UPDATE: Neighbors Homes Damaged from Water Main Break

UDPATE 9/5/14 @ 5:00 p.m. BELLE, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A few neighbors in Belle were left cleaning up after a water main break poured water into their homes Friday morning.

It's not known just how much water leaked from the water main break in front of 7-Eleven, but West Virginia American Water officials say there was at least four inches of standing water in the parking lot.

The water rushed down an alley and had no where else to go, but into Tony Slack's yard. He says, "We thought it had just really rained hard and then I noticed it was much more than that." He adds, "My house is the low point so all the water went into my property."

Slack says by the time he knew the water main broke, it was almost too late. Electronics stored in his garage were damaged as well as crucial wiring underneath his house. He says he, "went around to the side of my home and noticed everything was submerged in water. The duct work for my air conditioning, my electrical."

He says West Virginia American Water sent crews to clean-up, but it could be a few days before his air conditioning can be turned back on.

This wasn't the first break in the area. "There was another one right there across the street in the banks parking lot and that was two weeks ago," Slack says.

West Virginia American Water officials say the cause is likely due to an old line. The one that ruptured was a ten inch cast iron line.

It took crews the entire afternoon to fix the break. They were forced to dig carefully around gas lines.

During the repair, ten homes were without water, including the Belle Fire Department and 7-Eleven.

Gas station attendants say water did not get into any gas lines and everything was inspected to protocol standards.

Originally posted here:
UPDATE: Neighbors Homes Damaged from Water Main Break