CITY WORKERS FIX WATER LINE LEAK

A valve failed Monday on a water line at Independence and Ellis streets that was being abandoned as part of a sewer project, sending Cape Girardeau's water personnel scurrying to cap it off.

"It leaked quite a bit of water," said Kevin Priester, manager of the city water system run by Alliance Water Resources.

He estimated water gushed at a rate of several hundred gallons a minute.

A contractor had installed a new main on the other side of the street. The old main was being abandoned to allow for installation of a storm sewer, Priester said.

The break occurred about 10:30 a.m. It took over an hour to cap the pipe.

"They had to cap that off under pressure," said Priester.

Several pumps had to be brought in to keep up with the flood of water.

"At one point, we had about six people down there," he said.

Customers near the site experienced a temporary drop in water pressure.