A water main break caused significant flooding in the Seaport Village and Harbor Drive area of downtown San Diego on Tuesday afternoon.

According to city officials, a 16-inch underground water main failed at around 4 p.m., sending large amounts of water onto Pacific Highway and nearby streets.

 

The water, which turned brown due to sediment, reached the entrance to Seaport Village and the waterfront promenade. Flooding also affected areas near The Headquarters at Seaport, located at 789 W. Harbor Drive.

As a result, authorities temporarily closed eastbound lanes of Harbor Drive between Pacific Highway and Kettner Boulevard, as well as access to and from Seaport Village from Pacific Highway. Drivers were urged to avoid the area while repair crews worked at the scene.

 

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The incident also affected local businesses. Six businesses at The Headquarters at Seaport were temporarily forced to close because of the flooding, including The Cheesecake Factory and Eddie V’s Prime Seafood.

 

City crews used heavy equipment to open part of the roadway and access the damaged water main. Water service was shut off as part of the emergency repair work.

So far, officials have not determined what caused the water main to break. A city official said that while many water main breaks are associated with aging infrastructure, the pipe involved in this incident appeared to be made of PVC.

 

By Wednesday morning, the flooding had subsided, although crews remained at the scene to continue repair work and assess the damage.

Seaport Village is located along San Diego’s Embarcadero, one of the most visited tourist areas in downtown San Diego.

 

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