PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Multiple water main breaks across Philadelphia this week have left residents dealing with flooding, water outages and lack of heat.
The latest was on late Thursday night, when the Philadelphia Water Department said an 8-inch water main started to leak.
It caused water to rush down the 2300 block of Aspen Street, down 24th Street and onto Fairmount Avenue.
The department shut off water, and residents were left without it through Friday, as crews worked to make repairs.
Bill Rapone said he was in bed when he heard water rushing down the street and into his basement.
“I was up there laying in bed on the second floor, and I kept hearing this noise, sounds like somebody’s outside in a car running their motor,” he said. “I went downstairs. I was like, ‘Oh my God, there’s water all over the basement.’ I couldn’t believe it.”
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About a foot of water ended up in Rapone’s basement. By Thursday morning, the water had receded, but Rapone said his heat was shut off in the process.
“I’m an 80-year-old Vietnam veteran; I’m an ex-paratrooper,” he said. “I’m pretty tough, but I have had no heat all day. I’m tough, but I ain’t that tough.”
Neighbors stepped in to help. The American Legion across the street opened its doors to keep Rapone warm.
“We gotta take care of our veterans; they fought for us,” said Mark Evans, who gave Rapone the key to the legion.
Officials said water has since been restored to all 50 households in the area.
Frigid temps cause multiple water main breaks across Philadelphia
The Fairmount break is one of several water main failures across the city this week. A break was reported Tuesday in Germantown at Marion and Hansberry Streets, another Wednesday on 16th Street in Point Breeze, and another Thursday on Lincoln Drive in West Mount Airy.
“Monday, we had two breaks; Tuesday, we had nine. On Wednesday, we were in the double digits,” noted Brian Rademaekers, the public information officer for the Philadelphia Water Department.
The Philadelphia Water Department has been in an emergency schedule since December, but the below freezing temps have them at maximum staff.
“No matter where you live, your water main could break, or your pipes could burst. If you have valuables, now’s the time to get it off the floor in case something happens,” Rademaekers said.
The water department said the cold greatly impacts water infrastructure.
While they repair over 20 miles of water mains in the city each year, based on the age and previous breaks, homeowners have to be proactive as well.
“Find the cold areas, try and cover up any drafty areas,” said Rademaekers.
Another tip, let your faucets drip if in colder spaces to prevent pipes from freezing.
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