of water gushing in the roadway and a strong smell of natural gas.

Officials said it appears a high-pressure gas line ruptured due to flooding from the fractured water main. But the cause of the 6-inch water main break is unknown at this time.

Residents in the surrounding area were immediately evacuated and SE Allen Road was closed between 140th Avenue Southeast and 149th Avenue Southeast.

The gas leak was shut down by 11:45 a.m.

Twenty-two homes are without water, but city crews restored service late Wednesday afternoon.

There was no property damage due to the water main break and no injuries.

Source: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Gas-line-water-main-ruptures-in-...

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Crews work on Water Main Break in Rotterdam

Updated: Saturday, August 9 2014, 11:15 PM EDT UPDATE:  Police have issued an update on the water main break. Bernard Street will remain closed between Trinity and N. Wescott Road. All other closed roads have been reopen, however police ask that motorists avoid the area Police say there may be lower water pressure in some areas, and to limit water as the repairs continue. Rick and Heidi Ody have lived in the neighborhood for 40 years, and they say they've never seen anything like it. "It bowed right up in the air. it looked like a volcano the water was just blowing right up through it," they tell us. Three homes had to be evacuated because of flooding, Bill Steward is one of those homeowners. "They told me to get out of the house, I had to get out of there. They turned the electric off, the water off, I asked them how bad it was in the cellar, they said all the way up past the furnace, and that's a brand new furnace they put in there," he says. Right now, no boil water advisory has been put in place.

Source:  http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/features/top-story/stories/crews-wor...

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Water Emergency Declared in Michigan Over Massive Water Main Break (Aug 10)

As Bay City crews continue searching for a broken water main, officials say the city's water system is losing 5 million gallons every 12 hours.

The Michigan city of 35,000 people could be out of water by Monday if crews can't locate the broken water main.

City officials have declared a water-use emergency. All use of water for purposes other than maintenance of public health and safety is prohibited. Residential water use is limited to the amount necessary to sustain life through drinking, food preparation and personal hygiene.

Dave Harran, the city's public works director, said Sunday, Aug. 10, that crews are now heading to Bay City's neighboring townships to search for the break, after searching through the night. A majority of Bay County draws its water from the city.

"This is urgent," he said. "If we run out of water, then we go on boil alert. It's not a good situation right now.

"Because of the water loss, it's bleeding the system and all of our water reserves will be exhausted."

The city is currently under a water-use emergency, banning non-essential use of drinking water, such was watering lawns or washing cars. City water officials were alerted of a major water main break at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9.

Harran expects that the emergency could be elevated within the next hour to a no-water emergency. A no-water emergency means residents would be asked to only drink tap water for emergency situations.

Bay County Water Department is asking all farmers in Bay County to check in fields, ditches and any drains near fields for excess flowing water.

Harran added that if water pressure at the water plant goes below 25 PSI, a boil alert will go into effect because the system could be compromised at that point. At that time, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality becomes involved.

"If we get to that point, then things are very serious," he said.

Sources

http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2014/08/official_bay_c...

http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2014/08/losing_5_milli...

http://www.ourmidland.com/news/bay-city-bay-county-water-emergency-...

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140810/METRO06/308100037/1361/...

Water Tower Collapses in Shelby County, Kentucky (Aug 9)

A water tower collapsed in eastern Shelby County on Saturday and officials are trying to determine how it happened.

"It reminds you of a tsunami-type wave of water. It just came across and took everything in its path with it," said James Riddle with the Waddy Fire District.

The Waddy Baptist Church was damaged and debris was strewn around Waddy Road.

Waddy fire officials said the tower, located in a field behind a church, fell around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, sending 100,000 gallons of water into the neighborhood.

"I just heard a big loud boom. I thought it was a tornado at first," said Waddy Road resident Keno Turner.

Turner's surveillance video captured the frightening scene as he and his wife stepped outside to see water rushing toward their home.

"I just couldn't believe it when I saw it, but I saw it when I stepped out. So it's just something that you never really expect. It just shocked me, I've never seen anything like it before," said Turner.

Pieces of wood, glass and even a riding lawn mower were left in his yard. The lawn mower came from the church, which suffered the most damage.

Neil McKinney, a deacon at Waddy Baptist Church, said the basement where they hold Sunday school was flooded.

