Families Displaced By Water Main Break; Homes Damaged: Stamford Fire

STAMFORD, CT — A water main break occurred later Monday afternoon in the area of Hollow Oak Lane and Bel Aire Drive just off High Ridge Road, which damaged homes and displaced occupants of at least two homes, according to the Stamford Fire Department.

At 3:43 p.m., the Stamford 911 dispatch center received reports of the water main break, and first arriving fire units reported a large volume of water coming from the area of a front yard on Hollow Oak Lane where construction was taking place, the SFD said in a news release.

Water was seen cascading downhill through the yards of adjoining properties on Bel Aire Drive and spilling out onto High Ridge Road. High Ridge Road was reduced to one lane northbound during the rush hour commute.

Aquarion Water Company was notified, along with gas and electric companies. Firefighters began checking homes, and found some homes received various amounts of water damage from the break, fire officials said. Where necessary, due to flooding conditions, utilities were shut down.

The SFD noted that the occupants of at least two homes were being assisted by the American Red Cross Monday night with relocation due to the volume of water that entered their homes.

Aquarion was still on the scene as of late Monday night, the SFD said. According to their website, approximately 29 customers are being affected, and residents in the area should anticipate interruptions in water service.

Aquarion notes an estimated restoration time between 3:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Aquarion said that during and after the outage event, some customers may experience discolored water.

"You may want to use stored water for drinking and cooking, and delay clothes washing until water is clear. Run your cold water faucet until the water appears clear, prior to resuming use for these purposes," Aquarion says on its website.