Burst Water Main Releases Flood In California Neighborhood

A 12-inch cast iron water transmission main break in San Mateo on Thursday sent brown water spewing throughout streets and homes in a residential neighborhood, and closed a nearby church and school for the day because of all the flooding in the basement. Police Sgt. Amanda Von Glahn said 300 gallons of water per minute was being released for about three hours, until it was capped about 9 a.m. "It actually lifted the sidewalk," she said. The 6:30 a.m. break ruptured near Central Park at South El Camino and Notre Dame Avenue, and shut down two lanes of southbound El Camino at 9th Avenue, police said. The rushing water flooded a number of surrounding streets, including Aragon and Notre Dame.