Water shoots into sky after main bursts

VAN NUYS, Calif. (KABC) -- A 54-inch pipe burst in Van Nuys on Monday, flooding streets and shutting down an intersection.

Crews responded to Van Nuys Boulevard and Sherman Way at about 10:35 a.m. to reports of a water main break.

The ruptured pipe sent a 40-foot geyser shooting up into the air and looked as if a fire hydrant had been sheared off.

No evacuations were ordered, but streets in the area have been shut down.

It took DWP crews about an hour to shut the water off. Officials said crews had to work carefully, shutting off gates around the pipe to prevent a water hammer.

Officials said the pipe is a ductile iron pipe used to move recycled water, and people in the area said the smell has been very difficult.

The rupture did not interrupt regular water service to DWP customers, and no businesses in the area were flooded.

The cause of the water main break is unknown.

The water main break is another headache for the DWP. There were 44 water main breaks in month of September, and normally, there are only 19.

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