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Water main break in W. Hyattsville frustrates repair crews Water main break in W. Hyattsville frustrates repair crews
(about 5 hours later)
Water was shut off to parts of the West Hyattsville area Saturday and Sunday after a break in a 16 inch main that posed difficult repair problems, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission said. Water was shut off to parts of the Hyattsville, Md., area Saturday and Sunday after a break in a 16 inch main that posed difficult repair problems, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission said.
It was not clear just how many people were without water or had low pressure in their homes as a result of the break, reported early Saturday on Hamilton Street between 38th and 39th Streets said Jerry Irvine, a spokesman for the water utility. It was not clear just how many people were without water or had low pressure in their homes as a result of the break, reported early Saturday on Hamilton Street east of 38th Street said Jerry Irvine, a spokesman for the water utility.
He said the normal procedure of shutting down valves had failed to prevent the flow of water from the broken main. As a result, he said, a specialized crew was summond from New Jersey to try to stanch the flow by use of a more complicated technique. He said the normal procedure of shutting down valves had failed to prevent the flow of water from the broken main. The broken 16-inch main was supplied by a larger, 24-inch main. Halting the flow of water through the 16 inch main required shutting the 24 inch main, Irvin said.
The crew was expected to arrive about 8 p.m. Sunday, Irvine said and to work through the night. After the flow was blocked, he said, repairs could begin. But he said, it was determined that the 24-inch main was itself fed by still another water pipe, Irvin said. Its location did not show up on charts, Irvin said, and it was not clear that valves cou ld be readily located to shut it down and keep it from sending water through the 24-inch main to the point of the break.
He said among the customers affected were two nursing homes. By late Sunday he said, both had been supplied with water by alternate means. WSSC crews were making bottled water available where needed, Irvine said. As a result, Irvin said, it was decided to summon a specialized crew from New Jersey to employ a relatively complex technique to stanch the flow from the 24-inch main into the 16-inch main.
Meanwhile, he said, tens of thousands of gallons have flowed from the break in the cast iron pipe, which he said was installed 90 years ago. The road and adjacent sidewalk were damaged, he said. The crew from New Jersey was expected to arrive about 8 p.m. Sunday, Irvine said and to work through the night. After the flow was blocked, he said, repairs could begin.
Twitter messages posted by WSSC about 10 p.m. indicated that the crew had arrived and was at work under floodlights. They were digging about 50 feet from the site of the break.
Irvin said that among the customers affected were two nursing or assisted living homes. One of these was the Sacred Heart Home, a 100-bed nursing home on Queens Chapel Road.
By late Sunday Irvin said, both of the had been supplied with water by alternate means. WSSC crews were making bottled water available where needed, Irvine said.
The Sacred Heart Home is about a half mile northwest of the site of t he break. The distance suggested that the break may have affected service to many of the houses on the streets between Hamilton Street and the site of the home.
Meanwhile, Irvin said, tens of thousands of gallons have flowed from the break in the cast iron pipe, which he said was installed 90 years ago. The road and adjacent sidewalk were damaged, he said.