OAKLAND (KDKA) – A water main break caused plenty of problems in Oakland today as residents were left without water service, a street had to be closed down and, in at least one case, a car was towed away.

Thousands of gallons of water poured down South Bouquet and Joncaire Streets in Oakland after a 12-inch water line burst under the street Sunday morning.

Police shut the roadway down for a couple of blocks; however, people were allowed to drive out if they had to. Residents in the area lost water service.

“Trying to get a shower, get my day started,” said student Sam Scalzo. “You know, it’s a nice long weekend and you can’t do anything without a nice shower.”

The only good thing was that it happened on a weekend. Had it been a weekday, there would have been traffic gridlock in South Oakland.

Police went door to door trying to get people to move their cars so repairs could be made to the street.

James Snow, another student, made it to his car just before the tow truck did.

“It was about to be towed, so never a good thing,” said Snow, “didn’t want a $250 charge.”

One car did have to be towed, but a police officer said the person shouldn’t be charged a towing fee.

Workers were able to shut the water off relatively quickly, but had to dig under the street in order to make a permanent repair to the line.

After working for several hours, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority workers finally got the water back on late Sunday afternoon. It is hoped that South Bouquet Street can reopen within the next few hours.

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