Water Main Breaks Gusher

[Howard]

Water main break destroys street near Los Angeles, California - July 29, 2014    

"All the land between New England and Mexico is being pulled at a diagonal, and it is not just the fault lines that are feeling stress. All will participate when the New Madrid Fault makes a serious adjustment."  ZetaTalk

 

Since 2013, a conspicuous number of water main breaks and sinkholes have been reported across the U.S.  While water lines commonly rupture during winter months, especially in regions experiencing subfreezing temperatures, large water mains are fracturing in southern states where ground temperatures remain above freezing.

Notable water main breaks and sinkholes during the first 6 days of 2013:

 

January 1

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - "Super Sinkhole Walter" and 40 Others

Harrisburg officials expect it will take several weeks to repair damage from a massive sinkhole that forced dozens of residents to evacuate.

The city’s Department of Public Works said it could be another 30 days before water, sewer and gas lines are replaced in the neighborhood where the sinkhole is causing problems.  "Super Sinkhole Walter," as the North Fourth Street collapse has been called, is big enough to have its own Foursquare check-in location.

On Thursday, the massive hole partially swallowed a construction backhoe.

The hole opened Monday morning, and later opened a bigger hole.

A spokesman for Mayor Linda Thompson said the city must replace the entire water and sewer system lines on the block.
The spokesman, Robert Philbin, said new water and sewer lines will not be working for five to six weeks.

These two large sinkholes in the 2100 block of North Fourth Street are among at least 40 sinkholes covered by steel plates citywide, according to Kevin Hagerich, director of the city’s Department of Public Works.

Interactive Map of Known Sinkholes in Harrisburg

Sources

http://tribwpmt.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/2013-01-01_14-41-38_69....

http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x1303509877/Harrisburg-sinkhole-s...

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/01/interactive_map_...

 

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January 3

Malibu, California - Recurring Water Main Breaks

Another water main break in Malibu collapsed part of John Tyler Drive as crews worked to repair the leak.

A broken water main and partially collapsed road have narrowed traffic to one lane on Malibu Country Drive near John Tyler Drive.

Between 30 and 35 customers in Malibu Country Estates are without water. Los Angeles County Public Works received a call about a partially collapsed roadway on Malibu Country Drive at 9:30 a.m, according to spokesman Mike Kaspar.

Kaspar said the road is cut down to one lane for approximately 100 yards.

This is the second water main break reported in Malibu in as many days. On Wednesday, the main that supplies water to the Adamson House broke and employees from Public Works worked overnight on a temporary fix and permanent reroute of the underground pipeline. Westbound traffic on Pacific Coast Highway was cut down to one lane between Malibu Inn and Serra Road while crews made the repair.

Source

 

 

Grand Rapids, Michigan - Big Hole / Deep Water

A water main break has closed the westbound lanes of 44th Street between Division Avenue and U.S. 131 in Wyoming, Michigan

A broken valve is causing complications in repairing the break in a 16-inch water main and the road may be closed until Saturday, authorities now say.

The valve, which broke in a partially-closed position, must be replaced before the water main can be fixed, Wyoming Director of Public Works William Dooley said in a statement on Friday, Jan. 4.

The water main broke area of 44th Street SW and Clay Avenue on Thursday.

The westbound lanes of 44th Street are closed near Clay Avenue, and Clay is closed from 44th Street north to Louisiana Avenue.

Dooley said the repair is taking much longer than anticipated because of the valve problem. Water is still flowing from the main because the valve cannot be closed.

A private contractor has been called to help city crews and they expect to fix the valve this afternoon.

Dooley said the water main break has not affected drinking water to area residents.

“Once the valve has been replaced, we will start work to repair the water main and hope to have that wrapped up yet today. We recognize and apologize for the inconvenience that this has caused to businesses, area residents and motorists and are working as quickly as we can to return things to normal," Dooley said in the statement.

Source

 

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January 4

New Orleans, Louisiana - Cajun Geyser

A water main break in the middle of Adams Street near Maple poured water into the streets Friday afternoon.

Sewerage and Water Board crews arrived on the scene around 1:30 pm to address the incident.

An hour or so later, the break erupted into a full-blown geyser, showering Adams Street with water.

Water was rising on the sides of the street near several Uptown businesses, creeping up on the tires of some cars.

Source

 

 

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January 5

Atlanta, Georgia

A massive water main break caused headaches for both residents and drivers on Clairmont Road in Chamblee, more than 24 hours after it first happened.

A huge hole opened up in the road between Airport Road and Wingate Road Saturday morning. Residents in the area were without water for much of the weekend after the 30-inch water main break.

DeKalb County spokesman Burke Brennan told Channel 2 Action News that they first had to clear out the water from the hole to determine the cause before they could begin repairing it. Major damage to the road and the sidewalk could still be seen well into Sunday morning.

Brennan says the pipe's age could have been a factor in the break.

Police were on the scene to re-direct traffic away from the area near DeKalb-Peachtree Airport.

