Operations across Philly Airport came to an abrupt halt after a 24-inch water main beneath the airport burst at around 5 PM on Monday. Four million gallons of water were lost from the sinkhole, which was an impressive 20 feet in diameter.
Toilets were clogged, faucets couldn’t run, and even restaurants stopped their service. Patrons resorted to buying bottled water at the convenience store. No flights were cancelled, however.
The incident, of course, was fully reported on social media. Customers took to Twitter to complain about the smell in the bathrooms and their inability to get food, calling the situation a “fail.” No announcements were made on the PA system about what had happened, so patrons had to discover the problem for themselves. One patron reported that evidently the men’s rooms were still working. Otherwise, chaos and confusion reigned across the airport.
Even airport staff were flummoxed. Spokeswoman Mary Flannery explained that although she was aware of the inconvenience, she didn’t yet have a straight answer on when the issue would be fixed.
It ultimately took the Water Department about three hours to restore water pressure. In the meantime, the Parking Authority had to tow away about 24 vehicles from the long term parking lot Area H, which was closest to the sinkhole, in case it ended up widening further. Customers had to struggle through mud in order to reach their cars.
According to NBC News, the airport’s water system runs by gravity: the water is pumped from reservoirs into storage tanks before running through mains across the airport. The Water Department had to shut off the valves leading from those reservoirs.
The only business not impacted was Chickie’s & Pete’s, a popular Philly-based chain of sports bars. It isn’t a part of the airport’s water system, so its patrons could still enjoy normal service.
