NEWS

Water main break triggers steaming manhole covers in Downtown Indianapolis

Justin L. Mack
justin.mack@indystar.com
The Indianapolis Fire Department officials on the scene said the smoke is stream coming from underground Citizens Energy equipment.

This statement was issued about 8 p.m. by Citizens Energy Group spokeswoman Sarah Holsapple:

"Water service has been restored and Ohio Street from Meridian Street to Illinois Street is back open."

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Officials said manhole locks kept covers in place Sunday when a water main break Downtown caused steam to rise from an underground line.

Crews from the Indianapolis Fire Department were called to the area of Illinois and Ohio streets shortly before 11 a.m. when thick steam began coming from manholes in front of the Sheraton Hotel on Ohio Street. The run was initially dispatched as an explosion.

Firefighters, as well as workers from both Citizens Energy and Indianapolis Power & Light, rushed to the scene and determined that no explosion had occurred. Citizens spokeswoman Sarah Holsapple said there was a break in a water main that runs along Ohio Street, between Meridian and Illinois streets.

Water from the broken main leaked onto a Citizens Energy steam line, causing the steam to force its way out of several manholes on Ohio Street, Holsapple said.

"The cause of the water main break is likely due to aging infrastructure as the main was installed in 1904," Holsapple said in a statement.

About an hour into the operation, the steam line was shut off. Water could still be seen bubbling near the manhole covers, but the steam began to slow. As crews worked, vehicle and pedestrian traffic was shut down on Ohio Street between Illinois and Median streets.

As of 8:15 p.m. Sunday, water was restored and the street was reopened.

IFD Public Information Officer Brad Morris said one person at the scene who was watching the steam rise was treated for difficulty breathing. Morris said the person did not inhale any steam, and that the breathing trouble was anxiety-related. No other injuries were reported.

Guests at the Sheraton Hotel were notified and did not have to evacuate, Morris said. They were asked to stay away from windows facing Ohio Street.

The impacted manholes are among the many in the downtown network that have been outfitted with restraints. Morris said the locks played an important role in keeping everyone in the area safe.

"They've done an excellent job in keeping those manhole covers from being projected into the air," Morris said. "When the steam or the energy is released underneath them, in the past it would just throw the manhole cover 20 or 30 feet into the air ... now, it allows the pressure to be vented out from the top while holding the cover in place 6 to 12 inches above the ground level.

"What we've seen today is a perfect example of what they were designed to do."

IPL Spokeswoman Brandi Davis-Handy said although the incident does not involve IPL infrastructure, crews from the utility company remain in place to make sure that service to nearby buildings is not interrupted.

"Right now, safety is our number one priority," she said. "We plan to stay here on site while work is being done on the Citizens side, just to make sure that we can continue to provide reliable electricity to the businesses in this area."

Davis-Handy was also happy to see the locking manhole covers in action. She said IPL is in the process of having restraints placed on all 1,200 of its manholes in the Downtown network.

So far, more than 900 locking manholes have been installed, and the rest should be in place by the end of the year, Davis-Handy said.

"This is serious for us. Not just when an incident occurs, but throughout the year," she said. "We want to make sure that the people who live Downtown, work Downtown or just come Downtown to visit feel confident and comfortable that it's safe to walk the streets of Downtown Indianapolis."

This story will be updated.

Call Star reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.