HOUSTON — A gaping hole in the ground has been filled following a water leak in west Houston on Tuesday. Neighbors told KHOU 11 News that their water has been finally turned back on.
Video taken Tuesday showed water shooting from the leak under the sidewalk near the intersection of Bellaire and Synott. A resident told KHOU 11 that it started as a small leak that went on for about a week. Then, on Tuesday, it became a major issue, shooting water high into the air.
The water appeared to be coming from a broken pipe. Workers showed up to try to put a cap on the leak. It's unclear how the leak started.
The water was turned off for the entire neighborhood so crews could figure out how to fix the problem.
Jackie Kerswich said she had been calling the city about the leaky pipe on the sidewalk outside of her townhome for about a week. She said she called 311, but no one ever came to check on it.
"The street was full of water. It was like a river," she said.
The leak created a stream of water that flowed down the street for the last few days. Kerswich said she and other neighbors had to avoid the water when they left their homes.
Then, things got worse.
Kerswich said she heard a loud noise outside Tuesday morning. When she looked out to see what was happening, she saw the water shooting in the air. That's when she said she called 311 again. She also said she called the property management company.
When neither of those options worked, she called KHOU 11 News.
"Thank you guys so much. Because nobody was doing anything. Not the maintenance company that handles this, not the 311, nobody. You guys did it. Thank you," Kerswich said.
Kerswich said she was told her water should be back on Wednesday morning.
Houston Public Works said they received the first request for service on Tuesday. It’s unclear what happened with Kerswick previous calls to 311.