Untended water main break has some residents reaching boiling point

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- At first glance it looks like a water park you could take your kids to, but what's happening on Albin and Pembridge is far from Splashtown.

"It's very dangerous," says one neighbor.

It's a summer scene they say they never asked for.

Ida Abodi says, "It's a lot of water."

The city water main break has been a block-long bubbling brook for as many as three days. The curbs are crumbling, water is carving through the pavement and the center of the street is separating amidst the gushing water.

"The street is actually cracking," says a neighbor.

Residents got together and called the city. Part of the problem is that water main breaks spike in the summer. As temperatures rise, so do the calls for service.

With 7,000 miles of pipes in the city, officials say there is a waiting list of between 200 and 250 minor water main breaks at any given time while public works teams dive into the real gushers.

The city tells Eyewitness News they are aware of the bubbling block and will start work on it Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning, the city said crews are on their way and that they're going to try to minimize disruptions to residents, saying when the water is shut off, it should take no more than four hours. The city wants people to know that breaks range in priority, and even though, they say, this one may look bad, it's really not that bad in the scheme of things.

But the folks here are tired of waiting.

One resident says, "I think this is something they may want to be attentive to. So come on city of Houston, do your thing!"

A public works spokesman told us if there is an "Old Faithful" water main break in your neighborhood, make lemonade our of lemons. They suggest using a pump to suck up the water and water your lawn. Our news crew also saw a woman use the water leak as a quick makeshift car wash.

But not everyone on the street is in the mood to make a splash.

One neighbor adds, "I'm about to back up, I'm scared of water."