Crew works to repair water main break in Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. -- About 20 East Bay Municipal Utility District customers are without water service due to a water main break Sunday morning that resulted in property damage in Oakland's Glenview District, an EBMUD spokeswoman said.

The break to a 16-inch main at MacArthur Boulevard and Montana Street, north of Interstate Highway 580, was reported around 10 a.m., EBMUD spokeswoman Abby Figueroa said.

As of about 11 a.m. water was still leaking from the line and around 12:30 p.m. a crew was able to shut down service to the line, Figueroa said.

Oakland firefighters responded to the break around 9:10 a.m., Battalion Chief Lisa Baker said.

The American Red Cross was called to assist two adults and two children displaced due to water damage at their home in the 1900 block of Montana Street, Baker said.

An EBMUD employee at the scene estimated that about 1,000 gallons of water came out every minute within a two-hour span before service was shut down, according to Baker.

Water was found in the basements of three other homes, the battalion chief said.

No injuries were reported, Baker said.

Figueroa estimated that repairs to the water main would continue into the evening.

A PG&E crew was called to the scene to assess a power line adjacent to the main, Figueroa said.

MacArthur Boulevard is closed at Adell Court and an Alameda-Contra Costa Transit bus had to be rerouted in the area due to the crew making repairs, according to Figueroa

Customers whose property sustained water damage have been told to contact the district's risk management services for assistance, Figueroa said.