Current:Home > ContactMassive San Francisco sinkhole forms after crews fix water main break in 74-year-old pipes -BeyondWealth Learning
Massive San Francisco sinkhole forms after crews fix water main break in 74-year-old pipes
View
Date:2025-04-18 19:17:19
A water main break in San Francisco flooded buildings and created a massive sinkhole earlier this week in the middle of a bustling intersection.
Videos shared on social media showed water and debris gushing into the street where the break had occurred just before midnight on Sunday at Fillmore and Green streets in the California city's trendy Cow Hollow neighborhood. Crews with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission responded to the location and worked through the night to stabilize and repair the 16-inch cast-iron water main, which agency Press Secretary Joseph Sweiss said was installed in 1949.
The area was quickly flooded with water and debris, and SFGate and other local media reported that the deluge soon inundated businesses and other buildings. The break also disrupted the service of a nearby 8-inch water main, with customers in the surrounding area reportedly experiencing intermittent water service and temporary service interruptions, Sweiss said.
By Monday afternoon, a sinkhole had opened up in the middle of the intersection near Union Street, forcing streets to close and the public bus system to reroute.
New York:Double rainbow stretches over NYC on 9/11 anniversary: 'Light on a dark day'
San Francisco's aging water pipes leads to more than 100 breaks annually
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission operates and maintains 1,200 miles of water pipelines, also called water mains, across Northern California. About 20% of San Francisco’s water pipes are around 100 years old and made of cast iron, according to the commission.
Though the agency has an active program to replace aging and vulnerable water mains, officials say it still experiences an average of 100 to 200 water main breaks a year.
Water main repaired as crews next look to sinkhole
It wasn't until after 9:30 p.m. Monday that crews had completed repairs to both the 16-inch and 8-inch water main breaks.
Work was temporarily halted Monday afternoon when crews with the Pacific Gas and Electric Company arrived at the scene to to isolate a gas main inside the work area and ensure its integrity, Sweiss said.
After the repairs were completed, crews remained in the area cleaning up debris in the streets as they prepared to turn their attention to the sinkhole. Officials were not able to provide an estimate Tuesday morning for how long those emergency repairs are expected to take.
Indiana:Truck loses wheel, bounces into oncoming I-70 traffic, strikes car window and kills woman
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com.
veryGood! (442)
Related
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Southwest Airlines flights will appear in Google Flights results
- 20 Singapore Airlines passengers injured by turbulence still in intensive care, many needing spinal surgery
- U.K. review reveals death toll at little-known Nazi camp on British soil
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Prosecutor tells jury that self-exiled wealthy Chinese businessman cheated thousands of $1 billion
- Rapper Sean Kingston and his mother stole more than $1 million through fraud, authorities say
- Prosecutor tells jury that self-exiled wealthy Chinese businessman cheated thousands of $1 billion
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- The Celtics are special. The Pacers, now down 2-0, have questions about Tyrese Haliburton's health.
Ranking
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sets July 4 election date as his Conservative party faces cratering support
- Vigil, butterfly release among events to mark the 2nd anniversary of the Uvalde school shooting
- Wreckage of famed 'Hit 'em HARDER' submarine found in South China Sea: See video
- Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
- What comes next for Ohio’s teacher pension fund? Prospects of a ‘hostile takeover’ are being probed
- Victoria Justice Teases What Goes Down in Victorious and Zoey 101 Group Chats
- NOAA 2024 Hurricane Forecast Is for More Storms Than Ever Before
Recommendation
Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sets July 4 election date as his Conservative party faces cratering support
Anastasia Stassie Karanikolaou Reveals She Always Pays When Out With BFF Kylie Jenner
Flags outside of Alito's houses spark political backlash as Supreme Court nears end of term
Intellectuals vs. The Internet
Migrant crossings at U.S.-Mexico border plunge 54% from record highs, internal figures show
American ex-fighter pilot accused of illegally training Chinese aviators can be extradited to U.S., Australian judge says
Southern California man federally charged for 'swatting' calls targeting schools, airport