South Nashville residents were disrupted Friday morning when a contractor working on the Nolensville Road widening project struck a 24-inch water main near Kinhawk Drive, causing a deluge that cut off their water supply and flooded homes. According to FOX17, Metro Water Services quickly moved to shut down the main and redirected water to minimize customer impact. The timing for the completion of repairs remains uncertain with crews on site excavating the pipe to assess the damage.
The break reportedly occurred just after 9:30 a.m., leaving an immediate neighborhood drenched and in dismay. Witnesses likened the rupture to a “geyser,” with footage capturing torrents of water flooding nearby homes. Residents like Melodie Grace, who has experienced construction woes in the past, expressed frustration and concern over the recurring disruptions. "The questions I have are 'isn't there a map that you can see the utility layout and avoid this?' It seems like this is avoidable, it seems very irresponsible, and something needs to be done about it," Grace told WKRN in an interview.
For one local family, the water main break has brought significant hardship. The Pena family home on Retriever Court, which was within the vicinity of the eruption, suffered considerable damage. Following the incident, both the mother and niece of the Pena family had to be evacuated. "This is the only house I remember," Miguel Pena lamented to WKRN, having lived there since 2007, their sense of security washed away by the unexpected flood.
Metro Water Services has been working tirelessly to address the issue, with updates posted on social media. A post around 5:30 p.m. indicated that the location of the break necessitated the creation of a temporary road, in turn prolonging the repair efforts. “Our crews are working diligently and we will continue to update as more information becomes available,” read their statement, which Metro Water Services added to their official account. The service anticipated repairs would likely stretch into the early morning hours, as WKRN reported. Affected locals are left hoping that the unpleasant entanglement with nature's force will soon be resolved.
While the full extent of the damage and the precise timeline for the water main's restoration are still unknown, what is clear is the impact on the residents' daily lives. As covered by NewsChannel5, currently, water service interruptions have been reported within the immediate vicinity of the break. Metro Water crews continue to work on fixing the 24-inch water main, endeavoring to restore normalcy to the area as expediently as possible.
