DPW crews repair watermain that led to massive sinkhole

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A massive sinkhole that formed at the intersection of Palmer and Townsend on the Milwaukee's north side created a world of headaches for homeowners and DPW crews.

"It was like two days ago when it first started. I was coming out of the crib and I heard some water rushing so I looked over there and I couldn`t see where it was coming from. I looked down and it was a hole the size of a golf ball," said Anthony Gray who lives near the sinkhole.

The sound of rushing water was the sound of a broken watermain. In order to clamp down on the problem, workers needed to dig up the street and turn off the water.



"I noticed my water is gone so I came out this morning and the work was like 'Oh, they're fixing the thing, okay,'" said Keith Butler.

"I came home from work and wanted to get in the shower, couldn't take a shower. Then this morning, I couldn't take a shower. It's still off now so you can`t use a bathroom, can't take a shower. It's kinda inconvenient," said Gray.

The city called for an emergency shut-off on Wednesday evening. Workers then tore up a street surface that was on the verge of collapse.

By mid-afternoon on Thursday, city workers had completed repairs to the watermain -- and filled in the massive sinkhole. They hoped to have the water running again by Thursday evening.