Ruptured water main unleashes "raging river" in Ravenna

A rupture in a 12-inch water main sent a "raging river" through a Seattle neighborhood on Tuesday, flooding several homes and basements.

At least eight homes and basements in the Ravenna neighborhood were flooded by the 800,000 gallons of water that spilled from the broken water main just before 1 p.m. The water coursed through several streets, leaving behind a layer of sand and dirt.

"It was just like a raging river," said Marilyn Potts, who watched in amazement as a channel was carved through her yard. "It cut through the dirt and poured down the sidewalks."

The ruptured pipe was about 6 feet beneath Ravenna Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 77th and Northeast 80th streets.

The break disrupted water service to about 200 homes once crews from Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) shut off the flow about an hour after the pipe burst. Service was soon restored to 150 homes, but about 50 homes remained without water as crews worked into the evening Tuesday to expose and repair the 68-year-old water main.

The utility company said it was hoping to have the pipe repaired and the water supply completely restored by early this morning.

No injuries were reported.

SPU did not immediately know what caused the cast-iron pipe to rupture.

Long stretches of pipe in the city's 1,800-mile water system are between 50 and 100 years old. On average, SPU replaces two to three miles of cast-iron drinking-water pipe a year.

However, city officials said the pipe was not slated for replacement. They don't believe the age of the pipe was a factor in the break.

Potts, whose basement was flooded with waist-high water, said she was not overly concerned about potential property damage.

"It's probably a lot of things I'd forgotten I had," said Potts, who lives on Northeast 77th Street.

Others scrambled to save items of value from the muck and standing water.

Joe Mickelson, SPU's water-operations director, said Seattle's water system is considered good or "really tight," but breaks in water mains are not uncommon. SPU typically repairs eight ruptured pipes a month, he said, which is low compared to many other cities of similar size.

Still, he said, Tuesday's breach was considerable.

"This was a big break," he said. "We call this kind of break a 'complete failure.' "

The most spectacular break in recent memory occurred in May 2007, when a 90-year-old cast-iron water main ruptured beneath University Bridge, flooding a street and washing two cars into a sinkhole.

That pipe had been scheduled to be replaced when it ruptured, according to city officials.

Seattle began installing cast-iron pipes in the early 1900s, and they were expected to last about 100 to 150 years, city officials have said. Mickelson said crews would likely cut out the broken piece of pipe, put a new piece in and cap it with two sleeves.

According to SPU spokesman Andy Ryan, residents will be able to file damage claims with the city after the damage is assessed and reviewed by the city's insurance provider.

After Tuesday's rupture, Seattle Fire Department crews pumped water from flooded basements and Puget Sound Energy crews swept sand and dirt into drain holes. Meanwhile, workers with the city's drainage and wastewater system stood by waiting to pump the sand and dirt from the city's storm-drainage system.

Information from Seattle Times archives and staff reporter Emily Heffter is included in this report.