Sinkhole Swallows SUV After Water Main Break

A water main break in Hoboken, NJ, opened a massive sinkhole in the street this week, swallowing an entire SUV.

“No one was in the vehicle; it had apparently been submerged and workers only noticed it once the water receded,” NBC New York reported.

City officials said the water main was repaired this week, according to NJ Advance Media.

Juan Melli, a city spokesman, explained what happened in the collapse: “Water gushing from a broken 12-inch water main had washed away the soil around the pipe, causing the pavement to give way and sending the Honda into a muddy grave,” the report said.

Hoboken has 20 miles of water mains more than 100 years old, the report said. “It's the second water main break in the city [in February] and the third this year,” NJ Advance Media reported.

Hoboken officials are looking for funding for major upgrades. Reporters “discovered more than a year ago a list of 40 Suez-recommended high-priority repairs, with an estimated cost of $15 million. The city, which owns the pipes, is seeking more revenue that could pay for approximately $20 million worth of work,” NBC New York reported.

The city is negotiating with Suez Water, the city’s utility, on infrastructure funding.

"We were far apart, we're much closer now," Mayor Dawn Zimmer said of talks with Suez, per NBC New York. "And I'm confident we're going to be able to reach an agreement."

Suez repaired the broken main and filled the hole this week, city officials said per NJ Advance Media. The company will cover the cost of roadwork, officials added.

A broken water main caused a street to collapse in Philadelphia this year, as well, according to Fox 29. The wreckage swallowed a car and an SUV and left 20 homes without power and heat. Philadelphia Water Department officials said a sewer line eroded and sprung a leak, causing the ground to shift, which broke the water main, the report said. The hole was “30 foot-by-10-foot,” the Associated Press reported.

Crumbling infrastructure is a top concern for water utilities and water regulators. According to a report by the American Water Work Association, “restoring existing water systems as they reach the end of their useful lives and expanding them to serve a growing population will cost at least $1 trillion over the next 25 years, if we are to maintain current levels of water service.”

To read more about broken water mains visit Water Online’s Solutions And Insight For Water Loss Prevention.