Repair Work Underway After Major Denver Water Main Break
DENVER (CBS4) - A water main break that happened in Denver's Cherry Hill Heights neighborhood on Thursday morning sent water rushing down the street for several blocks and closed part of University Boulevard for a short time. A 20 inch wide pipe burst at East Flora Place and South Clayton Street, causing a big sinkhole.
The water was rushing heavily for over an hour but by 6:30 a.m. the flow of water had stopped. At 7 a.m. University Boulevard between East Floyd Avenue and East Dartmouth Avenue -- which is within Englewood's city limits -- was reopened.
#BREAKING: University is closed between Floyd and Dartmouth as crews work to repair a massive water main break this morning. Water is gushing into the roadway quickly and it's a muddy mess out here. We're working to learn more and will update you live in #CBS4Mornings. @CBSDenver pic.twitter.com/LGdPPsMf08
— Mekialaya White (@Mekialaya) November 7, 2019
Water main breaks can happen when there are rapid changes in temperature. On Wednesday morning the thermometer rose to 60 degrees. Then in the afternoon the temperatures dropped 30 degrees in only a few hours.
A total of seven homes were without water while repairs were being made. The repairs are expected to be completed on Thursday afternoon or evening.
Homeowner Jason Lee lives at the spot where the pipe burst. He told CBS4 his truck was parked only feet away, and he's thankful his home wasn't damaged. But all the thousands of gallons of water pouring out was certainly a surprise for his family.
"We moved here from Florida about two years ago to get away from the water and flooding. So here we are -- a waterfront property again," he joked.
Looks like a river flowing along University NB due to a water main break. University NB is closed between Floyd and Dartmouth. Avoid the area if possible. #cotraffic #CBS4Mornings pic.twitter.com/lBgvmHZZ4T
— Andrea Flores (@AndreaFloresTV) November 7, 2019
A different water main break also happened a few days ago in the same neighborhood.