Water Gushes Into Streets, Roads Shut Down After Chelsea Main Breaks

A water main break in Chelsea flooded several blocks and forced authorities to shut down some roads for hours Wednesday as crews worked to contain the leak Wednesday. 

Chopper 4 footage from the scene showed a bubbling geyser near Ninth Avenue and West 29th Street at about 11 a.m.. Work crews could be seen trudging through the water to set up traffic cones and assess the damage.

The city Department of Environmental Protection said at about 5:30 p.m. that repairs had been completed and all water customers in the area had service. Repairs to the roadway, which appeared to have sustained a fair amount of damage in the break, were still being completed.

It's still unclear what caused the line to burst and spew water above ground. 

For many businessowners in the area, Wednesday's break hurt the bottom line. William Penza, the owner of Billymark's West, said his bar was soaked by the water. 

"Water was viciously coming up," he said.

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