Water main break in Philadelphia displaces residents at apartment complex, causes partial road collapse
Residents of The Dally apartment building are out of their homes, and part of Girard Avenue is still closed after a water main break sent mud and water flowing through multiple streets in Philadelphia on Sunday.
The flooding happened near the intersection of 4th Street and Girard Avenue in the Northern Liberties section of the city. As of Monday morning, Girard remains closed in both directions between 4th and 5th streets after part of the road collapsed. Philadelphia Water Department crews have returned to the area to clean off trolley tracks that are still covered in mud.
The city said they don't yet have a timeline on when the cleanup will be completed.
According to the PWD, crews were alerted to a 20-inch broken main on the 1100 block of North 4th Street around 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 24.
Philadelphia Police Inspector D F Pace said Sunday evening that apartment buildings, homes, businesses and a fire station in the area sustained "a significant amount of water damage," and some homes are without water until the main and nearby connectors can be fully repaired.
A worker at The Dally apartment complex said their maintenance team was called in around 9 a.m. because of the water main break.
Twenty feet of water rushed into the basement of the complex, and the gym and community rooms were submerged underwater, the employee said. No units in the complex are damaged, but Jason Kaenzig, who works with Hightop Real Estate and Development, said the damage to the building is "catastrophic."
Dozens of residents were able to get into the building to pick up some belongings, but they weren't allowed to stay there Sunday night, said Kaenzig, who estimated residents could be displaced for up to 90 days while crews clean up. He said the electrical meters for the entire building are in the basement.
"Everyone is covered under renters insurance, and the company will help with accommodations," Kaenzig said Sunday evening. "It's a huge, costly mess."
Because of the main break, officials said one vehicle was stuck in the street, and a nearby sidewalk was also heavily damaged.
Pace said he wasn't sure when the road would reopen and recommended commuters take an alternate route Monday. Drivers who take Girard Avenue can use Thompson Street, Master Street, Poplar Street and Fairmount Avenue as alternates.
To get around 4th Street, drivers can use Broad Street, Frankford Avenue, North 6th and North 3rd streets.
"We're going to do everything we possibly can to ease the burden on the public, especially those that are traveling through this area," Pace said.
PWD is helping neighbors pump out water from their properties while they work with crews to start the repair process.
As of Sunday night, officials said it's not clear when repairs will be completed.
PECO crews, Philadelphia police and the Philadelphia Fire Department were on the scene all day Sunday. Pace said the Department of Streets and the Water Department are the lead agencies in the repairs.
CBS News Philadelphia is awaiting a response from Hightop Real Estate and Development, the apartment management company, regarding when residents can return and whether assistance will be provided in finding new accommodations.