MANHATTAN – A geyser erupted on an Upper East Side street today, spraying water and debris three to four stories high in what officials with the Department of Environmental Protection say was not a water main break.
Regardless, the astounding sight of a tower of water in the middle of the road drew a stream of onlookers who took photos and videos of the latest fiasco to unfold in Yorkville this afternoon.
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Just before 2:00 pm, the DEP says contractors damaged and removed a piece of equipment that attaches to the underground water main in front of 445 East 87th Street near York Avenue, where plumbing crews were working with a jackhammer today.
The FDNY tells Upper East Site that the utility companies have been notified and their crews are assessing the properties nearby. A nearby hydrant was opened to relieve some of the pressure from the torrent spraying from beneath the street.
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Upper East Site has learned that the damaged piece has now been replaced and repaired– the geyser is gone– and water service has been restored to any affected buildings.
This is just two blocks away from the scene of a sinkhole last Thursday that forced crews to dig up East 89th Street to install new pipes.
The DEP says today’s incident is unrelated to those ongoing repairs.
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