Water Restored To 40 Manayunk Homes, Businesses Following 8-Inch Water Main Break
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Dozens of homes and businesses were without running water in Manayunk after a pipe burst on Tuesday morning. The water main break caused extensive damage, even uprooting a sidewalk.
The Philadelphia Water Department said about 40 homes and businesses were without water.
Water has since been restored and the stretch of Main Street has reopened, city officials say.
Among the businesses that were affected is a new store that opened yesterday.
The mess happened after an 8-inch water main ruptured at Main and Gay Streets.
"I heard a rumble, looked over, the whole sidewalk lifted off the street," resident Jerry Killian said.
The store called Tsaocaa, which offers Mandarin tea, opened Monday but now it's closed. The rush of water forced the stairs to collapse.
The steps now sink into the ground. The store's basement is also flooded knee-deep.
Owner Andrew Trang doesn't know how long his store will be closed. He was getting some last-minute items for his business when he got a surprising call.
"Some of the employees called me and said the front stairwell collapsed and I was like, 'What do you mean?' And I got video showing the stairwell into the ground. I knew they were doing some ground work but I didn't anticipate something like this happening," Trang said.
Trang said they were going to have a grand opening on Saturday.
"I'm not sure what's going to happen," he said.
Max Molseed, manager of Taqueria Feliz, says the restaurant was shut down from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. It's one of the few businesses on Main Street that has since reopened.
"We lost our lunch crowd. We had to turn off any to-go orders. We had to shut down the bar. Without any running water we can't operate, we can't wash our hands or wash our glassware," Molseed said.
Many business owners are frustrated, pointing out this is at least the third ruptured water pipe in as many years.
"We're still suffering the damage from the last water main break," said Brian Forman, owner of Performance Kitchen and Home.
The Philadelphia Water Department says water has been restored to Main Street.
Two SEPTA bus routes, Route 35 and Route 61, had been put on detour due to the water main break.
CBS3's Matt Petrillo and Kimberly Davis report.
