Water main break outside New Utrecht High School causes headaches

September 7, 2018 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Signs warn drivers to stay off of 80th Street between 17th and 16th avenues on Sept. 6 as repairs crews dealt with a water main break on the street. Eagle photo by Paula Katinas

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A 95-year-old water main in Bensonhurst ruptured on the night of Sept. 5, leaving dozens of local residents without water for several hours, according to city officials, who said the accident took place on the street outside New Utrecht High School at 1601 80th St.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was called to the scene and immediately started making repairs.

By the afternoon of Sept. 6, the repairs were still underway. Vehicular traffic was being detoured away from the block.

Water service had been restored to New Utrecht High School, but approximately 50 residents living in nearby homes were still without water as of 2 p.m., a DEP spokesperson told the Brooklyn Eagle in an email.

The agency was anticipating “completing repairs and restoring water service to all shortly,” the spokesperson wrote in the email.

Councilmember Justin Brannan, who represents the area, rushed to the scene of the water main break on Wednesday night. He wrote on Twitter that a construction crew working on a nearby project might have accidentally ripped the water pipe while digging underground.

The DEP spokesperson confirmed Brannan’s analysis.

The water main dates back to 1923, according to Brannan (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-parts of Bensonhurst), who wrote that an entire section of the pipe had to be removed by DEP so that it could be replaced.

“Hoping this block will have their water turned back on very soon,” Brannan tweeted.