Philadelphia

It Could Take Months to Fix Crater Left by Massive Center City Philadelphia Water Main Break

The break at Sansom & Juniper street spilled millions of gallon of water onto city streets while causing water pressure, flooding and traffic problems.

By Dan Stamm • •

Crews are working hard early Wednesday to clean up the mess from the huge water main break in Center City. Some area businesses experienced flooding and a lost of power.

What to Know

  • A 48-inch main broke early Tuesday sending water gushing onto streets around Juniper and Walnut Streets in Center City Philadelphia Tuesday.
  • The water didn't recede for hours. Once it was gone, a muddy mess and crater remained.
  • There is no timetable for when the crater will be fixed.

The clean-up effort continued Wednesday, more than 24 hours after a massive water main break sent millions of gallons of water onto Center City Philadelphia streets, causing traffic, power and water problems.

The 48-inch main broke around Sansom and Juniper streets around 4 a.m. Tuesday, leaving Juniper Street buckled toward Walnut Street. The worst of the flooding seemed to center around Walnut and Juniper streets but spread several blocks in each direction for about three hours.

Gary Watson
The break left this big hole in the middle of the street.
Pamela Osborne
A water main break flooded several blocks in Center City early Tuesday morning.
The water flooded down several blocks from Juniper and Walnut streets.
Pamela Osborne
The flooding started around 4 a.m., shortly before rush-hour commuters hit the street to head to work.
NBC10
Skyforce10 caught the flooding as the water continued to spread throughout the city after daybreak.
Telemundo 62
The 48-inch main broke around Sansom and Juniper streets.
Hundreds were left without power. Thousands, some as far away as South Philadelphia, also had low water pressure in their homes during the ordeal.
NBC10
As expected, local businesses were impacted from the loss of power and low water pressure. The water came within inches of entering McGillin's.
Pamela Osborne
NBC10's Pamela Osborne tweeted this photo of this man carrying a woman through the ankle-deep water early Tuesday morning.
Pamela Osborne
The water was finally shut off shortly before 7:45 a.m. but a muddy mess remained.
Matt DeLucia
It will take days to clean up the mess. The flood waters left trash and debris in the roads.
Emily Lippiello
Even after the water cleared off the streets, roads remained damaged and covered in dirt and mud.
Emily Lippiello
Roads remained closed for hours Tuesday morning with officers blocking off the roads covered in debris.
Steve Sosna
The floodwater brought in dirt, mud and other debris that could be seen from above the streets.
Miguel Martinez-Valle
The road near where the break happened was badly damaged and buckled.
Gary Watson
The break left this big hole in the middle of the street.
Miguel Martinez-Valle
What a muddy mess!

There were reports of low water pressure throughout Center City and into South Philadelphia, Graduate Hospital and Bella Vista. Power was also knocked out to more than 1,000 customers.

And, dozens of Midtown Village businesses had to close due to the effects of the water main break.

Philadelphia Water Department crews worked overnight to clean-up the muddy mess on area streets but the actual crater remained. It could take months to get Juniper Street back to normal, PWD spokesman John DiGiulio said.

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Crews hoped to get 13th Street from Walnut to Chestnut open Thursday. The closure along Sansom Street to Broad Street could take longer.

There are still some road closures due to the massive water main break in Center City on Tuesday . NBC10 First Alert Traffic reporter Jessica Boyington shares the roads to avoid.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the water main break and it could remain a mystery, officials said. 

Water Commissioner Debra McCarty said a recent inspection of the main using technology that goes inside the pipe turned up no problems. She said she didn't believe the extreme heat that has scorched the region in recent days was a factor in the break.

The total amount of damage to the Midtown Village neighborhood could take weeks to determine.

Copyright AP - Associated Press

This article tagged under:

PhiladelphiaDan StammCENTER CITYwalnut streetGraduate Hospital
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