A leaking water pipe near a south Plaza intersection continued to spew thousands of gallons of water on Tuesday as crews planned to fix the issue by nighttime.
Neighbors reported the problem to the KCMO Water Department on August 19, and since then, water has flowed from the pipe and caused a stream to form.
"It's just a little hole right in the middle of the road that’s been gushing down the street," explained UMKC student Meredith Hampton, who lives a few doors down from the intersection.
The water department said the leaking pipe has been reported as a "Code 2" issue, meaning crews have 12 days to fix the problem.
@KCMO Water Dept. says problem reported on Aug 19th. Designated as "Code 2" (meaning they have 12 days to fix it) pic.twitter.com/cuTKnEr3KA
— Tom Dempsey (@KCTomDempsey) August 30, 2016
As water continued to flow at 50th and Wyandotte on Tuesday, neighbors said problems from the leak were getting worse.
"There's splashing going on when you drive through it, and it's not ideal to walk down the sidewalk anymore," Hampton explained.
Others have witnessed drivers taking dangerous methods to get around the steady stream.
"(People will) drive up the opposite side of the road so that they can stay away from the water," said Connor Catterall, who was visiting his father for the weekend.
Due to the mess the leak has caused, some neighbors wondered why it has taken so long for crews to fix the problem.
"This looks like it needs immediate attention," said Hampton, who crosses the intersection when walking to class at UMKC. "Nothing has been done."
Others, like Catterall, wondered how much water was being wasted because of the leak.
"It's just ridiculous," he said. "Why hasn't someone stopped it? Why hasn't someone fixed it?"
The KCMO Water Department blamed the leaking pipe on a broken water valve.
The department planned to send crews to the intersection on Tuesday night to fix the problem.
No street damage has been reported as a result of the leak.
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Tom Dempsey can be reached at Tom.Dempsey@KSHB.com.
