Repairs Underway To 2nd Mt. Washington Water Main Break, Customers Without Service
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Crews responded to the scene of another gushing water main break in Mount Washington early Tuesday morning, in the same place a break on Monday forced the closure of the Mon Incline.
The break is once again along Grandview Avenue.
According to Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority, this second break is near spot of the original break.
This water main is not an easy fix for the PWSA contractors. It's a replacement rather than a repair.
KDKA's Lisa Washington spoke to a spokeswoman with PWSA who says they are going to replace an entire section of the main, 30 feet.
Because of that, customers on Grandview Avenue, from Shiloh to Wyoming Streets, will be without water service through 9 a.m. Wednesday. Those people are being notified by PWSA's emergency robocalls.
An update on the work on Grandview Avenue at Wyoming Street: pic.twitter.com/4gNbf6yDbo
— Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority (@pgh2o) February 5, 2019
A water buffalo is being set up at the intersection of Grandview Avenue and Wyoming Street for residents who need help with water.
According to the PWSA, repairs will continue through Friday, Feb. 8. Grandview Avenue at Wyoming Street will be closed to all traffic while the work is completed. Traffic will detour on Shiloh Street.
A man who lives in the building across the street from the Mon Incline described Tuesday morning's break as a geyser.
"I looked out on the balcony and as I was standing there, it erupted like Old Faithful geyser, and it went on and on and on for a while, and I guess the guys here couldn't turn it off," Kevin Seidling, a witness, said. "They had to call someone else who came and they eventually turned the water off."
The building, which houses apartments and a doctor's office, sustained water damage.
For primary care doctor, Dr. Richard Vernino, Tuesday morning began with a rush of water pouring into his office.
"It was coming through the vents, through the ceiling, through the wall, everywhere, and it just kept coming and I'm like, 'Uh, oh,'" said Dr. Vernino. "It was a sight to see. It was a fountain, but it was disastrous to see all this."
The water damage could be seen in the carpet and the ceiling of the practice he's had in the Mt. Washington apartment building for 30 years.
"I went up and talked to them [the repair crews]. The whole repair blew again, it just blew up, the pipe blew out again. It was shooting 60 feet in the air, against this building," Dr. Vernino said.
The initial break happened late Monday afternoon, closing the Mon Incline and flooding its ticket office.
The Port Authority has not indicated when the Mon Incline will be back in service.
But, for riders who rely on the Incline for their commute, the Port Authority provided shuttle buses to get from Station Square to Mt. Washington.
Stay with KDKA for the latest on this developing story.