"The refrigerator was turned over, the windows were blown out. The doors have been pushed through. The siding on the side of the church was taken off. We're worried about the structure. It's an older church and it was a strong force that come through there," said McKinney.

McKinney said the youth building next door was crushed in and pushed off its foundation. He said he thinks it will be a complete loss.

"We're a small community and this is a home church. There are a lot of families that go here," said McKinney. "So it's sad to see something like this, but we're just glad no one was around to get hurt."

Source

http://www.wlky.com/news/water-tower-collapses-in-shelby-county/273...!bBZxHY

State of Emergency Declared After Massive Water Main Break in Connecticut, Following 2.7 Earthquake (Aug 14)

The site of the New London water main break in Bates Woods Park, a half mile from Chester Street in New London Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014.

The mayor of New London declared a state of emergency after a 20-inch water main broke, saying residents may lose water for several days.

The city’s public utilities director issued a mandatory restriction to all non-essential water use for New London and the neighboring town of Waterford.

Mayor Daryl Finizio said that the city was losing  water at the rate of 8,000 gallons per minute, or 10 million gallons per day when the break was first discovered.

“This exceeds our capacity and as a result we are expecting significant reductions in water pressure if not complete loss of water to the city,”

The city uses 7 million gallons of water a day, he said.

Shortly after 7:00pm local time, the citywide mandatory water restriction was lifted.

“At 7:06 p.m. today, on the advice of Public Utilities Director Joseph Lanzafame, I lifted the State of Emergency which has been in effect since 8:13 this morning,” Finizio said in a statement. “I want to thank all City staff who responded so quickly and ably, and whose hard work allowed us to avert a catastrophic incident just in the nick of time.”

“This was nearly a catastrophic system failure. If it had taken us an hour or an hour and a half longer to locate the break, we would have reached a point of no return. Residents and businesses throughout New London would have been without clean water for the next month.”

Lanzafame said officials had been losing a foot of water each hour from storage tanks before they found and mostly contained the leak.

"It would have been a very big disaster. It would have taken us months to recover," he said.

Before the emergency was lifted, Conn. Gov. Dannel Malloy activated the state's Emergency Operations Center and the state sent more than 1,100 meals ready to eat and more than 1,400 one-liter bottles of water in case they were needed.

It was a worst-case scenario the city was hoping to avoid. After discovering the water main break in a 20-inch cast iron transmission pipe deep in a marshy wooded area, workers isolated the problem, shutting off valves and using an inflatable bladder.

Mayor Daryl Finizio said, “When that bladder is inserted it will shut the affected area off entirely and stop the leak, which also should simultaneously restore water to the areas that have been affected that are currently out.”

Workers believe recent flash flooding, not this morning's 2.7 earthquake, caused the pipe to crack.

Hundreds of people in Deep River and Chester said they woke up to find their homes shaking.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 2.7-magnitude earthquake early Thursday morning. It's epicenter was in the center of Deep River.

Some people said they even felt the rumbling as far away as New London.

Sources

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2014/08/14/state-of-emergency-in-ne...

http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20140814/new-london-could-lo...

http://www.theday.com/article/20140814/NWS01/140819817/1017

http://www.rep-am.com/news/connecticut/doc53ece1d70ac24260179347.txt

http://wtnh.com/2014/08/14/new-london-declares-state-of-emergency-d...

Emergency Water Main Repairs in Massachusetts Cause Mandatory Water Restrictions (Aug 14)

Only 70 miles north of today's water main disaster in New London CT, emergency repairs are being performed on a 60-inch water main resulting in mandatory water restrictions in for Springfield, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Agawam and Ludlow.

The major transmission line delivers water from Provin Mountain Reservoir to Springfield and surrounding communities.

Under the mandatory water restriction, Mulvaney said customers are asked to avoid all outdoor watering activities and be conscientious of non-essential water use.

Mulvaney says there’s no timetable for how long the ban may last.

“We are looking at repair options right now so it’s hard to say. I’m think probably a few days,” Mulvaney said.

Residents are likely to see a drop in water pressure while repairs are ongoing.

The water commission said it will provide updates as soon as they're available.

Sources

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/08/emergency_repair_of_...

http://wwlp.com/2014/08/14/springfield-among-communities-under-a-wa...

http://www.cbs3springfield.com/story/26284571/springfield-surroundi...

http://www.wggb.com/2014/08/14/mandatory-water-restrictions-issued-...

