A water main break flooded a street in Burbank Friday, damaging a vehicle and disrupting water flow to area utility customers while causing large holes in the pavement.
Police were notified of the break at West Clark Avenue and North Whitnall Highway at 1:10 a.m. Friday, a Burbank Police Department watch sergeant said.
A spokesman for Burbank Water and Power said crews responded about 2:30 a.m. to the break, which occurred in the 3600 block of West Clark Street and affected 52 customer accounts..
“Burbank Water and Power crews are on site and have secured the leak,” the utility’s Armand Canyon said in an email to City News Service.
The water remained safe to drink for affected customers who were experiencing reduced flow, he said.
“A parked vehicle was also affected when water from the break eroded soil beneath the pavement, causing the vehicle to become partially submerged,” he said.
Crews removed the vehicle and began making repairs, which were ongoing as of late morning, but were expected to be completed with the installation of a new pipe and valve by early afternoon, Canyon said.
Video from the scene showed crews were pumping water from a hole that opened up around the break onto the street, where it flowed into storm drains.
The areas affected include the 600 and 700 blocks of Whitnall Highway, the 3400 and 3600 block of Clark Avenue and the 3200 and 3300 blocks of West Verdugo Avenue, Clark said.
The cause of the break remains under investigation, he said, adding that “the pavement damage and exposed trench do not constitute a sinkhole; the condition is the result of high-pressure water eroding the underlying soil.”