Delmar Boulevard briefly doubled as a makeshift skating rink on Friday, after a stubborn water main break at Delmar and Beaumont froze solid and turned the intersection into a slick, treacherous sheet of ice. One customer slipped, fell and was taken to the hospital, while nearby businesses did what they could to keep people upright and out of harm’s way as city crews hunted for the leak.
According to KSDK, business owners say the water began pooling on Tuesday and had fully frozen by Friday morning. Lisa Renaud, who owns St. Louis Auto & Truck Repair, said the corner looked like "an ice rink" and described seeing a customer slip on the ice and leave by ambulance. City officials told the station that water-division crews have been on 12- to 16-hour shifts and are preparing for a "couple of weeks" of higher-than-normal main breaks while the cold hangs on.
Cold Snap Is Pushing Old Pipes To The Limit
Freeze‑thaw cycles shift the ground and put extra stress on buried water mains, which makes winter prime time for breaks, according to utilities’ winter-safety guidance and previous cold-weather emergencies. The National Weather Service in St. Louis expects overnight lows to stay below freezing through the week, raising the odds that new leaks will quickly turn into icy trouble spots on city streets.
Utilities such as WSSC Water have reported sharp jumps in winter main-break repairs during recent Arctic blasts, a pattern that mirrors what St. Louis crews say they are bracing for during the current cold spell.
City Crews In Overdrive And How To Report Problems
The City of St. Louis Water Division says repair crews are already in the field tackling leaks and asks residents to report signs of trouble such as bubbling water, unexplained wet pavement or icy runoff using its online outage page or customer service number.
Nearby business owners told KSDK they had called the city multiple times about the Delmar leak. City officials say continued reporting helps crews triage which breaks pose the greatest risk to drivers and pedestrians.
The intersection at Delmar and Beaumont could stay dicey while workers dig down to the broken pipe and complete repairs. Drivers and pedestrians are urged to steer clear of the corner when possible and to follow any cones, barricades or other traffic controls in place. Officials say repair work is expected to continue through the cold snap, with crews remaining on extended shifts.
