Water Floods Into Boulder Homes After Pipe Bursts
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - A water main break flooded a street and more than a dozen homes in north Boulder Monday afternoon.
A city spokesperson said the 8-inch cast iron water main broke at approximately 4:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of Norwood Avenue near Broadway. That's about the same time homeowners in the area began calling police concerned about the amount of water rushing through the street.
"It looked like a river," said Cinda Graubard, who came to help her sister clean her flooded basement.
The city's spokesperson on scene told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann that the water was shut off at approximately 5:15 p.m., but Graubgard said it took well over an hour.
"We were literally digging channels to try and deflect the water away from the corner of the house where it was pooling up," Graubgard said of herself and many neighbors trying to stop the overflowing water.
Officials said 13 homes were affected by the busted pipe, including some flooding. Graubgard's sister's home had several inches of water soaking through belongings in the basement.
"Water was just pouring in through the window well which had filled up with water and silt," Graubgard said.
Repair crews said it would take six to 10 hours to fix the broken water main. Representatives with the city are expected to visit with homeowners Tuesday to help with the claim process.
Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team in 2012 as the morning reporter, covering national stories like the Aurora Theater Shooting and devastating Colorado wildfires. She now reports for CBS4 News at 10 and is always open to story ideas. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @KellyCBS4.