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Utility officials claim water main break did not cause the Omaha sinkhole, what their investigation reveals
THE LOW 40S AND THEN 30S. POSSIBLE INTERACTIONS 67 ON PACIFIC STREET 67, PACIFIC GOT REPORTS OF TWO VEHICLES FELL INTO A SINKHOLE. TWO PEOPLE ARE IN THE HOLE TRYING TO CLIMB OUT. YOU’RE HEARING THE MOMENTS WHEN A SINKHOLE OPENED UP AND TWO CARS FELL IN IN AKSARBEN. OMAHA’S NEWS LEADER BRINGS YOU MORE EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE ON THE RESPONSE TONIGHT. TWO UNO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS WHO RESPONDED TO THE SCENE ARE SPEAKING WITH KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S MADISON PERALEZ. IN AN EXCLUSIVE TELEVISION INTERVIEW. SO SHE IS LIVE NEAR THE SINKHOLE, 67TH AND PACIFIC, WITH MORE ON THEIR CONVERSATION. MADISON. JULI TWO UNO ATHLETES WERE HEADED HOME BACK TO THE DORMS WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT THE LIGHT WAS GREEN, BUT NO CARS WERE MOVING. THAT’S WHEN OLIVIA BURZYNSKI RAN OVER TO HELP. I GOT TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE LIKE PEOPLE WERE DRIVING PAST WITH THEIR CELL PHONES OUT, TAKING VIDEOS, TAKING PICTURES, LAUGHING TOO. AND I WAS LIKE, OH HELL NO. I HAD TO GO. OMAHA MAVERICKS JUNIOR OLIVIA BURZYNSKI SWERVED HER CAR OVER TO HELP, THANKING HER DAD FOR FATHERLY ADVICE. HE WAS LIKE, WHEN AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS, GO OFF THE ROAD, BE SOMEWHERE SAFE. HELPING HER TO THINK ON HER FEET. I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I’M NOT HOLDING TRAFFIC WHEN I’M ON THE SIDEWALK. USING HER TEAM’S SKILLS TO GET BYSTANDERS TO HELP. I TOLD HIM, I SAY, COME OVER HERE AND HELP ME. SO WE BOTH PULLED HIM OUT. HER TEAMMATE WAS WITH HER. I HADN’T SEEN A SINKHOLE BEFORE, SO IT WAS. IT WAS A SCARY SIGHT TO SEE, TO BE HONEST. AND IT WAS JUST UNFORTUNATE. AND I HOPE LIKE THEY TAKE BETTER CARE OF THE ROADS. ON WEDNESDAY, AUSTIN ROSSER WITH OMAHA PUBLIC WORKS SAID IN A NEWS CONFERENCE THAT PRESSURIZED WATER HAS IMPACTED THE AREA FOR SOME TIME. THURSDAY, KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN SPOKE WITH METROPOLITAN UTILITIES DISTRICT SPOKESPERSON STEPHANIE MUELLER ABOUT THE EVIDENCE THEY HAVE GATHERED THUS FAR. WHEN THE VEHICLES AND THE CONCRETE FELL INTO THE HOLE, THERE WAS A CLOUD OF DRY DUST THAT CAME UP. SHE SAYS IF IT WAS A WATER MAIN BREAK, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SPLASH OF WATER, ADDING WHILE THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL HAPPENING, WE’RE LEANING MORE TOWARD A SEWER FAILURE. BUT THAT’S AGAIN EARLY IN THE INVESTIGATION. MUELLER SAYS THAT MUD’S WORK WAS COMPLETE ON THURSDAY, AND NOW IT’S UP TO THE CITY TO FINISH THE REST OF THE REPAIRS. WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE CITY FOR A STATEMENT AND THEY SAID, QUOTE, SIGNIFICANT EROSION OCCURRED UNDERGROUND, WHICH DESTABILIZED THE PAVEMENT, END QUOTE. REPORTING IN OMAHA. I’M MADISON PERALES, KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN.
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Utility officials claim water main break did not cause the Omaha sinkhole, what their investigation reveals
Omaha’s Metropolitan Utilities District said evidence shows the road collapse off 67th and Pacific Streets does not point to a water main break.Omaha Public Works said in a news conference Wednesday that it is “evident” the collapse was caused by a pressurized water source.READ MORE: ‘Just surreal’: Omaha driver describes moment his car collapsed into a sinkholeMUD’s spokesperson Stephanie Mueller said, “When the vehicles on the concrete fell into the hole, there was a cloud of dry dust that came up.” She said that’s an indication that the void where the cars fell into was dry, adding if it was a water main break, there would have been a splash.The city of Omaha said in a statement Thursday:”Significant erosion occurred underground, which destabilized the pavement. The City of Omaha Public Works Department is investigating the cause of the sinkhole and will work to keep drivers safe as utility companies make repairs. Once the repairs are made, the city will fill the hole and repave the street.”READ MORE: City officials share signs of a sinkholeMUD’s investigation is “leaning more toward a sewer failure.””But that’s again, early in the investigation,” Mueller said. She said as a part of MUD’s investigation, they “removed a piece of the water main itself that we’ve brought into our facility to do further testing and see if there were areas of failure within the pipe itself.”Mueller said MUD’s work on the sinkhole was completed Thursday. Now, the city will complete the rest of the repairs.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Omaha’s Metropolitan Utilities District said evidence shows the road collapse off 67th and Pacific Streets does not point to a water main break.
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Omaha Public Works said in a news conference Wednesday that it is “evident” the collapse was caused by a pressurized water source.
READ MORE: ‘Just surreal’: Omaha driver describes moment his car collapsed into a sinkhole
MUD’s spokesperson Stephanie Mueller said, “When the vehicles on the concrete fell into the hole, there was a cloud of dry dust that came up.” She said that’s an indication that the void where the cars fell into was dry, adding if it was a water main break, there would have been a splash.
The city of Omaha said in a statement Thursday:
“Significant erosion occurred underground, which destabilized the pavement. The City of Omaha Public Works Department is investigating the cause of the sinkhole and will work to keep drivers safe as utility companies make repairs. Once the repairs are made, the city will fill the hole and repave the street.”
READ MORE: City officials share signs of a sinkhole
MUD’s investigation is “leaning more toward a sewer failure.”
“But that’s again, early in the investigation,” Mueller said.
She said as a part of MUD’s investigation, they “removed a piece of the water main itself that we’ve brought into our facility to do further testing and see if there were areas of failure within the pipe itself.”
Mueller said MUD’s work on the sinkhole was completed Thursday. Now, the city will complete the rest of the repairs.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
