Feb 10, 2023 3 min read

A water main on Fourth Street in Monongahela broke again Thursday, just three weeks after the same line burst and flooded multiple local businesses.

Witnesses at the scene said workers were on site when the line broke around 2:50 p.m., sending pressurized water two stories high.

“My landlord called me and said I left at the right time,” said flooding victim Dusty Bradshaw, owner of Dusty’s Discounts. “I’d been standing right there because

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BREAK • A8 FROM A1 I like to see what’s going on. He said water shot higher than our building.”

Bradshaw stated that the crew brought the water under control much more quickly than in the previous break and said her store only suffered minimal flooding Thursday.

“It wasn’t as bad this time,” Bradshaw said. “Last time I went in, it was already starting to dry up.”

After bringing the break under control, the crew worked through the evening to repair the damaged line, blocking Fourth Street from traffic. Workers were unable to provide an explanation for the second break.

During the previous break, responding crews had to shut water off by digging out a control box, which had been paved over by PennDOT crews last summer. The delay caused by the obstructed panel allowed water to flood nearby buildings, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage and lost property.

The city rallied around the victims of the first break, which included six local businesses, one opening business and around a dozen tenants in both buildings.

Last week, Historical Society President Laura Magone and fellow volunteers hosted a fundraiser on the corner of Fourth and Main streets, where they hoped to raise $6,000, or $1,000 for each business.

At last notice, the buildings affected by the flooding remain without power, forcing tenants to find temporary housing and businesses to keep their doors closed.

Thursday’s break marks the third time in less than two years that Fourth Street has suffered a water-main break. In 2021, the line broke near Rabe’s Trading Post, and some residents have expressed frustration over the continuing issue.

After the first flood, Zimmer Printing owner and flooding victim Tobias Provan said he understands the difficult work these construction crews deal with.

“I’ve heard people say, ‘They should have fixed it right the first time.’ But these are 100-year-old pipes,” Provan said. “Any time you go in and fix something, you make another weak spot. And any time you shut water off in one place, it increases pressure elsewhere and puts stress on the system. It’s like that in every town around here.”