East Mount Airy water main break leaves dozens without water

PHILADELPHIA - A water main break in East Mount Airy left dozens of residents without water and turned a neighborhood street into a muddy mess, according to neighbors and the Philadelphia Water Department.

Crews respond to water main break, dig up street

What we know:

The Philadelphia Water Department responded to the break on the 1100 block of East Slocum Street near Lowber Avenue, leaving about 80 customers without water, according to a spokesperson.

Neighbors say crews arrived about half an hour after the break was reported and worked throughout the day, digging up the street in several places to find the source.

Cell phone video taken around 6:30 a.m. shows water gushing from the street and neighbors waking up to find their road flooded. "I looked out the window and water was gushing out of the street. I couldn’t believe it," said Craig Glenn, a resident of East Mount Airy.

Residents describe the impact and ongoing repairs

What they're saying:

"It’s been really kind of hectic because first of all we don’t have any water," said Lynda Rice, a resident of East Mount Airy. Another neighbor, Tracey, said, "Kind of noticed when I woke up to wash my face, ‘hey, the water is kind of low.’ Looked outside and saw all the water rushing."

Rice also described the challenges of daily life without water, saying, "I don’t want to sound crass but when you have to go to the bathroom, you can’t flush the toilet."

Glenn said his car was blocked in by the damaged road, and he had to cancel plans. "I was supposed to be picking up a friend from dialysis taking her home and I’m unable to do it," said Glenn.

Neighbors noted that water department workers had been on Slocum Street several weeks ago for road work, and some residents noticed the street beginning to sink yesterday and tried to report it to the city.

Some residents expressed frustration with the ongoing repairs. "This will pass, and we will get water eventually, but they keep digging more holes," said Rice.

A spokesperson for the water department said water should be restored for everyone by 5:30 p.m.

Neighbors say in the past repairs have taken longer than expected, with Glenn saying, "I’ve been through the first one [crews] said 5 or 6 o’clock, and it wasn’t until almost 10 o’clock."

The muddy street and blocked driveways added to the disruption for residents as repairs continued.

What we don't know:

It is not clear when the water main break itself will be fully repaired and there is no update yet on when the road will reopen. Crews on site said they will continue working nonstop until the issue is resolved since customers remain without water.