Water main break affects several homes, businesses, and government building in Elizabeth

ELIZABETH BOROUGH (KDKA) – Pennsylvania American Water Company said a 70-year-old, 12-inch water main broke and caused flooding for several customers in Elizabeth Borough. 

The 12-inch water main broke, while most people were sleeping early Friday morning.

Crews were able to repair the leak, but it again burst in the same place later in the afternoon.

Water flowed onto Second Avenue and into basements of homes, businesses, and the Elizabeth Borough building.

Chief Chad Rager of the Elizabeth Borough Volunteer Fire Company said they went door to door to get people out of their homes.

“We just checked the whole area out, made sure everybody was safe and started beating on doors, getting everybody up, we got a lot of damage in the basements, nothing in the first floors,” said Chief Rager.

Gary Lobaugh with Pennsylvania American Water said 12 customers, residential and commercial, were flooded as a result and their restoration contractor was on-site assisting with customer cleanup. Lobaugh said there were 20 customers without service.

“When he came the water was already on my steps and so we walked outside, and the water is up to my steps on my porch,” said Robin Schmidt, a resident.

The basement in the Elizabeth Borough building also flooded.

Elizabeth Borough Police Chief Bill Sombo showed us a bunch of their criminal records, which ended up submerged in water. He said they’ll likely call in State Police and Allegheny County Police to help verify the damaged records. Some borough paperwork got ruined as well. Not to mention all the stuff people lost in their own basements.

“It’s not coming through my front door, but my basement, and everything is flooded and gone in my basement,” Schmidt said.

Meantime, a water buffalo was set up near the borough building, as crews worked to restore service.