Water Main Breaks Gusher
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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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.
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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.
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Comment by Derrick Johnson on November 14, 2013 at 10:01am
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(More Than 700 Breaks in Indianapolis this year)
Water main break could cost you
By Daniel Miller
Updated: Wednesday, November 13, 2013, 10:57 PM EST
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A water main break caused some major headaches Wednesday afternoon for drivers in Indianapolis.
24-Hour News 8 learned that type of break is part of a growing problem that could end up costing you.
Crews repaired that water main break, which was at 21st Street and Lafayette Road. It's one of more than 700 breaks that have happened in the city this year. Citizen's Energy Group said with an aging system underground and not enough money to make repairs, these breaks will continue to happen.
It's not hard to miss the massive hole that took up parts of the road.
"The hole was caused by the water main break," said Sarah Holsapple with Citizens Energy Group.
The break disrupted traffic and closed off two lanes. Citizens Energy Group said it's nothing new. Earlier this summer, a break closed off a portion of West Washington Street. They are just two of nearly 700 breaks in Indianapolis so far this year.
"We know that in Indianapolis we have aging infrastructure and when infrastructure ages and we don't have the money to make repairs these are the kinds of things that happen," Holsapple said.
Holsapple said the system needs upgrades and repairs and in order to do that, their nearly 300,000-plus customers may have to pay up.
"We asked for the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to consider a water rate increase earlier this year. We still don't have a ruling back on that yet," she said.
Citizens Engery is asking its customers for a $3 increase. Holsapple said an average monthly bill of $31 would go up to $34.
"An increase like that would give us about $114 million to spend on things like repairing water mains and also replacing aging mains so we can prevent this thing from happening all together," she said.This would not be the first rate increase. In 2011, the utility agreed to fund fixes down the middle - 50 percent from its customers and 50 percent from borrowing. Now they are proposing customers pay 75 percent of the cost to fix the aging system.
"We need the money to be able to fix and we think it's vital," Holsapple said.
Citizens Energy Group says they can't come out and just increase your bill. That has to go through the IURC. 24-Hour News 8 talked with them late Wednesday afternoon regarding this case. A spokeswoman for the IURC said the case is still pending. The IURC said it will be a couple of months before a final decision is made.
http://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana/water-main-break-could-cost-you
Google Maps
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Water Main Break in Oshtemo
Updated: Wednesday, November 13 2013, 06:40 AM EST OSHTEMO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Crews have been working to patch up a water main break Wednesday morning. It happened on 9th near Heritage Christian Academy which is between W. KL Avenue and Stadium. Officials on scene tell Newschannel 3 it is all patched up now and all water service should be restored. They are now just waiting on a crew this morning to refill the hole left behind. We're working to learn more about what may have caused the break.
http://wwmt.com/shared/news/features/top-stories/stories/wwmt_water...Google Maps
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Water main breaks in GH
A water main break occurred at the corner of Orchard and Hillcrest on Wednesday morning. This means water is shut off and a street is closed while repairs are being made.
Tribune Staff
Nov 13, 2013
The City of Grand Haven's Department of Public Works has closed Hillcrest, from Orchard to Arlington, and water will be shut off to the 1600 and 1700 blocks of Hillcrest and the 500 blocks of Orchard and Arlington while repairs are made.
Water service will be restored upon completion of the repairs. Once the water turns back on, there may be a slight discoloration of the water, which should be cleared by running water in the bathtub or utility sink.
The repairs are expected to take until about 4 p.m. Wednesday to complete.
For further information, or to report an emergency related to this event, contact the city at 616-847-3493.
http://www.grandhaventribune.com/article/689966
Google Maps
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Boiling Springs dealing with another water main break, sinkhole
The Boiling Springs area is once again dealing with a major sinkhole caused by a water main break, leading one South Middleton Township supervisor to fear more could follow.
The latest water main break was reported at about 3 p.m. Tuesday, when a crew collecting leaves spotted water bubbling through the road along Walnut Street between Second and Third street, according to Supervisor Tom Faley.
A short time later, crews discovered the water had eroded the dirt from underneath both lanes of Walnut Street, a portion of sidewalk and part of a nearby front yard.
But the roadway itself remained intact, something Faley said he found troubling.
"What if it collapsed as a school bus full of children drove by?" Faley said.
