A large water pipe burst Saturday evening, flooding the intersection of Southwest 10th Street and Southwest Fifth Avenue for about two hours.
The pipe, which runs under Southwest 10th Street, burst around 7 p.m., causing water pressure for the surrounding area to drop severely, according to Tony Cunningham, senior environmental engineer with Gainesville Regional Utilities.
Officers from the Gainesville Police Department quickly blocked off the flooded street and intersection, which remains blocked off while the pipe is repaired, Cunningham said.
“It looked like the street was erupting with like, white water rapids,” said Brian Greenfield, 22, who was on his way home nearby when he saw the flooded street. “It was just spewing out with water and spreading everywhere.”
GRU employees were able to turn off the feeding valve to the broken main and isolate it, which stopped the flooding, he said.
According to Cunningham, GRU worked quickly to restore water utilities to those affected. Most residents were back on track by Sunday morning. By Monday, everyone’s utilities had been restored.
Cunningham said GRU continues to run water quality analysis tests and can assure residents that their water is safe to drink.
Although Cunningham could not say for sure when the intersection will reopen for traffic, he said GRU will be working on repairing the broken main into the next week.
“We don’t know exactly because we’re getting the parts to repair it,” he said, “and determining the best solutions for repair.”
