Water pipe break closes Broad Street in SLO, flooding roadway and forcing traffic detour

A large water pipe break on Broad Street caused flooding and traffic detours in San Luis Obispo on Thursday morning.

Broad Street was closed in both directions from Capitolio Way to Industrial Way as the city worked to fix the break, and the Police Department is diverting traffic to Sacramento Drive, the city said in a news release.

The Police Department said that work to repair the pipe was expected to last into the evening.

The pipe broke sometime in the early hours of the morning, according to Aaron Floyd, the city’s utilities director.

It was a 12-inch cast iron line installed deep underground in the 1960s, he said. Decades of wear and tear from the city’s shifting clay soils likely caused the break, Floyd said.

Utilities crews on scene were working to minimize the impact from the break. Anyone affected can receive bottled water from the city if their water is out, or if they’re experiencing low pressure or discolored water, Floyd said.

Floyd noted that there are no water quality concerns associated with the break, so even if pressure is low or tap water is discolored, it’s still safe to drink.

This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 9:29 AM.

Mackenzie Shuman

The Tribune

805-781-7844

Mackenzie Shuman primarily writes about SLO County education and the environment for The Tribune. She’s originally from Monument, Colorado, and graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in May 2020. When not writing, Mackenzie spends time outside hiking and rock climbing.