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Water main break causes sinkhole in Tarzana

By Gigi Graciette, FOX 11
Published  May 31, 2017 10:41am PDT
News
FOX 11

TARZANA, Calif. (FOX 11) - Going underwater, our FOX 11 camera shows the exact point where a 50-year-old pipe burst Wednesday morning in Tarzana.

The break in the 8-inch water main that supplies water to homes and businesses on Tampa Avenue sent thousands of gallons gushing onto the street.

The pressure underneath was so great, it actually caused the cast iron pipe to blow off and crack the asphalt. This caused not only a sinkhole, but a traffic nightmare with Tampa shut down between Victory and Oxnard.

"A lot of people in pain here but at least it's the last day of school," parent Edder Orozco said.

Orozco was one of hundreds of Woodcrest School parents forced to reroute Wednesday morning and park blocks away. Thanks to an early morning warning text from a concerned parent, most were prepared.

DWP crews worked throughout the night, challenged by an aging infrastructure that made even turning the water off to be able to start the repairs an hours-long process.

"We hope to have the water back on by noon or 2-ish and the street reopened by 4. We should be out of there by then," said Jaime Castrellon with DWP.

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