Source

 

Sacramento, California

Water main break floods East Sacramento neighborhood

A 16-inch water main broke Saturday morning, turning two streets into ponds and damaging several homes along 39th and D Streets.

Source

 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority says that a 30-inch line broke in the Oakland/Bloomfield area near the South Millvale Bridge at Morewood Street.

Two Port Authority stations and a portion of bus routes were closed after the water main break.

The break happened in North Oakland around 6 a.m. and the Neville Ramp, Herron and Negley Port Authority stations were closed as a result, our news partners at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report.

The East Liberty station is as far as inbound buses can go and outbound buses will make it to the 26th Street Ramp, the Post-Gazette says.

Officials said the water main break exposed a 24-inch Equitable gas line.

“Public Safety is our No. 1 concern,” Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority Director of Operations Tom Palmosina said in a press release. “PWSA crew responded immediately and began isolating the leak.”

PWSA officials said that all efforts are being focused on the gas line.

Source

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January 6

Seattle, Washington

A large water main break on Sunday caused the closure of State Route 20 in Port Townsend near the ferry terminal.

Around 3 a.m., Police and Public Works responded to the 1800 block of Water Street where the break was reported near the Tides Inn and Suites.

Portions of State Route 20 pavement were raised several inches above the original road bed as pressure from the water pushed up to the surface. When crews first arrived on scene they found water running west down the road. At least one business, The Food Co-op, 414 Kearney Street, had flood damage as water rushed into the building.

The closure affects commuters traveling to the Port Townsend-Coupeville ferry route.  Detour routes for ferry traffic have been set up through city streets.

Water to at least a dozen businesses and residents was shut off but was restored by 3:30 p.m.

The Department of Transportation will not have materials available to begin repairing the highway until sometime Monday, according to Claudia Bingham Baker, WSDOT communications manager.

Detours will remain in place until crews determine the road is safe to reopen, which would occur Monday at the earliest.

The cause of the break is under investigation.

Source

[Derrick Johnson]

Water-main break floods West Hollywood neighborhood

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) --

A 12-inch water-main break submerged several vehicles, flooded a commercial building and caused extensive street damage in a West Hollywood neighborhood Sunday.

The break occurred in the 1200 block of North Formosa Avenue at about 4:45 a.m., officials said.

Several vehicles in an underground parking structure were submerged as gallons of water spewed into the residential neighborhood. At least one business was damaged.

"If I had a raft I could have went down to Melrose Avenue," James Marthaler said.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews responded to the scene and closed down the streets to start on repairs. There was no immediate estimate of how much water was lost.

"We have six vehicles in the underground parking that have been flooded, so now we're trying to evacuate the water, which is going to take us a couple more hours to complete that operation," said Trey Espy of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The water main was installed in 1936. LADWP officials believe the age was likely to blame for the break.

"It was just one of many places where we need to have a water main replaced," said Kirk Broyard with LADWP.

Twenty-seven customers on North Formosa Avenue, between Fountain Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, were without water due to the water-main break. Service was restored by 6:45 p.m.

Crews remained on scene to clean up.

Source: http://abc7.com/news/water-main-break-floods-west-hollywood-neighbo...

Google Maps

[Derrick Johnson]

Water main break shuts down Holgate Street in Seattle

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Water-main-break-shuts-down-Holg...

Santa Cruz crews say old water main "blew up," caused gallons to spill into neighborhood

http://www.kionrightnow.com/news/local-news/water-main-break-in-san...

Water main break swamps downtown block in San Luis Obispo

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/05/08/3625494/water-main-break-sw...

[Howard]

Water Main Geyser Erupts Near Philadelphia PA (May 6)

A huge water main break created a geyser on a road in Cheltenham Township on Wednesday afternoon.

"I came out to get my mail and all of a sudden I saw the burst," said Selma Alexanian. "It looked like a volcano."

"We heard noise, a "boom," and then there was water coming out like a fountain," said Jeanine Lee.

The eruption launched rocks and pavement all around, including one resident's driveway.

It took about an hour to shut the water off. Repair crews then started the task of restoring water service to 10 nearby homes.

There was no word on what caused the break.

Source

http://6abc.com/news/water-main-break-creates-geyser-in-cheltenham-...

[Howard]

Water Main Erupts in Memphis Tennessee (May 1)

Around 2 a.m. Friday, a homeowner awoke to a loud rumbling.

"I just saw water going everywhere," said the woman, "I thought it was someone trying to break in."

The water main break sent rocks and asphalt flying into her home.

When she looked out her window, she saw what looked like a geyser.

"It was hitting so hard that I thought maybe it was going to cave my roof in," she explained.

The homeowner said she called 911 first because she was confused about what was happening.

The fire department showed up and eventually contacted MLGW crews who shut off the water just after 5 a.m. affecting more than 60 residents.

Later Friday morning MLGW crews worked hours to repair the pipeline underground and turned the water back on around 10 a.m.

MLGW officials said they were still working to determine the cause of the water main break.

Source

http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/28950344/water-main-break-flood...

