Pigtown Residents Go With The Flow As Crews Repair 20-Inch Water Main Break
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Right now, hundreds of customers are without water in Pigtown after a water main break on Sunday night.
Linh Bui spoke with people affected.
Crews are still working to repair the line as quickly as possible.
Crews continue fixing a 20-inch water main pipe that burst on Washington Boulevard on Sunday night.
Thousands of gallons of water filled streets and basements.
"It spreads underground. There's a lot of pressure as that water travels. It moves and finds the weakest spots and then comes up," said Jeffrey Raymond, Baltimore Department of Public Works.
Miriam Copeland is one of 200 customers who lost water.
"It's kind of rough. You take the water from the water bottle and put it in the pot and boil it and wash your face and brush your teeth," Copeland said.
About 16 people evacuated their homes as a precaution in case of gas leaks or electricity problems.
"It's an inconvenience for the whole neighborhood," said Bill Ridge, whose home lost water.
To ease the situation, workers handed out gallons of water and neighbors helped each other.
"A number of people have come to my house, where we have low water pressure and they've got containers of water to take down to their homes. Just so they can do normal functions like cooking and washing and that sort of thing," said Richard Parker, president of Citizens of Pigtown Community Association.
The water main break also caused traffic headaches. Washington Boulevard was closed at Ostend Street, and detours were in place all day.
As the weather gets colder, water main breaks become more common.
"We're dealing with old pipes here. And we've been very clear about our intention to replace as many as 40 miles of water main per year. That's our goal," said Jeffrey Raymond, Baltimore Department of Public Works.
Despite the end-of-year inconvenience, many are staying positive.
"You gotta go with the flow," Copeland said.
Literally.
Once the water is stopped, the Department of Public Works will help residents pump out their flooded basements.
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