The Philadelphia Water Department says a 48-inch transmission main broke in the area of Sansom and Juniper streets around 4 a.m. Streets in the area looked like raging rivers as water gushed through the area.
Crews worked for hours to shut off valves and stopped the flow of water. The Philadelphia Water Department announced the main was shut down around 7:40 a.m.
Action Cam video of water main break in Center City
Officials say it took a lot of work to get it done.
"Each one takes a few hundred turns, a couple of people need to be operating on it," said John DiGiulio of the Philadelphia Water Department.
Chopper 6 over water main break in Center City
DiGiulio said it is too early to determine the cause of the break.
However, he said it's possible the extreme heat could be partly to blame. He said customers could be using more water than usual, putting stress on the main.
It will be days before it is all cleaned up, DiGiulio said.
That gushing water has left behind a muddy mess and damaged streets. The city says the following streets will be closed until further notice:
-Sansom from Broad to 12th
-Juniper from Chestnut to Locust
-13th from Locust to Chestnut
-12th from Chestnut to Locust
-Walnut from 11th to Broad
Major water main break in Center City Philadelphia
Commuters are urged to avoid the area and find alternate routes.
SEPTA has several bus detours in the area of the break.
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Major water main break in Center City
Center City streets flooded after water main break