Apr 29, 2008 6:49 pm US/Eastern
Boston Water Main Break Spells Months Of Trouble
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
-
-
An estimated 70,000 gallons of water erupted from the 12-inch water main.
WBZ
-
-
Water and electric crews worked for days to clean up the mess.
WBZ
Businesses and families in Boston's North End and Financial District will be feeling the effects of a weekend water main break for months.
National Grid says the natural gas system in the area was so damaged that repairs will last into the summer.
The underground system flooded when an estimated 60,000 gallons of water – enough water to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool -- erupted from a 12-inch water main on Devonshire Street.
About 400 customers lost service and 85 have since been restored, mostly in the North End.
The outage has forced a number of restaurants in the North End and the Financial District to remain closed.
No gas service means no hot water or heat for many residents and businesses, and no stoves for many of the restaurants. In some cases, water flowed through gas lines and into appliances and boilers, forcing the need for costly repairs or replacement.
Andy Schwartz lives on Devonshire Street and she said she is tired of cold showers.
"This is pretty bad. I definitely wouldn't call it fun – cold showers, washing your hair in the sink – it's not a good time," she said.
According to National Grid spokesman David Graves, the company hopes to have service in the North End fully restored by the end of the day.
"We're working as quickly as we can," said spokeswoman Deborah Drew. "The problem is we keep finding pockets of water in the system, and gas and water just don't mix."
Graves adds that service in the Financial District should be back later this week.
Traffic is still being diverted in the area, while crews make repairs.
Restaurant owners have expressed frustration at the outages and loss of business.
"It is frustrating but you reach a certain point when you've talked to KeySpan 10 or 15 times, and you know they are doing what they can do, and there's just nothing else to be done and you just have to wait it out," said restaurant manager Peter Nelson.
National Grid said there will be lingering effects lasting into the summer months. Businesses and residents could suffer sporadic gas service failure during that time period, as the company continues to dry out the flooded system.
Overall damage from the water main break could run into the millions of dollars and the question of who is liable - the utility or the city - could wind up in the courts.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
