Feb. 04--Water that gushed from a leaking six-foot pipeline flooded four homes late Friday night, forcing a dozen residents to evacuate the Warm Springs district, a Fremont fire official said.
No injuries were reported, Battalion Chief Ron McCormick said.
The flooding occurred about 11 p.m., when crews from the Department of Water Resources were performing tests and maintenance on a pipeline that runs underneath the neighborhood next to Interstate 680, McCormick said.
After completing tests, crews started pumping water but instead of flowing through the pipeline, it poured out of a manhole cover onto Wabana Street on which several residences sit below street level, fire officials said.
A portion of a nearby hillside eroded in the rushing water that flooded 15 backyards and four garages, state officials said.
About 10 firefighters, with assistance from police and the city's Department of Public Works, responded to residents' calls and evacuated residents, McCormick said.
"There was water about a foot deep in the street, which was too much for the storm drain to handle," he said. "It was just a mess, really."
Crews shut down the water pumps by 1 a.m. and Wabana Street reopened about 1:30 a.m., fire officials said.
The Department of Water Resources, which controls pipelines and aqueducts from the Central Valley to Santa Clara County, is investigating what caused the massive leak, said David Duval, the state agency's chief
of utility operations.
The leak is not expected to cause any interruptions in water service.
State officials said they were not sure how much water or erosion flooded into the neighborhood, but they hope to determine a figure by Monday.
Each of the displaced residents, who found temporary housing with family or friends, were free to return Saturday afternoon to their homes, fire officials said.
Officials from the Department of Water Resources said they will work with residents to restore their damaged property to its previous condition.
"We have crews going door-to-door around the neighborhood and cleaning streets, yards and residences," Duval said. "We're making sure that the hillside erosion is repaired and stabilized."
Contact Chris De Benedetti at 510-353-7011. Follow him at Twitter.com/CDeBenedetti.
Copyright 2012 - The Argus, Fremont, Calif.
