Water main break in Manayunk causes new business to close ahead of grand opening

Wednesday, October 23, 2019
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Manayunk's Main Street is back open Tuesday night, hours after a water main burst.

The leak happened around 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of Main and Gay streets and impacted about 40 properties.

"I heard a rumble, like an earthquake type of rumble and the sidewalk just lifted up like two feet off the street and dropped back down," Gerry Killian who lives in Manayunk.

While water and mud flooded the street, one biker fell into the hole left in front of the tea shop and had to be helped to her feet. She eventually rode off.

Because of the main break, most businesses along the stretch also had to be shut down for the day.

Andrew Chang opened the doors to TsaoCaa Fresh Tea, his new business on Main Street, on Monday. He had a grand opening planned for the weekend.

"I spent months building this relationship and literally it feels like someone basically took the person I was developing this relationship with and stole her away from me. I'm very, very hurt right now. I try not to bring it out because I'm still slightly in shock," he said.

Another business owner on Main Street, Bruce Cooper of Jakes and Coopers Wine Bar, said a main broke in front of his business in 2016 and it took him six months to reopen.
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