Montrose residents say water gushed nearly 25 feet in the air for hours: 'Something was wrong'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Montrose neighborhood flooded over the weekend. Neighbors said it wasn't from a storm, but from a water leak.

People in the area said they noticed a small leak Sunday morning, but they claimed it got dramatically worse as the day went on.

ABC13 obtained video taken from neighbors that showed water shooting up nearly 25 feet in the air.

"I could hear water running, and the sidewalk was full of dirt. So I knew that something was wrong," neighbor Ken Turnbull said.

Turnbull said the leak didn't start out that way. He said he saw a much smaller leak on Sunday morning and called 311. He said someone came within two to three hours.

"I was really amazed that someone actually came out from the water department and responded to my 311 notice," Turnbull said.

But Turnbull said the situation got worse after the person left.

"I got a response on my 311 call that they're doing something about it," Turnbull said. "Meanwhile, that's when this whole thing just let go."

Neighbors said they repeatedly called 311, but they claimed no one came until around 8 a.m. Monday morning.

"It ran all night, and my wife said, 'Sounds like a waterfall,'" Turnbull said.

This is not an isolated incident. According to 311 data, water leaks are the top service request in the city. Houston Public Works crews responded to more than 2,400 water leaks in the last four weeks, according to online data.

Houston Public Works did not have an estimated time for repairs on this project or an explanation of what caused it.