BOSTON – Several businesses were without water Friday afternoon after a water main broke on Boylston Street in Boston’s Back Bay.
The sinkhole opened
It happened around 12:50 p.m. as the Boston Water and Sewer Commission responded to reports of flooding and a sinkhole going 5 to 6 feet into the ground.
“It was shocking, the amount of water flowing through the streets was a bit scary,” said Fiona Sinclair, stylist at Sassoon Salon. “It started coming over the sidewalks and when the sinkhole started happening, people just ran to the window to see it.”
Companies have no water
The break shut off the water, flooding the busy area with brown and cloudy water. Companies had to make do with obtaining water in a different way.
“We actually have quite a few people who still have color on their hair, so we have buckets of water that we heat up in the back, we heat the water in the microwave. We went to Trader Joe’s and bought some more water and off we go. wash it out,” Sinclair said.
Boylston Street remained closed Friday evening as crews worked to clean up and repair the breach.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow or even next week,” Sinclair said.
The cause is under investigation, but the Boston Water and Sewer Commission said it could have been the cold weather or vibration from nearby construction.
There is no exact timeline for when water will be restored.
