Water main beak in busy section of Brockton turns roads into rivers

BROCKTON, Mass. — An early-morning water main break turned roads into rivers in Brockton.

Crews with the Brockton Department of Public Works said the water main burst just after 1 a.m. at the intersection of Montello (Route 28) and Lawrence streets.

Workers said a 20-inch pipe burst and they had to turn off the water in the area.

”We probably have about 200 to 300 customers impacted, about a mile of pipe is shut off,” Brockton’s Public Works Commissioner Patrick Hill said. “It’s only the pipe on the main road, it’s not any of the side streets that are affected so it’s just the people on the main stretch of road.”

As of 8 a.m., crews were pumping water out and tearing up the road as they worked to get down to the broken water main.

When asked what could have caused the water main to burst, a worker said there is a lot of construction going on in the city and many old pipes.

Hill said that portion of Montello Street would remain closed all day, and they hope to have the water back on by around 4 or 5 p.m.

”That’s the hope right now, as it stands, it looks like about a 10-foot section of 20-inch pipe so it’ll all depend on where that fracture ends,” Hill said. “Just be patient, this stuff happens. We wish we could explain it, we certainly didn’t cause it, and we will do the best we can to get the water back on as soon as we can.”

Fun fact: Brockton’s Public Works Commissioner says the water main that burst this morning is from 1928 — almost 100 years old 😮.

Montello St. (Rte. 28) at Lawrence St. will be closed for the rest of the day while crews work to repair the break.@boston25 https://t.co/YEzP0pPVFD
— Julianne Lima (@JulianneLimaTV) December 13, 2023

MORE: Brockton DPW tells me a 20-inch water main burst on Rte. 28 at Lawrence St. just after 1 AM.

Water has been shut off in this area, impacting about two dozen homes. Crews have torn the road apart as they try to reach the pipe to fix it @boston25 pic.twitter.com/i9JAfC8YZx
— Julianne Lima (@JulianneLimaTV) December 13, 2023

BREAKING: Crews are tearing up the road after a 20-inch water main burst in Brockton. Detour in place on Montello St. at Lawrence St. Avoid the area!@boston25 pic.twitter.com/E3V0mC4jrg
— Julianne Lima (@JulianneLimaTV) December 13, 2023

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW