South Hawley Road to Fully Reopen on Monday, January 13

MILWAUKEE— Mayor Barrett announced today that South Hawley Road, south of I-94, will be fully opened again on Monday, Jan. 13.

The break of a 16-inch water main in Hawley Road led to flooding of the street and parts of the adjacent neighborhood. Milwaukee Water Works has asked its pipe supplier to expedite the preparation of the new replacement 16-inch main to ensure it is safely lined for drinking water and will provide safety and durability for serving the area.

Milwaukee Water Works operations staff noticed a drop in water pressure in the area shortly after 9 a.m. on December 28. Crews shut off connecting mains and stopped the flood of water within one hour. Water Engineering Inspectors immediately went door-to-door to check on residents in the neighborhood, as well as provide information about flushing household plumbing after water was turned back on. Water service was restored to the area within 14 hours using a nearby 8-foot main.

As residents cleaned up and placed water-soaked goods at the curb, Department of Public Works crews quickly made special pickups, cleared mud off the affected streets, swept and opened clogged sewer drains.

“I want to thank the Department of Public Works, Milwaukee Water Works, the Milwaukee Police Department and our Sanitation and Sewer crews for their fast and complete response,” said Mayor Tom Barrett.

Milwaukee Water Works Superintendent Karen Dettmer said the utility is working with a consultant to determine what led to the unusual failure of the water main and to ensure similar main breaks do not occur in other neighborhoods. Dettmer said the utility is also focused on reaching out to the neighborhood to offer further assistance with clean up.

“We will be looking for every opportunity to assist the neighborhood in recovering after this extraordinary incident,” Dettmer said. “Our claims specialist visited door-to-door with affected neighbors on the Monday after the main break and cleanup. She has personally talked with each one of them and provided information about the STRONG Homes Loan Program and Revitalize Milwaukee.” The City of Milwaukee loan program provides loans for emergency and essential home repairs. To date, 37 residents have reported damage to homes, vehicles, appliances and personal property.

Alderman Murphy will be holding a resource and informational meeting this week for affected residents. “I encourage all impacted residents to call me personally at 414-286-3763 for meeting details,” Alderman Murphy said.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.