Tuesday's sinkhole and water main break are near another that occurred along the 200 block of Walnut Street in February. One home was later condemned.
Faley said he will recommend the township authority board look at replacing other water mains in the area so a third break and sinkhole does not occur.
"As a supervisor, I'm concerned that two major leaks have occurred so close together," Faley said.
Walnut Street is expected to remain closed to traffic until this evening, Faley said.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/11/boiling_springs_...
Google Maps
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Charlotte Catholic High dismisses early after water main break
Students at Charlotte Catholic High School had a short day Wednesday due to a water main break.
Officials dismissed students at 9 a.m. after they were forced to shut off water at the school.
Cam Coley, a spokesman for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities, said the school was working to deal with the problem. He said that if school officials determined the water main break did not happen on their property, then CMUD would get involved.
The school celebration of Mass was postponed from Wednesday morning until Thursday. Catholic High’s football team, preparing for a first-round playoff game Friday night, practiced immediately after school was dismissed Wednesday.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/11/13/4462215/charlotte-catho...Google Maps
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Neighbors fed up over multiple water main breaks
HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) - After weeks of dealing with no water pressure and thousands of gallons of water pouring into their streets, people in Highland Park are fed up this morning.
That's because there's three water main breaks, and the city isn’t doing anything about it.
The main area affected by these breaks is Brighton Street & Rosa Parks.
The water continues to bubble up through the cracks in the roadway, and has been an issue for several weeks.
One of the breaks is on Detroit's side of the city line, and the other two are on the Highland Park side.
In fact, Judge Carroll Little owns rentals in the area, and he tells us his tenants can’t even use their own toilets.
He called the 7 Action News team to see if we could try and get to the bottom of this problem.
We'll be placing a call to Highland Park and Detroit on Thursday, to find out their plans in getting the problem fixed.
Stay with 7 Action News as we look to fix this ongoing issue.
http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/neighbors-fed-up-o...
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Comment by Howard on November 5, 2013 at 5:48am
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Broken Water Main Blasts Geyser in Hawaii (Nov 4)
A broken water main sent a 50-foot geyser shooting into the sky early Monday, launching bricks and other debris onto the street. Residents on Kanakou Place on Mariner's Ridge reported damage to vehicles from the falling debris.
Source
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/23868787/broken-water-main-sends...
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Broken Water Main Floods Exclusive Neighborhood in Tarzana
Multiple fire trucks were responding to flooding in the streets of a community of million-dollar homes in Tarzana on Thursday evening after an apparent water main break.
Water ran through the streets and into the yard of this home in Tarzana on Thursday evening. (Credit: KTLA)
Water was coursing through the street near Brewster and Topeka drives (map), aerial video showed.
Fire officials said the main burst in front of a home under construction on Brewster Drive.
The water affected about six homes in the area, mostly flooding yards and garages, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
One major problem was a boundary wall surrounding one property that started to act like a dam.
“You can see we had to breach a wall at the home… on the corner in order to let the water out of the back yard because it was building up,” LAFD Chief Brian Schultz said. “It was about two and a half feet deep when we got here.”
Another concern was the possibility of sinkholes at the site of the break.
http://ktla.com/2013/10/24/lafd-responds-to-streets-flooded-in-tarz...
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Long Beach water main break floods streets
Roads in the immediate area were blocked off due to severe flooding.
The break happened around 4:00 a.m., cutting off water service to about 22 homes in the area.
As of 9 a.m., crews were still working to restore service, but it's unknown how long that will take.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&am...
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Water Main Geyser in N. Virginia Soaks Row of Townhouses (Oct 25)
A broken water main in Fairfax County caused water to shoot nearly 100 feet into the air Friday morning, soaking nearby homes and yards at the intersection of Burke Road and Lake Braddock Drive in Burke, Va., at around 3:40 a.m.
News4's Melissa Mollet said the geyser appeared to be three times the height of a nearby power line., blasting water in the direction of townhouses for about an hour, flooding an entire row before crews could shut off the water.
A Fairfax Water spokesperson tells us a break occurred in a 30-inch pipe.
At least one fire unit responded to the scene due to water spraying on a nearby transformer, causing it to spark.
Sources
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Broken-Water-Main-Break-Pro...
http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/280416/158/Crews-working-to-repai...
