Williamsburg Water Main Break Suspends L Train and Cuts Local Water Service
WILLIAMSBURG — A water main broke at 4.30 a.m. today, near the Bedford Avenue L train station, an MTA spokesperson told us. Service was partially suspended from 14th Street to Myrtle Avenue on the L line, and service resumed at 7.18 a.m. with residual delays and crowding.
Water Main Break at Train Station @CitizenApp
Bedford Avenue Station (L) 4:32:26 AM EST
Heavy amounts of water flooded the streets, gushing out on to the train tracks. “It could’ve been a lengthy delay, but the drains worked well,” the MTA told us.
Ted Timbers, Director of Communications at the Department Environmental Protection (DEP), told us the call came in around 5 a.m., and DEP crews responded and shut off water to the area to stop the leak.
“They are excavating the roadway now to determine the cause of the leak and what repairs will be necessary,” he added.
Currently, 50 customers in the area are without water service at this time, Timbers said.
“Any time a pressurized water main is disturbed it could cause residents to see discolored water at the tap” he explained. “While it is not harmful, residents should run the water until it is clear and cold.”
Local businesses haven’t been able to open, as the water quality has affected the ability to serve food and drinks.
“There’s a chance we might not be able to open today,” Evan Hanczor, the manager of Egg restaurant at 109 N 3rd Street, told us. “It always hurts not to open, the morning hours are most important because we’re a breakfast restaurant.”
Hanczor said they’ve reached out to the DEP, but haven’t gotten much information so far on when they will be able to resume business.
Just yesterday, a water main broke in Canarsie, the New York Post reported. Water gushed above ground on East 78th Street near Farragut Road in Canarsie just before 10 a.m., spreading toward Ralph Avenue.
However, even with the recent water main breaks, New York City has lower than the national average of breaks.
“Through the end of January, we are 15 percent below where we were at the same point in FY19,” Timbers explained to us. “The national average for large cities is 25 breaks for every 100 miles of water main. In NYC we are at 6 breaks for every 100 miles of water main.”
NYC spends about $400 million annually to build new water mains according to Timbers, that’s about 1 mile of new water mains going into the ground every week of the year.
L train commuters are still urged to take nearby 3, A, C, J, M trains and connecting bus services, while delays clear.
