Main Break Creates Geyser of Water, Debris in Washington DC

A water main break of one of Washington D.C.'s key water lines yesterday resulted in a geyser of water shooting 150 feet high, with dirt and debris flying in all directions, and caused a minor injury to one motorist as well as a disruption in area traffic.

The break occurred while workers were repairing a smaller leak on the main. Once the work began and the repair area was exposed, the 48-inch pipe ruptured under the additional stress, according to Libby Lawson, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority. Thousands of gallons of water were lost in the spectacular geyser, resulting in low or no water pressure for hundreds of homes and buildings. Crews worked through the night, re-routing water to the affected area from a different main to bolster water pressure and replacing 16 feet of damaged pipe.

The rupture of the 48-inch pipe sounded like a thunderous explosion, according to an unlucky motorist driving along Military Road when it happened. She was on her way to play tennis when her car was suddenly engulfed in what appeared to be a waterfall raining chunks of dirt and asphalt.

"First, I thought I was going to drown in the waters. Then I thought I was going to get hit from behind by another car that might be coming, and then I thought I was going to get run over," said Karen Hainline, as reported by Washington Post staff writer Petula Dvorak. Hainline managed to force open her car door and stumble onto Military Road amidst the chaos of cascading water and debris.

"Personally, it is the most frightening thing I've ever been through in my life," said the American Airlines flight attendant. She tripped on the median while escaping her car but otherwise was unhurt.

Hainline made it to a grassy area on the north side of Military Road and sat down — dazed and soaked, her head covered with dirt and sand — as she watched the water gush over the tall treetops nearby.

When the main broke, the incident initially was reported as a cloud of smoke coming from Rock Creek Park, according to fire department spokesman Alan Etter. His department also received reports of an explosion, as commuters heard and watched rocks and chunks cascading down, Etter said.

Water authority engineers plan to analyze a piece of the damaged pipe to determine why it broke, Lawson said, and "to help with future disruptions we may have."

Lawson did know know the age of the broken pipe, but large sections of the water and sewer system date to the 19th century. She said the agency could not automatically attribute the rupture to the age of the pipe.

"Age alone does not make a bad pipe," she said. "It's usually age, plus other stress factors. New pipes break, too."

Source: The Washington Post