Crews repairing water main break that flooded road in Seaport District

Second Denver water main break in a week

(Photo: Andy Buck, KUSA)

KUSA- For the second time in a week, a water main break disrupted Denver streets and businesses. This time, it was a busy stretch of Colorado Boulevard between Louisiana and Arkansas Avenues.

That created a waterlogged traffic nightmare that backed up drivers at least a half mile.

"It stinks," said Jason Duvall, who was driving in traffic. "I've seen wrecks close it down before, but not this."

A 12-inch pipeline, installed in 1955, busted. Witnesses said it unleashed streams of water.

"This whole sidewalk was overflowing with water," said David O'Neal, who witnessed the break. "And it was flowing further down Colorado Boulevard and kind of buckling over the next little area and flooding this gas station, pretty much."

Workers at that nearby gas station spent part of the afternoon cleaning up the mess, which left mud and water all over.

It's a familiar problem for Denver Water crews. Last Saturday, a pipe broke on Blake Street, near Coors Field, forcing the cancellation of the Rockies game that night.

"Unfortunately, they happen and even more unfortunately, it's just been bad timing on both of these breaks-between the Rockies game and then right before rush hour this afternoon," said Denver Water spokesperson Travis Thompson.

Denver's water system is aging. It is more than a hundred years old in some spots. The city says it has a maintenance program, designed to improve pipes before they break. However, it isn't always able to get to them in time.

"When you think about it, it's underneath the ground, it's underneath the streets," Thompson said. "It's not like you can just pull it all out overnight, upgrade it, fix it, put a new pipe in it. It really does take time."

Denver water said it tries to rehab as many old pipes as possible by relining them with new concrete, but it's still very hard to know where the next break will happen.

Water is expected to be restored to the area by midnight. Colorado Boulevard is expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Friday.

Source: http://www.9news.com/story/news/2014/08/21/denver-water-main-break-...

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Water main break floods area near Sand Piper and Tower

City Of Tulsa Working To Repair Numerous Water Main Breaks

TULSA, Oklahoma -

Water main breaks have been popping up all over town and that's causing a headache for the Tulsa Water Department. The breaks can take anywhere from a couple of hours to whole days to fix.

The breaks are happening all over Tulsa. Officials say they had 16 breaks Sunday and several more since midnight. Crews have repaired ten of those broken lines and are working on the rest.

Sometimes the breaks cause crews to cut off water to nearby businesses and homes, making it quite the inconvenience for those living and working in the areas.

Broken Arrow resident, Glenn Horst said, "I just showed up and it's closed. I guess the water main has everything shut down in this area, I guess."

Water main breaks all across town, including one at 21st and Garnett, had people turning away from local businesses Sunday and Monday.

"I bet this is a lot of inconvenience for this whole block,” Horst said.

An inconvenience Water Distribution Section Manager, Rick Caruthers, said is hard to avoid in a town like Tulsa.

Rick Caruthers, Water Distribution Section Manager "It's just, we've got a massive system, we've got 22 hundred miles of water line, and some of that line is 75 years old,” he said. "It's hot, it's August, this is a busy time for us. Fortunately, this August has been pretty mild up to the last few days."

The last few days just so happen to be some of the hottest parts of summer, with temperatures hitting near triple digits, but the city said it's working on a project to fix the overall system.

"The city of Tulsa water department is just beginning an asset management program which is going to look at all the breaks we've had. It's going to go in and identify the areas that we need to go in and replace those lines,” Caruthers said.

The programs would call for replacing about 20 miles of line a year.
Source: http://www.newson6.com/story/26363471/city-of-tulsa-working-to-repa...

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Water main break leaves Noe Valley residents without water for 7 hours

Paul Chambers/KTVU.com

SAN FRANCISCO —

Water Main Break Reportedly Flooding Basements In Ross Twp.

(Photo Credit: KDKA)

ROSS TOWNSHIP (KDKA) — A water main break sent water gushing down a street in Ross Township, and caused some flooding problems for nearby residents.

The break happened around 7 p.m. on Babcock Boulevard and Roderick Drive, just across the street from the Shoppes at Northway.

Firefighters worked to keep the water from flooding homes at the bottom of the hill.

West View Water Authority crews were called out to turn off the water and fix the break.

