Neighbors Outraged, Seven Courts Water Main Break Freezing Over

UPDATE (7:30 p.m.)—Dozens of homeowners on Hapsburg Court in the Seven Courts neighborhood are likely to lose water service Tuesday night as crews work to repair a gushing water main break.

But some residents shared an even greater concern: that their neighborhood will be covered in a sheet of ice by Wednesday morning.  

As of 6:30 p.m., some portions of the neighborhood had already become icy. As a policy, during a water main break handled by the Baltimore City Department of Public Works, the department sends salt trucks to help reduce ice on the roadway. This situation differs in that the break occurred on property managed by a homeowners association, according to PlumbCrazy foreman Dave Minnick, whose company was called in by the homeowners association to fix the break. 

"We'll start digging on it tonight, but I don't make any guarantees on when it's done," said Minnick. 

The break first started gushing water shortly before 3 p.m., according to resident Linda Fay. It not only caused frustration for Hapsburg Court residents, but also slowed traffic on Seven Courts Drive. 

"I went out here and saw it gushing. Then I saw men down there and assumed they were taking care of it. Then time kept passing and passing. A cop came out at the corner and lit flares, maybe around 5 p.m., but then he left. This has been going on for over three hours," Linda Fay said. 

Her husband Dennis Fay added, "It shouldn't be that hard to turn the water main off. We'll be playing hockey out there in the morning. I'm surprised there's not a police officer out there now." 

Resident Beth Bory also said she's worried about her children safey reaching their bus in the morning. 

"My children stand in the corner at the end of the court for their bus. There's a huge puddle there and it's probably going to ice over," Bory said. "It's dangerous already to stand on that corner, so I can only imagine how dangerous it's going to be in the morning when it's a sheet of ice. 

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UPDATE (5:30 p.m.)—Gushing water, likely caused by a water main break, near Hapsburg Court between Perry Hall and Parkville, remains under investigation by the Baltimore City Department of Public Works, a city official confirmed Tuesday evening. 

The report was called in at about 3 p.m. Tuesday, one of several breaks and leaks reported as temperatures dropped below freezing. As of 5:30 p.m., repairs had not yet began, an official said. 

No further information on the break was available Tuesday evening. 

As a policy, during cold weather, the department sends salt trucks to areas with gushing water. 

Check Patch for updates.