Tampa, Fla. (970 WFLA) - A water main break Thursday closed a major road and forced some people from their homes, officials said. The two-foot-diameter pipe burst on Rome Avenue and sent water gushing into the street for more than two hours, according to Tampa Water.
Crews had stopped the water flowing, but the replacement valve failed early Friday, and water started leaking again. Crews continued repair work to replace a 25-30 foot section of the pipe, according to Chuck Weber, Tampa Water's Director. Parts of Rome and Hillsborough Avenues had to be closed.
The main in question went into service in 1954, "but it's still within its useful life," Weber said. He conceded that age can be a factor in a pipe breaking, and that a crack in the pipe could have developed over decades before finally giving way. "We don't know the exact cause," he said. "And we might never be able to determine why that main failed."
A boil water advisory had gone up for homes and businesses between Interstate 275 and Dale Mabry Hwy from Busch Blvd. south to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. that will remain in effect at least through Saturday, according to Weber.