Ruptured water main repaired after break pours water into Norristown streets

NORRISTOWN, Pa. - An underground water main ruptured Monday morning in Norristown, causing water to gush onto streets amid freezing temperatures.

The break happened at West Penn and Cherry streets and the region’s privately owned water utility, Pennsylvania American Water, says it was alerted to the break at 3:15 a.m. 

Water that fed into the ruptured main was shut off around 6:30 a.m. to stop the bubbling stream that inundated the street. American Water says it doesn't have an official cause, but the cold weather is a likely culprit.

Kara Rahn, Pennsylvania American Water, said, "Water created ice, which created some complications for traffic. So we hired salt crews to go out and get some of the water that was forming, the ice that was forming."

Crews from American Water are addressing the water main break by using a backhoe to dig down to the ruptured pipe.

FOX 29's Jeff Cole reports over 260 people were impacted by the break, which forced the closure of the local courthouse and surrounding businesses.

American Water said water was restored by 6:30 Monday evening, and will pay for cleanup in homes where water leaked into the basement.