9th Street gusher not a broken water main but construction byproduct

April 05, 2017
Santa Paula News

It wasn’t a gusher but sure looked like one to residents of 9th Street who on Friday experienced an outflowing of water that led to fears a main had broken. 

But, according to a city official, that wasn’t the case but rather the byproduct of a major construction project.

Interim Public Works Director John Ilasin said the March 31 rush of water — which flowed on both sides of 9th Street at the Santa Paula Street intersection, was a natural offshoot of the 8th Street pipeline project.

In spite of recent rains that delayed some projects, Area 4 water improvements were able to start at Eighth Street. The project scope of work includes pavement, sidewalk, curb, gutter, curb ramp, water, and/or sewer improvements. 

One phase of the job by contractor Toro Enterprises, Inc. of Oxnard was to ensure the old piping was clear of water, a discharge from the 8th Street project that was directed to 9th Street.

Hence the flow: “I thought for sure a water main had broken,” said one resident living near the Santa Paula Street intersection where the water seemed to be the heaviest. 

Ilasin said the Public Works Department received numerous phone calls reporting the water activity and appreciates that citizens were so concerned that they contacted the city.

“We really want to thank residents that let us know they thought something was wrong,” sometimes, noted Ilasin, the only way the city becomes aware of a problem in a timely manner.





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