One day after a water main broke in San Francisco, one major thoroughfare is still closed because of flooding, though about 14 residents were allowed back in their homes in the city's Visitacion Valley neighborhood to retrieve belongings.
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission spokeswoman Betsy Rhodes said on Wednesday that Sunnydale Avenue remains closed from Peabody to Delta streets "until further notice."
That closure stems from a gush of water that began spewing Tuesday about 11:15 a.m. on Cora Street at Sunnydale Avenue, when a 42-inch main mysteriously broke.
Several properties were damaged by the water, including Our Lady of the Visitacion School and Church. Damaged properties were red-tagged because emergency vehicles can't safely access their neighborhood for now. Officials, however, allowed residents to return home to get their belongings.
Christie Delacruz popped into her home briefly to get some medication, a change of clothes and a shower. She's hoping to return fully in the near future: "And I hope it's going to be soon because my child has school, I have work, ...we have to continue with life."
Crews still don't know why the pipe ruptured. SFPUC's David Briggs said the break may have been caused by construction in the area, or by a material defect in the pipe. Rhodes said the break is unrelated to a recent sewer construction project performed in another area of Visitacion Valley.
According to the SFPUC, crews will likely take a week to repair the pipe and roads around the flooded area, including a 30-by40-foot sinkhole that buckled under the weight of tens of thousands of gallons of water.
Several properties were damaged by the water, including Our Lady of the Visitacion School and Church. Anyone who suffered damage should call the city attorney's claims division at 415-554-3900.
For those who have general questions about this incident they should contact the SFPUC at 415-554-3289. Information is also posted on the SFPUC website at sfwater.org and we are sending regular status updates on Twitter (@sfwater). Or call 311.
