This browser does not support the Video element.
Century-old pipes in Detroit leave streets flooded
Crews from Detroit's water department responded to a west side neighborhood where cracked pipes created a mess for residents.
(FOX 2) - An unlucky neighbor in Detroit got some relief Tuesday after her neighborhood's water pipes burst, causing the street to flood.
It meant lost water pressure and a whole mess of inconveniences for her and her neighbors until the city responded with a fix.
Big picture view:
Vanessa McLittle awoke Monday morning to water spewing out from beneath a nearby driveway. The leaks the spread along Greenview on Detroit's west side, worrying both her and her neighbors.
What started out as only a few escalated into a much larger mess.
"Nine leaks from my driveway to two other driveways," she said.
Eventually, she lost all water pressure to her home. She's diabetic and knew she would need help soon. But she wasn't the only one.
"My neighbor - he has cancer and has to go to and from for treatments. But it doesn’t look like we can get anything done," she said.
The original timeline from the city was that they could make it out by Friday. But early on Tuesday, crews were on site getting the water main repaired.
Local perspective:
According to the water department's deputy director, it was the complete loss of water pressure that worried his team.
"There were some reports of no water as opposed to low water pressure. That’s part of the reason that we moved this one up on the priority list," said Sam Smalley.4
According to the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, the pipes were installed in 1916, well after they were expected to last.
The Source: Interviews with residents and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department were used in this story.