Water main breaks near Campus Martius Park

Break floods streets and nearby buildings off Woodward Avenue

DETROIT – It seems like almost every day there's a water main break somewhere in Detroit.

Tuesday morning was no different.

A security guard noticed the water shooting out of the ground in several spots at 3 a.m. on downtown streets near Campus Martius Park because of an 8-inch break.

The pressure was so strong that it lifted a portion of the sidewalk.

The break left Woodward Avenue between Congress and Cadillac Square flooded. Crews have cleaned up the mess.

The water also seeped into the basements of nearby buildings, including the First National building.

"When you get a break, the water rises until it finds the weakest voids above ground, and that's why you see the water coming out in multiple areas," said Darryl Latimer, deputy director of the Detroit Water and Sewage Department.

It took several hours for crews to find the valves to shut off the water to main.

It didn't affect water service at the Woodward Coney Island, but it did stop their regulars from coming in because crews had blocked off the road.

"It's very slow, very, very slow," said waitress Shari Turner. "People are calling orders in and they can't come out the building to get the food."