UPDATE: Water Main Break Repairs at Seven Courts and Hapsburg Completed
Water system problems have plagued this area since October and may have contributed to at least two recent car accidents.
UPDATE (3:40 p.m.)—The Baltimore City Department of Public Works completed repairs to an 8-inch water main break and valve leak on Seven Courts Drive near Hapsburg Court Tuesday afternoon.
At around 1 p.m., workers shut down water in the area, leaving 200 homes and Seven Oaks Elementary School out of water service, said Kurt Kocher, a spokesman for Baltimore City Public Works. Service was returned after 3:30 p.m.
Principal Carol Wingard confirmed that the school was out of water for a "short time" during the school day.
"It's no inconvenience and it hasn't been an issue," said Wingard.
This area has hosted a series of water system problems since October and may have contributed to at least two recent car accidents.
On Oct. 20, another 8-inch water main broke. It also caused local water outages during repairs. At the beginning of January, a leaking valve left a portion of Seven Courts Drive almost perpetually glazed in a thin layer of water.
The latest water main break occurred on the morning of Thursday, Jan. 20.
Two recent car accidents have been associated with the area's water problems. On Monday, Jan. 24, at about 6 p.m., a Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla collided after slipping on icy pavement, said Parkville police precinct officials.
Some minor personal injuries were caused and both cars were towed.
On Monday, Jan. 3, at about 7 a.m., a vehicle collided with an outdoor Comcast cable box in the same area, police said. The accident caused a widespread temporary cable outage.
"Road conditions are always a concern. That is why we try to keep those areas well salted," said Kocher. "But when temperatures get that cold, we can still get ice."
Baltimore County has recently been bombarded with water main breaks, he said. Three larger breaks in the Parkville area were just recently repaired.
These problems may be related to a possible pressure valve problem at a local pumping station, said Kocher. Engineers and facility maintenance professionals, as well as Baltimore City and Baltimore County government officials, are working to fix the problem, he said.
