EUCLID — Residents of a neighborhood in Euclid are questioning the delay in repairing a water main break on Westport Avenue near E. 222nd St.
“Man listen, it’s been like that for weeks, man okay,” said James Snowden, who lives in the area. “It’s terrible over here.”
It's a water feature no one asked for.
Julian Vinal also lives near the break. He said the situation has become a frozen mess for residents, pedestrians, and drivers.
“You can see the water coming out of the street and it’s just flowing down,” Vinal said. "I was thinking that this is crazy."
Vinal has been scratching his head over it.
“They’ve done nothing to turn the water off to even try and fix the problem,” Vinal said.
With the cold temperatures, the water cannot find its way to the sewer. The drain is blocked, and an ice formation continues to grow along E. 222nd St. between Westport Ave. and Ball Ave.
"What my kids have been calling it is ice mounting,” Vinal said. “So, it’s ridiculous. Every car that splashes it (water) just adds to it. It's like a ski slope out here.”
In some spots, the ice is several feet high, blocking driveways and sidewalks and forcing drivers to navigate around the obstacle.
“Yeah, you have to swerve over into the turning lane just to go down the street,” Vinal said.
Vinal said his wife reported the leak when it first began, but there seemed to be a lack of urgency to address it.
“How frustrating is that as a resident, you got a problem but it seems like it’s not being taken care of?” I asked him.
“It’s extremely frustrating because we’re taxpayers like everybody else,” Vinal said. “We pay our bills like everybody else."
I asked Snowden about the delay.
“Keeps bubbling, yeah. Just keeps on going,” Snowden said.
I asked Snowden what he thinks the hold-up is.
“I guess they’re busy,” he responded.
Cleveland Water is responsible for addressing the issue. I reached out to them Friday morning for more information.
They pointed out that there has been an increase in water main breaks during the winter and explained that the leak on Westport Avenue is on a six-inch valve.
In a statement, they said:
“The break was reported via our 24/7 Emergency Line earlier this month. An investigator was on site and assessed the break. An increase in water main breaks during the winter months is common. Our repair crews, as well as contractors, are working hard to address the breaks as quickly as possible. We prioritize breaks based on several factors, including the severity of the break, number of customers affected, and overall system integrity. A crew is currently on site working to repair the break. We have been in communication with Euclid’s service department and coordinated salt to be applied to the area."
Friday afternoon, crews were in the neighborhood preparing for repairs.
Vinal said, "Of course, they’re here now because you guys are out here."
Cleveland Water employees went door-to-door to inform residents about the work and the temporary disruption to their water service.
Vinal expressed concern about the aftermath, stating that once everything is fixed, the ‘ice mountain’ will need to be broken up and removed to prevent further issues.
“Think about when this all melts. It’s going to be a mess out here,” Vinal said.
Just before 5 p.m. Friday, Cleveland Water said, “the valve has been replaced and the crew is finishing up the repair.“
