Water main bursts in front of home, “It does look like a volcano happened here”
KCNC
By Tori Mason
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Colorado (KCNC) — A quiet street in Colorado filled with water Friday, after a 12-inch water main burst, blasting water more than 40 feet into the air.
Ronald Wright has lived on Easter Avenue in Centennial for 45 years, and said he’s never seen anything like it. He had just dropped his son off at work when he stumbled upon the scene.
“I came around that corner and it looked like Old Faithful in front of my house,” Wright said. “It was about 45 feet in the air, and I didn’t know what was going on. Of course, I couldn’t get in my driveway.”
He immediately called 911.
Even the utility crew was stunned by the scale of the geyser.
“The guy from the water department, he’s been there 35 years. He’s never seen anything this serious or this big,” Wright said.
The eruption forced water, rocks, and debris down the street. Wright’s home took the brunt of it.
The pressure was so strong that it exploded through the pavement, leaving a massive hole and chunks of pavement in his driveway. His mailbox is buried in a crater.
“It does look like a volcano happened here,” Wright said. “You see all these rocks around here, looks like lava rocks. Getting hit by one of these wouldn’t feel so good!”
Luckily, no one was injured.
The break came from an aging main. Wright said he was told the pipe would need to be replaced. Crews also told him the utility would take responsibility for the cleanup and any damage.
“I just had a new roof put on, and I’m hoping it’s okay, because it was not cheap,” he laughed. Some water made its way to his basement and garage.
The street was closed, and homes were without water for six to eight hours.
Despite the disruption, Wright kept his sense of humor.
“Things happen, you know? It’s just luck. It’s not good, bad luck, but it’s the way it is,” he said. “I guess I won’t be getting mail for a while, though.”
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