Updated at 9:30 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A large sinkhole in West Oak Lane that grew in size overnight due to a water main leak has left about 80 homes without water.
It happened at the intersections of Andrews Avenue and Wister, Middleton, Homer and Rodney streets. The sinkhole had already been there for a couple of months, only a few feet wide. The city had placed concrete barriers in part of the road to block it, allowing most of the intersection to remain open. However, those barriers were swallowed by the sinkhole overnight as it expanded to about 30 feet wide.
Laverne Taylor, who has lived on Rodney Street for 30 years, heard a boom around 3 a.m. A few hours later, her neighbor informed her that the water was shut off.
Neighbors like Taylor said the sinkhole and subsequent water issues have been ongoing since late November.
“This has been going on since Thanksgiving,” she said. “They shut [the water] off, they come back, put it on. Shut it off, come back, start working.”
Joel Bernard, who lives at the corner of Andrews Avenue and Rodney Street, said he’s concerned about how long it will take until the problem is completely resolved.
“You can already see where the street is already cracking too, so it could potentially knock out everything in this whole area,” he said. “Water pressure was bad for the past couple of weeks; like, hardly any pressure. It’s just been an inconvenience, too, with all the traffic. … Hardly can get a parking spot in front of my house.”
Taylor said she’s been drinking water from bottles on and off for about two months. She was back to boiling water again Tuesday morning. She also said there’s a crack in the wall of her living room from all the work the city has done in the neighborhood to address the water issues.
KYW Newsradio has reached out to the Philadelphia Water Department but has not yet heard back. There’s no word on when water service will be restored.
In a statement, the Philadelphia Water Department said it is working to restore water as soon as possible.
“The street at this location was already excavated for ongoing water main and sewer repairs that began in December. Emergency crews barricaded the site for safety, and residents should avoid the excavation. Crews are on site working to inspect the site and make ensure it is safe,” PWD said.
“Repairs will be scheduled to address the leak on the water main and a sewer inspection will determine if additional work is needed. Once all repairs are complete, PWD will work to restore the street as soon as possible.”