Herriman Water Main Break Floods Home, Injures Homeowner
Sep 20, 2018, 7:36 PM | Updated: 9:36 pm
HERRIMAN, Utah – A busted water main in Herriman flooded a shopping center’s parking lot and a nearby home, injuring a woman when flood waters broke through her basement window.
“It was shooting up into the sky,” Herriman spokesperson Tami Moody said of the large release of water.
Around 11 a.m. Thursday, construction crews digging for fiber optic lines near the intersection of 13400 South and 5600 West fractured the six-inch pipe that supplies water to the city’s fire hydrants, according to Moody.
“The area was blue-staked, so we’re exactly sure what happened,” said Moody said.
The pressurized pipe sent a river of high-pressure water gushing through the parking lot of the Herriman Crossroads Shopping Center and into the backyards of nearby homes.
“There was no stopping it,” said Michelle Checketts, whose house was in the direct path of the water.
Checketts said she looked outside and saw water pouring into her backyard. She ran down into her basement to find water already coming inside.
“I saw water leaking in through the sides of the window and I saw the window well quickly filling,” she said.
Checketts was standing near the window when she said the glass exploded under the weight, and water came rushing in.
“I remember it being loud and I remember something flying at me as I turned to get away,” she said. “The water was so powerful it knocked some furniture at me and it was a very scary experience.”
The pieces of glass cut her feet in several places, requiring more than a half-dozen stitches. She was just glad she took her two young children upstairs before the window broke.
“It could have been devastating,” she said.
“The water was so powerful it knocked some furniture at me” Herriman woman needed stitches after water crashed through basement window. Water main break caused by contractor installing fiber cable in area https://t.co/BbbqSN6aGj @KSL5TV @KSLcom @kslnewsradio #ksltv @HerrimanCity pic.twitter.com/TvXpF4bx24
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) September 20, 2018
Neighbors and cleaning crews removed ruined belongings and furniture from the family’s finished basement. Even though they lost a computer drive containing family videos and other belongings, Checketts said they were focusing on the positive.
“We had people flocking to our home—30 to 40 people,” she said. “People leaving work to come help. Just good, good, kind people who were here to do anything to help us.”
Crews with Herriman City repaired the water pipe by 6:30 p.m. and expected water to be restored to the 16 homes that lost service.
UPDATE: Crews finish repair work on busted six-inch water pipe in @HerrimanCity. Water should be turned back on soon for about 16 homes that have been without water all afternoon. @KSL5TV @KSLcom @kslnewsradio pic.twitter.com/FTj8DFIvpa
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) September 21, 2018
