Water Main Break Damages Beechview Homes

BEECHVIEW (KDKA) – A water main break in Beechview damaged several homes Wednesday morning.

The water main broke around 4:45 a.m. and sent water rushing down the hill in the 1400-block of Kenberma Avenue.

Pennsylvania American Water was able to shut the water off around 5:10 a.m.

"The water up at that hole was shooting, it looked like five, six feet in the air," said Linda Mooney, of Beechview.

When the water pounded the pavement it also had enough force to knock over Mooney's retaining wall.

"It was in good shape until this morning," she said.

Crews with Penn American Water were on the scene all morning as cleanup and repairs continued. Officials say subcontractors will be brought in to help rebuild the wall and to assist in the cleanup efforts.

City of Pittsburgh firefighters went door to door trying to wake neighbors, startling many early this morning when the water main first broke.

However, when water burst through the street, the firefighters almost got stuck themselves when the road buckled beside their truck.

"You could feel it trembling on the road on the other side of the street. Not until they pulled up, was when the road collapsed," said Larry Schott, of Beechview.

Aside from the huge hole caused by the break, there's additional damage along the road.

Neighbors say the road was just paved a couple years ago.

Penn American Water officials say the break on the eight-inch main caused about 25 customers to loose water this morning. Officials now say service has been completely restored.

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