Water Main Break In TriBeCa

NEW YORK - Crews continue to work on a 12 inch water main break at West Broadway and Duane St.

Two lanes of West Broadway are now open. Only Duane St. remains closed between West Broadway and Church St. The M20 bus has resumed its normal route. There are no reported subway impacts.

An aging, 12-inch water main broke at around 2:30 a.m. flooding streets and basements.

Residential and commercial buildings were evacuated.  Residents and workers were allowed back inside several hours later.

The water was up to 4 feet deep in some buildings at the height of the flood. It gushed for about three hours, and continued to trickle as workers dug up thestreet.

One building houses some phone company offices. Sandbags were used to protect equipment in the basement as the water was pumped out, said Deputy Fire Chief James Daly.

Most of the buildings affected are five or six stories, with apartments and small businesses.

"Everything is totally ruined," said a devastated-looking Sharon Hershkowitz, who owns a heavily affected building and its ground floor business, Balloon Saloon.

Her damaged inventory included party supplies, balloons and cards. She said she wouldn't be able to deliver orders Friday for several birthday parties and corporate events.

"In these economic hard times, you don't want to lose any customers," she said.

One of her tenants, resident Larry Blasius, awoke around 2:30 a.m. when firefighters pounded on his door.

"I looked out and saw the river of water below," said Blasius, who ended up standing on the street, looking sleepy but resigned.

"I've lived in New York City all my life. You put up with all the inconveniences."

The water main dates was installed in 1870.

"Eventually it's going to go; it can't last forever," Daly said.

After hours of excavation, workers reached the cast iron pipe, about 5 feet under the street. Then they began removing the broken portion so it could be replaced.

Tenants and store owners were also allowed back into the buildings and West Broadway was reopened to
traffic.