Water Main Break Sends Water Gushing Over Hillside In McCandless, 3 Homes Damaged
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MCCANDLESS (KDKA) -- At least three homes have significant water damage in McCandless following a water main break that sent water gushing over a hillside for hours early Tuesday morning.
The break was first reported just before 4:30 a.m. on West Ingomar Road.
The water washed away pieces of a concrete driveway, bushes and a cinder block retaining wall before flooding at least three basements.
"It was like white water rapids," said Sandy Rook, homeowner. "That's how it was coming down there, and it was crazy."
Rook said she heard her dogs barking but didn't think anything of it until officers from the McCandless Police Department started knocking on her front door.
"He said you got Niagara Falls in your front yard," said Rook.
#UPDATE: Firefighters in McCandless tell me 3 homes are flooded down below the break on Donna Drive. The fire department is helping homeowners pump out their basements right now. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/89WaR9xBSo
— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) January 29, 2019
The homeowners on the street below, Donna Drive, saw the worst damage. The cul-de-sac was shut down while homeowners pumped water out of their basements.
Brett McElroy said police also jolted him away.
"We rushed downstairs and we tried to stymie whatever damage was going on," said McElroy. "We had some flooding coming in from the walls, but not too much."
McElroy said his next-door neighbor's flooding was far worse, and another neighbor used plastic tables to try to stop the rushing water.
"I took a peek inside and they had busted through his drywall to try to stop some of the water flowing in from the window up there, which is pretty unfortunate for him," said McElroy.
The West View Water Authority directed traffic into one lane around the affected area as they worked to repair the line.
#UPDATE: No answer just now when I called Ingomar Elementary- up the street from this water main break, but @NA_Schools just tweeted ???????????????? @KDKA pic.twitter.com/Bwcq6l4Udv
— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) January 29, 2019
Ingomar Elementary School is right up the street from the location of the break, but North Allegheny School District said the break did not affect any of the district's buildings.
The homeowners said they wanted to get everything cleaned up before the temperatures tumbled too low and everything started to freeze.
