Update: 4:35 p.m. Water should resume flowing to south Berkeley residents around 5 p.m., according to a spokesman for EBMUD.
The problem started around 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 3. EBMUD crews went to fix a broken main in an area that has “redundancy,” said spokesman Charles Hardy. Crews shut down a 16-inch pipe only to find the problem was in a nearby 30-inch pipe, he said. EBMUD expects to put the 16-inch pipe back in service by 5 p.m., which should restore the water flow.
Original story: A 30-inch pipe on Claremont Avenue behind the Claremont Resort and Spa broke this morning and has caused a drop in water pressure in many homes and businesses in south Berkeley and north Oakland, according to residents and officials.
Charles Hardy, a spokesman for the East Bay Municipal Utility District, said late Thursday afternoon he was not sure the extent of the problem or when it would be fixed. Hardy thought he should have some more information soon.
“We know we have an issue over there,” he said. “We are working on it.”
Crews started to work on the broken water main Thursday morning but apparently found more damage then expected when they got underground, said Hardy.
One Berkeleyside reader said there was no water at all in the 1000 block of Shattuck Avenue. Another said there was little to no pressure on Hillcrest Road.
Berkeleyside will update the story when there is more information.
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