2nd water main break in 7 days causes Vestavia Hills street closure, neighbor says
VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. — UPDATE 10:00 P.M. : A huge repair project is underway in Vestavia Hills after a water main break.
What ABC 33/40 learned is that this is becoming a common occurrence on the street
People living on Vestaview Lane in Vestavia have been dealing with an ununusual predicament on their road: a water main break caused by a work truck that caved right into the middle of the pavement.
For more than twelve hours a long stretch of the road has been shut off to traffic.
What's even more startling, is a neighbor on Vestaview says this is the second water main break in less than seven days.
Earlier in the day, ABC 33/40 confirmed with Birmingham Water Works Spokesperson Rick Jackson who says aging infrastructure is the issue.
He says the 12-inch-cast iron pipe is likely more than 100 years old.
While people in the neighborhood told ABC 33/40 they didn't lose water during the day, an on-site engineer says the split has been there for awhile.
Which more raises questions about how soon another rupture below the asphalt will occur.
Jackson told us the chances for more water main breaks to happen across the area are high.
He says Jefferson County roads are susceptible to water main breaks all the time.
With old pipes underneath the ground and if there is constant rain throughout the summer, don't be surprised if it happens in your neighborhood.
The Vestavia Hills Fire Department says a water main break has resulted in a street closure.
In a Facebook post, the department says Vestaview Lane between Columbiana Road and Beverly Hills Drive is expected to be closed for a significant amount of time.
