(Baltimore, MD) Thursday, December 19, 2013 – At approximately 10:30 p.m. last night a break occurred on a 30 inch water main at the intersection of Madison Street and Guilford Avenue. This break is the third to have occurred on this main since February 2009. The main dates back to the 19th century and it is made of cast iron. As part of the Department of Public Works proactive main replacement program, this particular line, running from Martin Luther King. Jr. Boulevard to I-83, is considered high priority and is already in design for replacement. Construction work on the new main is scheduled to begin in 2016.

Madison Street remains closed between Fallsway and Calvert Street. Guilford Avenue is closed from Chase Street to Centre Street. The Guilford off-ramp from the JFX is closed. Please avoid the immediate area. DPW crews and other emergency personnel are on the scene. The shutdown of the main is nearing completion.

At this time residences and one business in the 800 block of N. Calvert Street are without water. Another nearby apartment building is also without water service. DPW community liaisons have been deployed to assist those impacted. Customers who may have had temporary water service disruption overnight may experience some cloudiness and should run their water for several minutes until it clears. Removing your aerator from your faucet will expedite the process and keep sediment from becoming trapped. Once your water clears it means it has returned to normal. If you cannot get your water to clear, or if you do not have water service, please call 311.

The Department of Public Works has begun a comprehensive long-term planning process to greatly accelerate water main replacements. Through the work of our Asset Management program, Baltimore City will be replacing 150 miles of water mains over the next five years at a cost of $300 million. The accelerated main replacement program will thereafter replace 40 miles of mains each year to achieve an industry standard 100 year replacement goal for all water lines.