The Philadelphia Water Department says an 8-inch main broke on Cottman Avenue near Oxford Avenue before 2 a.m. Tuesday, forcing crews to shut down part of the road.
"Of course, inconvenient," said Freeman Ileyemi of World House Global Church, who came Tuesday morning to pick up toys for kids. He says he could barely navigate the closures around the busy five-point intersection, only to find water was turned off for the block.
"It's affecting people from getting access that they need. We need water to cook, to shower, and all that," he said.
Surveillance video from Pharmacy of America shows how quickly water rushed onto the street.
"I had to drive around the whole circle, and it was hard. There was traffic, and I didn't know what was going on," said Omar Ibrahim, the store manager.
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This is the second water main break on Cottman Avenue in less than 24 hours. The other was Monday afternoon, about four miles away near I-95.
Crews are working in both locations.
At the one near Oxford Avenue, the force of the running water was enough to buckle the road.
"Open the door, take a look, and there it is, a whole lake outside. I always wanted beachfront property," said John Whyte, who lives nearby.
The break is posing a problem for him. Whyte uses a wheelchair and needs to get to an appointment.
"I hope they fix it within a day or two. I hope it doesn't take any longer because we don't have any water in the house," he said.
There has been no word yet on what caused the water main breaks or how long the repairs will take.