Although its magnitude was less than that of the Jerome Avenue water pipe burst back in July, Morris Park got itself a fair share of water troubles.
On Thursday, November 3, businesses on Morris Park Avenue between Holland Avenue and White Plains Road had to endure a major water main break.
Around 11:03 a.m., an 82-year old, 20-inch pipe under Domino’s Pizza at 738 Morris Park Avenue exploded, forcing thousands of gallons of water down the street and leaving approximately 260 residents without water, as well as 18 retail stores.
Con Edison, the city Department of Environmental Protection, FDNY and NYPD, all raced to the scene to stem the damage. The pipe was capped by 12:10 p.m.
According to DEP borough manager John Annunziata, the cause of the break has not been determined, however he acknowledged that the age of the pipe, which was installed in 1929, could have been a factor.
“Fortunately, we were able to have the water flow stopped quickly. Our crews raced to the scene as fast as possible,” Annunziata said. “We will have to assess the cause, but sometimes this happens when a pipe is so old.”
Most businesses did not lose water and continued to operate while DEP and Con Edison worked to patch up the street. However, other business complained about brown-colored water coming from their faucets, while a few did not have water problems at all.
An employee at Domino’s Pizza said many people rushed up Morris Park Avenue to move their cars as soon as the water began to flow down the street. According to Domino’s general manager Zakir Shafi, operations at the pizzeria were shut down through the afternoon.
“We have no water and we cannot make any pizza at all. As soon as the pipe broke our business stopped,” Shafi said. “We hope this can be repaired as soon as possible.”
Morris Park Avenue was closed to traffic for much of the afternoon and evening as crews worked tirelessly to make necessary repairs. Water was fully restored by the following morning.
Many local business owners believe that aging pipes throughout the city must be monitored frequently, but some were impressed with DEP and Con Edison’s timely response and work at the scene.
“I can’t speak for everyone, but I never lost any water,” said the owner of a nearby laundromat. “As soon as that pipe exploded, the agencies acted very quickly and we should be happy for that.”
Reach Vito Signorile via e-mail at vsignorile@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 742-3383.
