At Least 40 St. Louis Park Homes Flooded After Water Main Break

ST. LOUIS PARK, MN — The basements of up to 45 houses in St. Louis Park were flooded Saturday morning after a water main broke on Minnetonka Boulevard between Texas and Sumter avenues.

That stretch of Minnetonka Boulevard will remain closed through at least Wednesday, according to Hennepin County.

The break did not affect the local water supply and did not cause any contamination of drinking water, the city said. There was no apparent cause of the break, according to officials. However, the city confirmed it was not connected to the construction of a nearby apartment building.

On May 21 at about 7 a.m., city crews responded to the water main break.

At the scene, crews shut off the water to stop the flow. A 12-inch water main had ruptured and flowed underground through the sanitary sewer, emerging in the basements of nearby homes, officials said.

City crews went door-to-door in the neighborhood to alert residents about the incident. The city estimates between 40 and 45 homes on Quebec, Sumter, and Rhode Island avenues and on Minnetonka Boulevard were affected by the main break.

Two homes were without water service until 5 p.m. Saturday.

“This was a very unfortunate incident and we were very appreciative of the understanding and patience of the affected homeowners," said Jay Hall, City of St. Louis Park Utilities Superintendent.

"We were also very proud of city crews who responded quickly to shut off the water, talk with affected homeowners and repair the break by the end of the day."

The affected homeowners were given claim liability forms to file with the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust to help in the process to repair the damage to their homes.