‘Weak points’ cause six water main breaks in east Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Colorado Springs Utilities are working to fix six major water main breaks in East Colorado Springs.

A gaping hole remains in the middle of a busy roadway as crews continue to work on a pair of significant water mains break Thursday morning.

It happened around five this morning, causing major flooding, traffic backups, and water outages for many.

A gaping hole is in the middle of a busy road as Utilities works to fix the damage as quickly as possible.

Earlier Thursday morning, a geyser of water was pouring out into the street on North Academy near Palmer Park Boulevard. Utilities told 11 News that water should be restored by six Thursday evening.

The most recent water main break happened around three in the afternoon on Thursday along S Academy Boulevard near the intersection of Shelly Avenue. Lanes of S Academy were closed for several hours, but reopened around 8:45 p.m. Utilities says the break was caused by a contractor working in the area.

The six main water breaks are on South Academy Boulevard, Sherman, Edith Lane and Marion Drive, Academy Boulevard, and La Salle Street.

Colorado Springs Utilities said the cause of the first five water main breaks were due to the failure of a pressure regulator valve.

“That failed today, and the resulting high water pressure that flows downstream from there found some weak points in an area of North Academy just north of Uintah, and those weak points subsequently then cause some breaks in the system,” Spokesperson for Colorado Springs Utilities, Jennifer Jordan said.

Utilities also recommended driving with extra caution and patience when passing through these streets.

“We would request that everyone please slow down in the area and be mindful of our crews that are at work and keep their safety in mind as they work to complete these repairs,” Jordan said.

According to Colorado Springs Utilities, the water outage impacted approximately 56 residents and ten businesses. While water service has been restored, Utilities said there may be some discoloration, but that it is safe to drink.

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