Water Main Break On Route 9

Shortly after noon on Wednesday, July 21, calls began pouring in to the Wellesley Police Communications Center reporting a "geyser" on Route 9 eastbound near Cedar Street.  Within the space of 30 seconds, three callers reported to Dispatchers Kathy Connors and Sarah Walsh that Route 9 was flooding near Cedar Street.  Flooding on Route 9 is certainly not unusual during large rainstorms, but on a clear, sunny day, the dispatchers knew from experience it was probably a water main break.

Officer John Kane was dispatched to investigate the situation, and when he arrived on scene, things did not look good.  Officer Kane found a section of the break down lane and right lane were completely covered in over two feet of water.  Even worse, Officer Kane immediately noticed that the road had already buckled, and pavement had been dislodged.  The flooding was also spreading rapidly and was now covering the passing lane as well.  Officer Kane blocked the already flooded right travel lane with his cruiser and began directing traffic around the small, but growing lake.

Officer Janet Popovski and Officer Mark Carrasquillo were dispatched to the scene to assist with traffic, which immediately began to back up.  The amount of water was so great that Officer Kane was unable to even determine where the exact location of the break was..  Officer Kane  consulted with the sergeant, and they both began making plans to shut Route 9 east down as the left lane started to get deeper.

Members of the Wellesley Water Department arrived on the scene and began trying to isolate and shut the leak down.  After consulting some maps, they were able to locate the water shut off valves (both which were completely submerged at this point) and were able to stem the tide.

Once the water was stopped, the water slowly receded, and the damage became visible.  A large, 7 foot deep hole emerged where the sidewalk and break down lane once had been located.  The Water Department, Municipal Light Plant (MLP) and the Department of Public Works combined efforts to swiftly repair the major break.  Meanwhile, some companies east of the water main break noticed a significant decrease in water pressure, and began closing early.  However, after some quick work by the Water Department, the normal water pressure returned. 

As a precaution, the Water Department issued a temporary emergency order prohibiting outside watering until the main could be fixed.  Officer Christopher Fritts sent out a City Watch notification of the incident, and a Nixle Community Notification was also sent out regarding the traffic and the lowered water pressure.

As of 6:30 PM, crews were still working to repair the damaged main.  Estimates from the scene indicate that the leak should be fixed prior to 10 PM, and both lanes on Route 9 east will be re-opened.  The leak should not affect the morning commute.

For additional photos of the incident, please check www.wellesleypdphoto.com or CLICK HERE