My street in Ohio City had a massive water main break last Thursday

It happened around 10 AM and the city crew didn't get the water shut off for almost two hours. My basement got about 4 inches of water before I could move everything off the floor. The worst part was the boil advisory that lasted for 48 hours, which meant no showers and buying tons of bottled water. It really showed how old the infrastructure is in some of these neighborhoods. Has anyone else in an older area dealt with something like this and have tips for next time?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jennifer2mo ago

Ugh, that sounds like a total nightmare... four inches is a lot to deal with. It really does highlight how bad the pipes are getting. A friend in Tremont went through the same thing and ended up getting a water alarm for the basement floor, the kind that screams when it gets wet. It won't stop the break but it gives you a head start to move stuff. Maybe even keeping plastic bins on the bottom shelves for important things could help next time. The boil orders are the worst part though, you're totally right about that.

parker1832mo ago

My old apartment in Lakewood had a pipe burst and I was using a dustpan to bail water out of the closet, it was so bad lol. That water alarm idea from @the_jennifer is actually pretty smart, wish I had that back then.

spencer82mo ago

Actually, those alarms are usually for detecting leaks before they cause a flood, not after a pipe bursts. Still a good idea though.