By Theresa Goffredo and Cathy Logg
Herald Writers
EVERETT — Service was disrupted to about 80 homes Wednesday and View Ridge Elementary School was forced to close for the day when a broken main sent water gushing through the 300 block of 50th Street SW.
The break was discovered about 4:55 a.m. when a resident reported water in the street, said Mark Sadler, Everett public works maintenance supervisor. City workers were on the site within 25 minutes and had to shut off some residents’ water to isolate the break.
View Ridge officials canceled classes because the main supplies the school with water. Water was restored by 8:15 a.m..
The roughly 470 students won’t be required to make up the day at the end of the year, said Gay Campbell, a school district spokeswoman.
Faculty worked through the day on report cards and other projects, using the bathroom of a neighbor who works at the school and drinking bottled water.
About 20 students didn’t hear about the school closure until they arrived. They stayed there until a parent or guardian picked them up.
Service was restored to everyone by about 11:30 a.m.
The 12-inch underground water main carries about 2,000 gallons of water per minute. Water main breaks happen up to 12 times a year, Sadler said.
"Sometimes they’re under pressure, or soils move," Sadler said.
Some residents had flooding in their crawl spaces and one garage was flooded, he said. City crews helped residents get the water out, he said.
A city claims adjuster was due in the neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
You can call Herald Writer Theresa Goffredo at 425-339-3097
or send e-mail to goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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