What started as a water main break at Bay Front Road and Lodge Forest Drive in Sparrows Point has turned into a three-day headache, neighbors say, leaving a gaping hole in the asphalt and water pouring down the street. Residents in the Lodge Forest neighborhood say they dragged out their own cones to block the danger zone and now worry the void could grow into a sinkhole or sap pressure from nearby fire hydrants.
Neighbors Say 311 Calls Went Unanswered
Several residents told reporters they have been ringing 311 over and over, but say they have seen no response from the Department of Public Works, according to WBAL NewsRadio. "I could get a pogo stick and stick it down in there right now and I bet you it’s down to almost five feet," Thom Wortham told WBAL-TV 11 News. Denise Keller added, "We're fed up… Who's paying for all this water?"
Neighbors also told reporters that one woman called police, worried that a child or pet could tumble into the hole before county crews finally show up.
Breaks Mirror Countywide Pattern
The Sparrows Point break is the latest in a run of failures across Baltimore County. Earlier in June, twin breaks in Edgemere left streets flooded and some homes without running water. Those incidents, along with others in the region, highlight the strain that older pipes and unpredictable weather are putting on the water system, which officials say can make repairs more complicated and slower to complete.
Nearby School Lost Summer Days
In nearby Dundalk, a separate water main break on Kavanaugh Road forced Sandy Plains Elementary to close and disrupted both summer-school and nutrition programs, as reported by WBAL NewsRadio. Michael Harlow told WBAL his son has managed to attend only one and a half days of summer school since the break began last Monday.
County Department of Public Works officials told reporters that the spike in water main breaks is tied to aging infrastructure combined with weather swings and climate change. They encouraged residents to report problems to 311 and to Baltimore County DPW so repairs can be scheduled.
Back in Sparrows Point, neighbors say they will keep their makeshift cone barrier in place and keep pressing the county for a quicker fix as the hole widens and the water continues to run. "It's getting worse and worse," one resident said, as families watched and waited for county crews to roll in.
