St. Louis Park Neighborhood Suffers Second Water Main Break In 2 Weeks

ST. LOUIS PARK, MN — For the second time in two weeks, the city of St. Louis Park and a number of residents are dealing with the fallout of a water main break. Both incidents occurred in the same neighborhood.

According to the city, shortly after 11:30 p.m. last Friday, a pipe broke that was located on Minnetonka Boulevard between Texas Avenue and Sumpter Avenue. The city said it shut off the water by midnight, and that repairs began on the water main on Saturday.

However, the break did result in flooding in several basements, some of them basements that also had flooded during another water main break on May 21, according to the Star Tribune.

The city said it still was trying to determine how many homes were damaged in the second break, and if the same pipe burst twice in the same spot, or in a nearby spot.

"It's unimaginable that we're back here today talking about ... two water breaks on the same section of pipe," St. Louis Park City Manager Kim Keller told the Star Tribune.

The water main break last month flooded 55 homes in the Texa-Tonka neighborhood, some with up to 3 feet of water, the Star Tribune reported.

According to the Star Tribune, that break took place at around 5 a.m., but the city did not shut off the water until 7 a.m., and residents said water continued to fill basements for hours.

After the first pipe rupture, the St. Louis Park City Council approved $300,000 in aid for residents who needed help with cleanup costs.

On Monday, the city council approved a $4 million financial relief package for residents hit by the water main breaks, with property owners affected by both breaks eligible to receive up to $120,000.

According to the city, relief funding of up to $40,000 per home will come from the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT), which is the city's insurer. The city also is offering $60,000 per home to reimburse those who were affected by the first water main break, and $80,000 for those affected by both breaks.

The Star Tribune reported that the package approved by the council includes $3 million that the city received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and $1 million from general funds.

The city said a neighborhood meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Lenox Community Center, 6715 Minnetonka Blvd., where information will be provided to neighborhood residents about the LMCIT claim process, the city financial reimbursement program and other items.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated in a photo caption that residents in a Minnetonka neighborhood were cleaning up and assessing damage after a water main break. The water main break actually happened on Minnetonka Boulevard in St. Louis Park.