Major water main break sends water gushing into street, snarls traffic

ROSWELL, Ga. — A major water main break collapsed a Buckhead road and snarled traffic Saturday

Channel 2's Tom Regan was on Roswell Road, where water spilled into a busy intersection.

Crews were able to find the leak and cap it, but not before the pavement cracked.

Water main breaks have gotten worse in recent years in Atlanta because many pipes are close to 100 years old.

A recent audit said leaking pipes waste nearly 10 billion gallons of water every year, about 30% of the city's annual water production.

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Many people say that is way too much waste.

"It's a gusher," Chris Laird said. "It looked like a small fountain of water there for a little while. I'm glad they got it shut off and didn't waste more water."

Water waste is a key reason people in Atlanta pay the second-highest water rates in the country.

The city is working to upgrade leaking pipes, but it's a slow process because of lack of funding.

Cox Media Group