Here comes the water. Thousands of gallons of brown, muddy water came rushing across a south St. Louis street, Donovan just south of Chippewa, after a water main break.
The city is advising residents of Bevo Mill, Boulevard Heights, Carondolet, Dutchtown, Holly Hills, Mount Pleasant and Lindenwood Park to boil water for drinking or cooking. The advisory is expected to remain in effect at least through much of Saturday, and possibly into Sunday.
Donna Cox works at LeGrand's Market, where the water was at her front curb.
"It's making us very nervous right now. It's a little too close for comfort," she says, adding, "We are keeping an eye on the basement."
A spokesperson for the Mayor showed up, using the occasion to lobby for passage of a water rate hike before the Board of Aldermen.
The average residential customer would pay another $120 a year under the plan, which backers say is needed to fix aging pipes. They site more than 60 water main breaks in the city since October of last year.