Residents and commuters in northwest Houston witnessed an unusual event on Wednesday when a water main break sent a jet of water approximately 20 feet into the air on Blalock Road, near Hempstead Road. The striking occurrence began around 10:40 a.m., according to the Houston Police Department. KHOU 11's Michelle Choi described the scene as one of the more severe she's encountered, stating, "I've covered a lot of geysers over my years as a reporter, but I've never seen one quite this large," in a statement obtained by KHOU 11 News.
Not only did the water spectacle draw attention, but a loud pop also was reported in the vicinity around noon, which Choi suggested might have originated from a nearby transformer. The disruption was relatively short-lived, as Houston Public Works crews, upon arrival by noon, managed to shut off the water by around 1 p.m. A contractor working in the area was blamed for the broken water line – an incident that apparently did not affect local water pressure to homes and businesses, nor did it significantly impact traffic, as confirmed by both the city and a nearby business that uses water in its manufacturing process.
Simultaneously, in Spring Branch, a massive water main leak was also reported. Aerial footage captured by KPRC 2's Sky 2 Chopper showed the extensive response as crews were on the scene at Blalock and West Wingfoot Road.
Quick action by city public works crews in both areas helped reduce the damage these water main breaks could have caused. Investigations are ongoing to find out what caused the Spring Branch leak. KPRC 2 reached out to CenterPoint Energy, whose crew was at the scene, but officials haven’t shared more details about their role or what they observed.
