The water was turned off in South Mission Beach for most of the day Saturday while a city crew repaired a broke water line that released thousands of gallons at the intersection of West Mission Bay Drive and Mission Boulevard.
“The break was caused by corrosion. It was a 12-inch cast iron pipe originally installed in 1949,” said Water Department Spokesperson Tedi Jackson.
The break was reported around midnight, Saturday, Feb. 11. According to Jackson, the repair was completed around 5 p.m. and the water was back on by 6:30 p.m.
“Water was shut off south of Belmont Park,” she said. “We brought temporary water wagons out, which a lot of folks were using that day. We had them in several locations in South Mission Beach.
To reach the pipe, the city had to dig a hole approximately six feet deep and 15 feet in diameter in the middle of the intersection, creating a traffic headache for motorists along Mission Boulevard.
Jackson said the pipe released “thousands and thousands of gallons of water,” which had to be pumped out of the hole before the pipe could be fixed.
Two Mission Bay resorts ” the Dana on Mission Bay and the Bahia Resort Hotel ” also went without water for the day.
“We were very fortunate,” said Keith Robinson, director of guest services at the Dana. “There was a convention in town and we had 180 people here for an all-day meeting and a luncheon, and then we were preparing for a wedding reception and dinner for 250 people. It was supposed to happen at 8 p.m. on Saturday night. It went very smoothly. Our guests knew it wasn’t our fault and we constantly communicating with them, giving them updates.”
To accommodate guests both resorts had porta-potties and hand-washing stations delivered.
“Our staff worked together as a great team to take care of our guests and accommodate their needs,” he said. “The [city] provided water trucks for our banquet department, our restaurant and the Blue Pearl Restaurant, so it was business as usual.”