'Spectacular' water main burst set to shut road until next week

ENGINEERS are working to repair a burst water main which has led to flooding in a Hull park.

Millions of gallons of water escaped in a spectacular fashion when the 22-inch pipe gave way under Walton Street on Tuesday night. A passing policeman said he thought he was approaching a speed bump – only to realise that the road was lifting under the huge pressure of water.

People attending church and sports classes at the Gemtec Arena in West Park had to be evacuated and an elderly woman living in a bungalow was also moved, as the water crept towards her front door.

Hull Council said no other people had been evacuated.

Yorkshire Water says Walton Street will probably be closed until Monday – although Walton Street Market was taking place as usual yesterday.

The incident involves a cast iron Victorian water main – a slightly larger 25 inch pipe was involved in the burst on Clough Road last June which led to widespread flooding. However YW says the incidents are not connected and the latest burst is a result of the freezing weather, contracting the ground and putting pressure on pipes.

A spokeswoman said: “We apologise to customers for any delays they may be experiencing as a result of a burst on a 22 inch cast iron water main on Walton Street in Hull.

“Over the last few weeks we have experienced an exceptionally high number of bursts, brought about in main by the freezing conditions which have gripped most of the region.

“We operate over 40,000km of underground pipes and, whilst we’re constantly improving and renewing these, extreme conditions like the ones we’re currently facing can cause some pipes to crack and burst.”