A water main break shut down a major stretch of Butler Pike in Whitemarsh Township Tuesday morning. That left some residents in the area with low water pressure and about a dozen customers with no water at all.
Water could be seen gushing from the ruptured pipe, which broke around 7:20 a.m. near Butler Pike and Ridge Avenue, according to police.
NBC10 arrived on the scene right around when water was shut off.
“It’s believed to be a 12-inch main that runs from Butler up towards Germantown,” said Whitemarsh Township Fire Marshal Scott Lynch.
The break affected water service to residents in Plymouth and Whitemarsh Townships. One local business was also dealing with water damage caused by the river of water that came rushing from the break.
“We looked outside and I just assumed it was raining outside,” said Anthony Giannetti, who lives in Whitemarsh. “I was like, ‘what is that noise? Must be the trash guys coming a day late.’ And she was like, ‘Oh my God, look outside!’ It looked like a disaster movie out here." "
Crews were able to replace the pipe and restore service to the area. The repair work didn’t start until about three hours after the township was notified.
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“Unfortunately it’s New Year’s Day and they don’t have the crews readily available that they would have on a normal weekday," said Lynch.
Butler Pike opened again later in the day.
