Crews repairing massive sinkhole caused by water main break in Baltimore County

BALTIMORE -- Crews are repairing a massive sinkhole that blocked a lane of traffic in Baltimore County on Thursday, according to Baltimore's Department of Public Works.

Officials say the sinkhole was caused by a 12-inch water main break in the 3500 block of E. Joppa Road, near Walther Boulevard, in Parkville.

DPW says 30 customers were impacted and the repairs are expected to be extensive.

"It was like a fountain of water, coming up exploding, and then around 6 a.m. in the morning, came back out and it was just a huge hole, rocks everywhere," neighbor Francesca Daddario said.

Roads are currently reduced to one lane in both directions, officials say. DPW says Baltimore City contractors are working to repair the sinkhole.

The sinkhole was reported Wednesday night and crews responded Thursday to excavate the damage, replace the pipes and ultimately restore water service.

"The interesting thing is we replaced the waterline going east from here for several miles in 2019," said Baltimore County Councilmember David Marks. "We had no problems on that line, but it's the line that starts about 100 feet west of here, that's where the problem is."

Influx of water main breaks

Cold and icy weather has contributed to several water main breaks this winter. Last month, WJZ reported DPW was working on more than a dozen water main breaks at the same time within its service areas.

In mid-January, cars drove through a flooded intersection caused by a water main break at Dundalk and Holabird avenues in Baltimore. 

"We could go swimming down there," said Sandy Rappold, a Dundalk resident. 

Hundreds of Pikesville residents lost water after a water main ruptured near Alter Avenue. 

"The hot water is used in conjunction with the furnace, so we have no heat, "said Kelly Simmons, a Pikesville resident. "I need my heat. I need my hot water, and I have grandkids in the house." 

Then, a water main break forced crews to shut off water to a 271-unit apartment complex on Linkwood Avenue in North Baltimore.

According to data from Baltimore DPW, there were 20 confirmed water main breaks in the city and county as of Thursday afternoon.

"I think it's just aging infrastructure," Marks said. "You have old cement, concrete terra-cotta pipes, just having problems, all throughout Baltimore, and the variation of weather certainly impacts things as well."

Command center for DPW crews

DPW has deployed extra crews and opened an emergency command center to help coordinate their efforts to repair water main breaks. 

"We are at the park terminal command center for DPW where we get together for large events especially this type of event to coordinate our work together," said Steve Sharkey, DPW's Interim Bureau Head for Water and Wastewater.

The command center is made up of DPW contractors, engineers and field crews, all to help address the ongoing water main breaks around the Baltimore region. 

"We collectively bring people from different parts of our agency together here at the command center so we can be proactive in responding to water main breaks throughout the city," said Cherod Hicks, an engineer at Baltimore City DPW.

What causes water main breaks?

Cold weather can harm water main infrastructure, especially during long periods of cold and repeated freeze/thaw cycles. 

According to DPW, water service lines and water meters can freeze when the temperature remains below 25 degrees for extended periods of time. Sub-freezing temperatures can also impact water mains, causing the ground to buckle and shift, resulting in broken water lines.

"Water main breaks can frequently lead to a lack of water service for residents so this is our kind of our most important piece of what we need to address so we have a large number of crew working," Sharkey said.

How can you prevent water pipe breaks?

When the temperature drops, DPW officials say it's important for property and homeowners to do their part too. 

• DPW urges residents to also consider these important tips to protect pipes inside their homes:
• Keep pipes warm: Open cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate around your pipes.
• Disconnect outside hoses: Remove hoses from outdoor faucets and shut off water to outside spigots for the winter months to prevent freezing and potential damage.
• Have bottled water on hand: Power outages, frozen pipes, or water main breaks can disrupt water service. Keep a supply of bottled water available in case of emergency.
• Check your sump pump: Periodically test your sump pump. Frozen lines can lead to basement flooding, especially as snow and ice melt.

Once service is restored, customers who have lost water service should allow water to run through a sink or tub faucet until it is clear.  

In case of a water emergency, residents should also immediately report any suspected water main break by calling 311 in Baltimore City or 443-263-2220 in Baltimore County.