Grand Rapids Gets First Look At The Incredible Damage Done To Broken Water Main

My heart breaks for the families that suffered water damage to their homes and cars parked on the street after a water main broke early Thursday morning on the cities southeast side.

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Less than 24 hours later a second water main break happened on the cities southeast side.

The first water main break happened around 3:15 a.m. on Thursday, June 13th, at the intersection of Adams Street SE and Philadelphia Avenue SE.

This break caused major flooding in the neighborhood, submerging several vehicles and prompting a boil water advisory for approximately 200 homes in the vicinity.

The city's water system manager, Wayne Jernberg, said that the break involved a 12-foot section of pipe from the 1940s that had blown out.

Crews worked to shut off the valves and allow the water to subside, but the drop in pressure required a boil water advisory for the affected homes on Adams Street, Edward Avenue, Sylvan Avenue, and Philadelphia Avenue.

Just a day later, on Friday, June 14th, a separate and smaller water main break occurred near the intersection of Evergreen Street SE and Kalamazoo Avenue SE, around half a mile from the previous incident.

This break impacted only a few properties and did not require a boil water advisory.

Read More: Important Do's And Don't During A Boil Water Alert

Jernberg explained that additional leaks can result from changes in water flow and pressure caused by the initial break.

Hopefully the remaining water mains will be ok as the city works to address the aging waterlines.