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Boston Water Main Blows 5 Stories High (Oct 23)
Boston officials battled a large water main break in the middle of A Street near Congress Street. The “geyser” reached about five stories in the air—roughly 60 feet.
Sources
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2013/10/23/south-boston-wat...
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Ruptured UK Water Main Blows 100-Ft Geyser (Oct 22)
Shoddy editing from Daily Mail.
The high pressure water rocketed into the air in Malden Fields in Bushey, Hertfordshire - sending stones, litter and other debris sky high.
It blasted into the sky, before crashing to the ground - sending water gushing through the surrounding streets.
Resident Harry Jonson, 66, said he and his neighbours were told to stay indoors to avoid being injured by the enormous jet.
'We were told to stay indoors as the water was so powerful it was blowing rocks into the air.
'I've never seen anything like it before.'
Source
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2471711/Punctured-mains-pip...
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Ruptured Water Main Geyser in Houston Texas (Oct 13)
A large water main break in southwest Houston left residents in the area without water much of Sunday.
The water main break was reported around noon Sunday on Fondren and West Airport.
A city of Houston employee wasn't sure how many homes were affected by the water outage but said it was significant.
"It's a very large main that they're trying to repair," the city employee said.
Crews initially estimated it would take five hours to repair, but it ended up taking about 12 hours.
No additional details were released.
Source
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9285661
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Water main break opens sinkhole on west side
Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 8:55 pm | Updated: 7:23 am, Wed Oct 9, 2013.
A water main break early Tuesday opened up a 20-foot-long, oval-shaped sinkhole at Camino Sierra Vista and Oñate Place, released a river of water, disrupted traffic in the west-side neighborhood and left 50 homes without water while crews worked into the night to repair the problem.
Jennifer Trujillo said water began gushing through the break in the asphalt, filling the hole and running down the street starting at about 12:45 p.m. She said she was worried about her home’s foundation, although when she checked the basement in the afternoon it was not wet.
She was trying to figure out how to get out to collect her children, 14 and 16, from school — and how she was going to cook dinner without water. She said her father, who lives next door, had anticipated such a situation and filled some plastic bottles with drinking water.
Vicenta Trujillo, 84, used the opportunity to collect runaway water with a ten-gallon bucket and water her trees.
The water pulsed through the break under high pressure for about three and a half hours. The city’s emergency manager, Andrew Phelps, didn’t have an estimate of how much water was lost, but, “It was a lot.”
He said crews were able to shut the water off at about 4:10 p.m.
The homes left without water Tuesday evening were along Camino Sierra Vista between Salazar and Alarid streets. Phelps said it would take about another 12 hours to replace the section of water main that ruptured. He blamed the break on aging infrastructure.
Staff from the City Water Division, Public Utilities Department, Public Works Department, police, firefighters, New Mexico Gas and Public Service Company of New Mexico all responded to the emergency.
PNM was worried that the high volume of water might threaten a utility poll in the area and the company shut off power to about 140 homes in case it fell down. Phelps said power should be restored Tuesday night.
The high pressure and turbidity of the water pushed dirt and rocks around, loosening the base of the pavement, “creating a bridge where there should be no bridge,” Phelps said. The substructure of the road was washed away and water gushed through the cracks, Phelps said. The sinkhole measures about 20 feet long and 12 to 14 feet across.
The storm drains did their job, he added. Some water flowed past the first drains in the road, but at about the fourth or fifth drain, Phelps said, the road was fairly dry. He said there were no reports of flooding.
Phelps said there was a delay in shutting off water pressure because crews had a hard time finding the correct valve. When they did find the right one (near Alarid Street), it was hard to turn off because of the high pressure.
Phelps said city utility crews will assess where further work is needed on the water main. By Tuesday evening they had pumped the water from the sinkhole.
It typically takes 24 hours to restore water to residential pipes. Meanwhile traffic was being diverted. There also is some ongoing roadwork on St. Francis Drive between Mercer Street and Camino Sierra Vista.
Dolores Martinez, who lives right across from the sinkhole, said she and her husband, Ben, had both power and water because their house is not connected to the main that broke. She said the crawl space under their home was OK.
Standing outside surveying the scene, she said, “It’s the biggest mess you have ever seen. It’s like being in a sci-fi movie. It was unimaginable.”
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/article_4ffcb38f-7...
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