Lake Nacimiento pipeline break sends water spewing into the air in Atascadero

A pipeline break in Atascadero sent county agencies scrambling for a fix Saturday morning.

A valve for managing air bubbles inside the Lake Nacimiento water line broke just after 8 a.m., sending a water spout into the air on Rocky Canyon Road near Halcon Road. San Luis Obispo County Public Works tweeted that the break resulted in the loss of about 100,000 gallons of water.

SLO County Public Works responded with assistance from Cal Fire, Atascadero State Hospital Fire and Atascadero Fire.

Neighbor Jake Humphrey brought out his Bobcat front loader to build berms to divert the water from a nearby home.

By 8:44 a.m., Cal Fire tweeted that the pipeline had been shutdown and the flow of water was stopped. Crews were expected to remain on the scene for another hour to assist.

Rocky Canyon Road was reopened by about 11 a.m. according to SLO County Public Works.