[Howard]

Water Main Explodes Through Pavement in UK (Apr 27)

A 50-ft geyser of water burst through the pavement in Gateshead today, sending debris flying and causing evacuations.

The town’s traffic was brought to a standstill as police closed roads to deal with a burst water main.

Motorists were forced to sit in long tailbacks after the pipe burst on St Cuthbert’s Road at around 1.30pm on Monday.

Madeline Richardson, a senior nursery nurse at The Bridges Nursery, said their building was evacuated during the drama.

She added: “The water explosion was outside our nursery. It was going 50ft in the air and the roads surrounding the nursery were flooded.

The burst water main is the second one to hit Tyneside in two weeks.

On April 17, a pipe burst on Scotswood Road, flooding the nearby area and closing roads.

The flood gave motorists a headache and affected businesses, with one car dealership being submerged, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Source

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/gateshead-burst...

[Howard]

One Morning, 35 Water Main Breaks, Tulsa OK (Apr 15)

The Tulsa Water Department reported more than 35 water main breaks across the city Wednesday morning.

Later in the afternoon, a water main break sent water shooting 40 feet in the air.

Rick Caruthers, water distribution manager, said crews have been working to repair about 100 waterline breaks that have caused temporary service issues for hundreds of residents and businesses.

The city says workers have been out since Tuesday repairing a number of the breaks and additional workers are expected to be called in as more breaks are added to the list.

Sources

http://www.newson6.com/story/28806553/tulsa-repairing-numerous-wate...

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/tulsa-water-crews-scrambli...

[Howard]

Rumbling Earth, Water Main Break, Underground Fire in NYC (Apr 13)

A water main break caused the ground to shake in Queens and caused fires underground, fire officials said.

“At first just the pipe burst and it was all flooded here in the morning… Then all of a sudden the manholes had steam coming out,” said Lisa Deng, 22, who works at Dream Tech Auto Services.

A firefighter at the scene said the flooding caused a fire to erupt beneath the manhole.

“It was rumbling! The ground was rumbling and I guess they were going to let it explode but it didn’t explode.”

The blaze scorched a white Chevrolet Cruze that was being serviced by Dream Tech.

“I was so worried that the whole shop was going to be gone like what happened in the city. I was so worried it was going to explode and destroy my whole shop,” said Deng.

The busted pipe caused flooding near National Street and 43rd Avenue in Corona around 8:45 a.m., Monday, officials said.

Source

http://nypost.com/2015/04/13/ground-shakes-after-nyc-water-main-break/

[Howard]

500 Evacuated From NY Subway After Water Main Break (Apr 8)

A water main break in the West Village forced the evacuation of 500 people from No. 1 train Wednesday evening. The 12-inch water main broke at 6:51 p.m. near 175 West 13th St. near Seventh Avenue, FDNY officials said.

The flooding resulted in halted service on the 1, 2, and 3 trains at the 14th Street station.

A photo from the scene showed brownish water inundating the intersection and coming up the sidewalk to the edge of a building.

Video at the scene also showed water cascading down the side of a train and pouring down into the 14th Street No. 1, 2 and 3 train station below.

Fire officials said the water was 2 feet deep in some spots and was actually covering the third rail in the subway. Water had begun to recede by 8:40 p.m. after the water main was shut off, but there were still numerous muddy areas.

Seventh Avenue was also closed to traffic between 12th and 13th streets, 1010 WINS reported.

The nearby Lenox Hill Healthplex was also dealing with problems as a result of the break, fire officials said.

“Steam has been disconnected from the hospital – it is affecting the hospital with that utility at this point,” said FDNY Battalion Chief John Porretto. He said he was not sure if any patients were affected.

Sources

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/04/08/west-village-water-main-brea...

http://pix11.com/2015/04/08/water-main-break-shuts-down-northbound-...

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150408/west-village/water-main-br...

http://rt.com/usa/248105-broken-water-main-flood-nyc/

[Howard]

Water Main Erupts in Palmer Texas (Mar 26)

A massive water main break has disrupted MetroRail service between Lakeline and Howard Station, causing “significant delays” that are expected to run through the evening rush hour, Capital Metro said Thursday afternoon.

It’s unclear what caused the main break.

Sources

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/03/26/water-main-break-im...

http://kxan.com/2015/03/26/water-main-break-causes-issues-for-metro...

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/28624892/water-main-break-near-par...

[Mark]

Water main break, sink hole close Centre Street in downtown Oshawa, Canada

http://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/5455141-update-watermain-bre...

OSHAWA -- A portion of Centre Street South in downtown Oshawa is closed due to a watermain break and sink hole.

Durham Region’s works department has staff at the site to repair the watermain break.

This break is unrelated to a watermain break on King Street east of Centre Street last week.

The latest break means the water supply to homes and businesses in the area has been shut down.

The section of Centre Street will remain closed until the break is repaired and the road restored.

Once normal water pressure returns, customers are asked to flush out their systems by turning on the cold water tap only and let it run for five to 10 minutes.