Towson water main break leaves dozens of residents without water, DPW says

Baltimore's Department of Public Works reports that crews are repairing a sinkhole caused by a water main break that left dozens of nearby residents in Towson without water.

DPW responded to an 8-inch water main break on Monday in the 1300 block of Brook Meadow Drive, which caused approximately 50 service outages.

As crews continued to repair the break on Tuesday, officials said the street collapse caused a temporary road closure.

"We appreciate the community's patience as crews work to complete this repair as safely and quickly as possible," DPW said in a statement to WJZ.

Residents said the pipe burst sent gallons of water into the street.

"The road started buckling yesterday when the water was coming up," said neighbor Fred Whiton. "It was a pretty significant amount of water so the road started buckling, and today, it's dropped once the water receded."

Neighbors say they went more than a day without running water.

"It's a struggle," Whiton said. "There's no water, so we have a pet, so there's no water for the pet either. So we have to get bottled water for the pet."

Current water main repairs

DPW's broken water main service map shows there are currently five water main repairs in progress in its coverage area. At its peak this winter, DPW says it worked on up to 20 water main breaks.

What causes water main breaks?

Cold weather can harm water main infrastructure, especially during long periods of cold and repeated freeze/thaw cycles, according to DPW. 

DPW says water service lines and water meters can freeze when the temperature remains below 25 degrees for extended periods of time. Sub-freezing temperatures can also impact water mains, causing the ground to buckle and shift, resulting in broken water lines.

"Water main breaks can frequently lead to a lack of water service for residents so this is our kind of our most important piece of what we need to address so we have a large number of crew working," said Steve Sharkey, DPW's Interim Bureau Head for Water and Wastewater.

DPW command center

At the height of water main breaks this winter, DPW established extra crews and opened a command center which helped coordinate their water main repair efforts.

The command center was made up of DPW contractors, engineers and field crews, all to help address the ongoing water main breaks around the Baltimore region. 

"We collectively bring people from different parts of our agency together here at the command center so we can be proactive in responding to water main breaks throughout the city," said Cherod Hicks, an engineer at Baltimore City DPW.

How do you prevent water pipe breaks?

When the temperature drops, DPW officials say it's important for property and homeowners to do their part too. 

• DPW urges residents to also consider these important tips to protect pipes inside their homes:
• Keep pipes warm: Open cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate around your pipes.
• Disconnect outside hoses: Remove hoses from outdoor faucets and shut off water to outside spigots for the winter months to prevent freezing and potential damage.
• Have bottled water on hand: Power outages, frozen pipes, or water main breaks can disrupt water service. Keep a supply of bottled water available in case of emergency.
• Check your sump pump: Periodically test your sump pump. Frozen lines can lead to basement flooding, especially as snow and ice melt.

Once service is restored, customers who have lost water service should allow water to run through a sink or tub faucet until it is clear. 

In case of a water emergency, residents should also immediately report any suspected water main break by calling 311 in Baltimore City or 443-263-2220 in Baltimore County.