Burst water main in Sydney prompts evacuation of 50 people, damages 100 homes

SYDNEY (Australia): A burst water main in western Sydney has released a million litres of water which damaged many houses.

Emergency services were called out to Bringelly Road and Jamison Roads in Kingswood about 7:15am on Saturday after a water pipe burst, bringing up a large section of the road.

Water has flowed for several blocks, causing major damage to the street and more than 100 homes.

Fire and Rescue NSW said more than 50 people had to be evacuated or rescued from their homes, including children, people with disabilities and elderly residents.

Two people were taken to hospital for treatment of pre-existing conditions.   Sydney Water said it was isolating the water main break and returned water supply to most of the affected properties in the area but some homes would be receiving “alternate water supply” until the pipe was restored.

It was unsure of the cause of the breakage and couldn’t offer any of their customers an estimated date as to when those repairs would be complete.

Periods of prolonged hot and dry weather, like what Sydney has been experiencing in the past week, were known to cause pipe expansion and joint movement.

“It’s too early to tell what caused the break,” a Sydney Water spokesperson said.

“Safety is our number one priority and our crews were on-site quickly.

“Once our crews have isolated the break they will start urgent repairs.”

Earlier, there were reports the water could have flushed into the sewerage pipes inside residents’ homes, prompting fears hazardous waste made its way into the flood waters.