NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A major line break in Downtown Newport News resulted in a wastewater spill, causing lane closures Monday afternoon.
HRSD says a major waterwaste line broke on 16th Street. Officials say the 36-inch line carries wastewater to the Boat Harbor Treatment Plant and is part of a 2-mile, $16 million pipe replacement Capital Improvement currently underway.
It was spilling in the area of 16th Street between Garden Drive and Walnut Avenue.
With no way to capture and send wastewater flow to the treatment plant, officials say crews completed a connection to the Claremont Pump Station on Chesapeake Avenue to divert wastewater flows away from the homes and businesses along 16th Street and send it into the waterway until the repair can be completed. Due to this, the Virginia Department of Health has issued an emergency closureto shell fishing in this area.
Crews are performing closed-circuit television (CCTV) work Tuesday to inspect and assess the extent of damage to the pipe. According to the preliminary inspection, reveal interior corrosion was the cause of the line break. An estimated time for repair will not be available until crews can assess how much of the pipe that will need to be replaced.
Residents and motorists should still to avoid the area and follow signed detours around the spill area.
Crews continue working around the clock to make repairs t the line and begin cleanup efforts to area roadways, yards and other areas affected by this spill. Residents can expect extensive construction activity and a long-term lane closure within the affected area as pipe repairs get underway.
Officials say residents can expect extensive construction activity and a long-term lane closure.