There’s no word yet on how bad the damage is.

Source: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/08/28/water-main-break-reported...

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Cabrillo Bridge reopened to vehicles after water main break on El Prado in Balboa Park

Water main break floods area around Rady Children's Hospital

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A water main break that took hours to halt flooded a Birdland-area neighborhood Wednesday, inundating garages and disrupting water service to several nearby hospitals along with dozens of houses and apartments.

The ruptured 18-inch cast-iron pipeline began sending water surging out of buckled asphalt in the 2600 block of Meadow Lark Drive shortly before 4 p.m., according to police and the San Diego Water Department. The mishap forced the closure of traffic lanes in the immediate area.

Among facilities temporarily losing water service was Rady Children's Hospital. The pediatric medical center had service restored by 5:30 p.m., spokesman Carlos Delgado said.

Also affected were Sharp Memorial, Sharp Mary Birch and Sharp Mesa Vista Hospitals. The disruption to those facilities was ongoing as of 6:30 p.m., according to spokesman John Cihomsky.

All the hospitals have emergency stores of water, and none reported any adverse effects to patient care.

The nearby county juvenile court and detention center also was affected to some degree, SDWD spokesman Arian Collins said. It was unclear if the complex remained without service in the early evening.

Residents told news crews that the overflow had flooded some residential garages on Nightingale Way. Live television shots showed people wading, swimming and floating on inflatable rubber rafts in ponds of water in front of homes and apartment complexes in the area.

Utility crews got the overflow under control at about 6:20 p.m., according to Collins. Full restoration of service and repair of the damaged sections of roadway were expected to take until about noon Thursday, he said.

Source: http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/Water-main-break-floods-area-ar...

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Water main break in Encino forces evacuation of two homes

A 16-inch water main that ruptured in an Encino neighborhood Monday tore through a street and sent gushing water into several backyards, prompting the evacuation of two homes, officials said.

The rupture, reported around 9:40 a.m., affected backyards in the 17900 block of Karen Drive, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott said. No injuries were reported.

L.A. Department of Water and Power crews worked to shut off the main, reducing the flow of water to "a trickle," he said. At least 100 LADWP customers were affected by the break.

Officials said the cast iron pipe burst as a result of typical erosion. Crews were still working to completely shut off the valve Monday afternoon.

Although the utility did not immediately know how much water was lost as a result of the leak, the pipe experienced “heavy leaking” for about an hour, said Mike Miller, a district superintendent for LADWP.

The pipe was expected to be fully repaired by 8 p.m. But officials don’t know when repairs will be completed to the road, which suffered extensive damage due to the force of the water, he added.

Water and some mud entered at least two homes, which Miller said also sustained extensive damage.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-water-main-break-encino...

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Water main break significantly damages NE Sandy Blvd.

Portland Water Bureau says 16-inch water pipe ruptured, causing water to flow into the immediate area

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN 6) — Crews said a section of Northeast Sandy Boulevard will remain closed for days after a water main break Wednesday afternoon.

The road will remain closed between Northeast 122nd and Northeast 138th avenues until further notice.

The Portland Water Bureau said drivers can use Northeast Airport Way or Northeast Halsey Street to get around the closure.

Crews remained on the scene Wednesday to repair the water main. Meanwhile, the Oregon Department of Transportation said they’re making preparations to repair the “significant damage” that occurred to Northeast Sandy Boulevard, including the hiring of a contractor to fix the road surface and subsurface.

According to the bureau, a 16-inch water pipe ruptured, causing water to flow into the immediate area.

Crews onsite immediately worked to shut down the water and make repairs.

Portland Fire & Rescue said water had flown into the parking lots of nearby apartment complexes although no units were damaged. No injuries were reported either.

It is unknown at this time how many customers may be out of water although the Portland Water Bureau confirmed that some multifamily units are affected.

Customers in the area may be experiencing dirty water and/or low pressure at their home. The discoloration does not pose a health risk; however, the bureau said customers should avoid using tap water or running the washing machine or dishwasher until the repair is complete.

No exact estimate was given as to when all repairs to the roadway and sidewalks in the are would be completed.

For the most recent updates about the water main break, visit the Portland Water Bureau’s blog here.

Soruce: http://koin.com/2014/09/10/water-main-break-significantly-damages-n...

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