Permanent Fix For Broken Daly City Water Main May Take Weeks
DALY CITY (CBS SF) -- Officials are working to repair as quickly as possible a water main that broke and flooded a Daly City neighborhood Tuesday.
At the Daly City City Council meeting Tuesday night, the council unanimously agreed to allow City Manager Patricia Martel to waive the formal bidding process to quickly get workers in place to make a permanent fix to the water main.
The water main in Reservoir 3 by Hillside Park ruptured at about 4:25 a.m. Tuesday, causing 45,000 gallons of water and mud to flow down a hill and onto Lausanne Avenue, Water and Wastewater Resources Director Patrick Sweetland said.
Crews were at the scene all day cleaning up the sludge, concluding at about 6:15 p.m., Sweetland said.
On Wednesday, as a temporary fix, Sweetland said hay bales, straw waddles and jute will be placed from the park up the hill to the gully that was created from the flood for construction site control.
"The main emphasis right now is to divert the water from the upcoming rainstorms to storm drains in the park," he said.
Martel said at the council meeting Tuesday that the water main was about 78 years old and "had reached the end of its useful life," but there is no concern of any other danger.
"We're very certain that the valves will be secure until long-term repairs are made," she said.
It will take several weeks before a permanent fix is made. However, Daly City Public Works Director John Fuller said the park is safe.
"We're confident the park is stable," Fuller said to the council on Tuesday night. "We're not planning on letting this go un-repaired all winter."
Fuller said repairs for a permanent fix are expected to begin as early as the week of Nov. 26.
Twelve homes were evacuated as a precaution, but no injuries were reported. By 11:30 a.m., all the residents had been allowed to return.
No homes were flooded, but streets were left covered in a layer of mud so thick it reached the top of parked cars' wheels.
Any claims can be filed by mail or in person to the office of the city clerk. As of noon Wednesday, no claims had been filed, City Clerk Annette Hipona said.
Evacuees were directed to the Teglia Community Center, but only one family with a baby had sought assistance at the site, North County Fire Authority spokesman Matt Lucett said.
Four blocks were affected by the flood along Lausanne Avenue, including Bonnie, East Moltke, Ford and Price streets and Clayton Court.
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