ST. LOUIS — Late afternoon, residents near Chippewa St. and McCausland Ave. were dealing with an issue that’s plagued them before.
City utility crews got the call at around 4:15 p.m. For a water main break at the intersection. The same pipe burst in August of last year. A 12-inch water main gushed for hours on Thursday. It wasn’t the only one, either. The utility supervisor on scene told Fox 2 that he received calls for a couple more in the city too.
One resident told Fox 2 his water shut off right when the pipe burst. He told Fox 2 that around this time of the year, it’s common to see water pipes burst.
The supervisor on scene stated that this hot weather can cause issues for the pipe by contracting and expanding at different temperatures.
The owner of Mexican Kitchen nearby said these types of issues can be frustrating for his customers when lanes are closed and blocked off.
Crews will have to shut the water off completely, dig up the old pipe and upgrade the portion that burst. Utility crews could not confirm an estimated fix time but the Mexican Kitchen restaurant said the last time this happened, it took a couple of days.