Mrs. Saunders of New York Ave in Brooklyn first contacted Harris Water & Sewer after she became aware that her basement carpet was wet and suspected that her external water main was broken. Mrs Saunders was correct, she did have a broken pipe resulting in a wet carpet, but it was a broken pipe inside her wall. Harris opened the sewer trap to close the house control valve and stop the leak when the field investigator became aware that there was a secondary water main problem.
The external water main was in fact broken and leaking back inside the house (see video above). Luckily for Mrs. Saunders, someone had left the sewer trap cap loose and the leaking water main was leaking in the sewer and out to the street. The son also mentioned that he heard noise coming from the trap and assumed it was from the sewage exiting the house.
Water main leaking into sewer trap
If the sewer trap was not left open, the leaking pipe would have resulted in a real flood of the basement, more than a damp carpet.
Harris obtained all required permits and started to excavate the roadway for the new water main installation the very next day. Due to the extent of the water main leak, Harris was able to obtain a DOT emergency permit reducing the risk of any major flooding problems at the house.
Digging for new water main installation
Four hours later Harris began installing the new copper pipe from one side of Brooklyn Avenue, to inside the house.
New copper is installed
Finally the job is completed leaving steel roadway plates in the roadway, covering all roadway excavations, in anticipation of permanent restoration the very next day.
Roadway plates set
