WATCH: Big Water Main Break Causing Big Problems In Tewksbury

TEWKSBURY, MA -- A water main break at the intersection of Main and Shawsheen Streets in Tewksbury flooded the intersection and caused morning rush hour delays Wednesday. A short video of the break sent to Tewksbury Patch early Wednesday morning showed hundreds of gallons rushing by, making the road look more like a river.

Residents in the area may have experienced low pressure or no water service. When service is restored, residents should run cold water taps until the water runs clear before using hot water.

This winter is proving to be particularly tough on DPW crews. The big swings in temperature have caused excessive freeze-thaw cycles of the ground, which are the natural enemy to aging water pipes found throughout the North Shore and Merrimack Valley.

Nationally, there are about 850 water main break every day, and the annual cost of repairing them amounts to about $3 billion. This time of year, many of those breaks are consolidated in northern states.

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Patch file photo via Shutterstock. Videos by Jeff Quilty.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).