Pine Hills water main break floods neighborhood, leaving homes without water

A massive water main break in the Pine Hills neighborhood has flooded streets and yards, leaving over two dozen homes without running water. While crews managed to stop the flooding, residents are facing disruptions.

'Never seen a leak like this'

What we know:

The water main break happened on Thursday near the intersection of Bell Boulevard and Ridge Terrace. Crews stopped the flooding, but 25 homes are currently without running water.

What we don't know:

The exact cause of the water main break has not been confirmed. The timeline for when full repairs will be completed and when water services will be fully restored is unclear.

Local perspective:

Residents are dealing with significant inconveniences with simple daily tasks like cooking, washing dishes, and brushing teeth. 

What they're saying:

Residents expressed frustration with the disruption caused by the water loss.

"I couldn’t go back across the yard anymore; water just both side my house," said resident Kevin Rieckmann. "I’ve been a plumber for 50 years, and I’ve never seen a leak like this."

Rushing water transformed neighborhood roads and yards into a river after a water main broke near the intersection of Bell Boulevard and Ridge Terrace.

"There was a big puddle in the front yard. The entire backyard was just rushing with water," said resident Kristen Candio. "It looked like rapids."

Crews stopped the flooding water, but now 25 homes are without running water. Resident Brian Campbell says having no water prevents him from doing routine things.

"Cooking, washing dishes, brushing your teeth, anything," said Campbell.

Campbell and his neighbors could be without running water through Friday morning due to difficult repairs to multiple pipes and drains nearby. Campbell says his neighborhood is also being told to boil their water for two days.

"I don’t have to take a shower and go anywhere," said Campbell. "But I can’t cook or wash my dishes."

While repairs are being made, Candio says she’s simply trying to figure out how to remove the dirt that’s been piling up in her yard.

"At this point we’re probably going to have to get shovels and move it," said Candio. "There’s no hosing it off at this point. It’s pretty thick."

Timeline:

The break occurred recently, and repairs are expected to take until Friday morning. Residents have been told to boil water for the next two days while the repairs continue. Bell Boulevard and Ridge Terrace will remain closed as long as crews are out here making repairs.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by residents along Bell Boulevard and Ridge Terrace in Pine Hills, and Orange County. 

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