Burst 87-Inch Aqueduct Sends 500,000 Gallons Of Water Into Walnut Creek Backyard
WALNUT CREEK (CBS SF) -- A leaking 87-inch diameter aqueduct made a mess of a Walnut Creek neighborhood this week, but the leak could have been worse. It could have washed away an entire neighborhood.
Derek Sakakura was asleep in his quiet Walnut Creek home on a cul-de-sac when he got a call from East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) Monday morning. They wanted to know why he was using so much water.
Calls like that happen when a seven-foot, 3 inch wide water pipe ruptures.
One of EBMUD's pipes that runs behind Sakakura's home had begun leaking, sending floodwaters under a fence and cascading into his backyard. If the entire wall of the pipe had given way, the results could have been disastrous.
"It was over two days. Two days they couldn't turn off the water," Sakakura said.
Sakakura's yard was so full of muddy water that an EBMUD worker almost stepped into the swimming pool. The utility company said it was dangerous to shut off the pipeline too quickly because the pipe could burst completely, possibly wiping out the entire home.
EBMUD maintains three similar pipes ranging from around 60 inches clear up to the massive 87-inch diameter that move water from the Sierra foothills, 90 miles away to the Walnut Creek water treatment plant.
Crews continue to make repairs, including custom-welding a piece to fix the massive water main. Sakakura remains busy cleaning the mess left behind, but is pleased EBMUD said they will be responsible for the repairs.
"So, as long as they cover everything, we understand. It happens," Sakakura said.
It's estimated more than half a million gallons of water flowed until the 87-inch pipe was shut off.