SPANISH FORK, Utah — Exactly one week after a burst water pipe caused a massive sinkhole to open up on a street in Spanish Fork, another one occurred Friday in the same area and flooded several homes.
Around 2 p.m., a contractor working on a "traffic project" punctured a secondary (irrigation) water line at the intersection of 800 East and Center Street. Spanish Fork City said thousands of gallons of pressurized water came up from under the road. Seven houses were flooded, and three others had "minor water damage."
“I talked to the neighbor who lives there,” said Scott Vance, who lives across the street, “He's renting the basement apartment. He said it filled up to their ceiling. So I'm assuming they've lost everything.”
Spanish Fork City spokesman Nick Porter said crews responded rapidly, but the water still took time to stop flowing.
“We were able to shut off the water to the system upstream, but it's a pressurized system,” Porter said, “So it takes a minute to shut off, and we were able to empty the whole out of water and get the repair made.”
The street is patched up now, but 10 families were impacted by the water. Porter said three families are displaced, one from the water and two from utility damage.
Some, like Vance, were impacted by a totally separate drinking water pipe bursting on its own just last week, which flooded his garage and others.
“It crossed the street and flooded a couple of these houses that got it again today, so they're dealing with it again,” said Vance.
Vance and Porter said neighbors jumped into action with pumps, and tore out carpets and padding.
“This community, unfortunately, for the second time in a week has come together to take care of one another,” said Porter.
Porter said there is no estimate on how long street repairs will take. There is also no telling when the displaced families will be allowed back into their homes.
Disaster relief teams were in the neighborhood well into Friday evening working on pumping water out of the homes and fixing the utility systems.
