Broken Water Main Leaves Major Mess On Busy Street In Huntington Beach
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — After more than eight hours, crews were still working to repair a broken water main that left a major mess on a busy street in Huntington Beach.
The water line ruptured just before 2 p.m. at Main Street and Walnut Avenue, approximately a block from the Pacific Coast Highway.
"It was like the bathtub filling up except it was our Main Street intersection, and it filled up quickly," said Linda Harrison.
"We got a pretty good layer inside the shop," said Clave Davidson of a surf shop that was flooded.
The ruptured line also sent restaurant owners like Mike Goldberg scrambling when their tap water turned brown.
"They told us we should really take precautions, so we stopped using our water. We went out and bought 10 cases of water, and we went to plastic cups," he said.
Goldberg was told the water line would be repaired Wednesday afternoon, but hours passed and crews were still working.
Every half hour, city officials tested the water and found it safe only for cleaning dishes.
Some restaurants opened, serving only beer and liquor, and many using bottled water to cook with found that business actually spiked.
"A lot of people came down and said they saw it on Facebook," said Goldberg. "I think it's bringing people down."