A major water pipeline that broke in San Bruno on Monday night has been shut down for repairs but might not be back in operation before Wednesday, according to a San Francisco Public Utilities Commission spokesman.
The break in the 54-inch regional transmission line was reported at 9:30 p.m. on Monday at the Crystal Springs Road entrance to Junipero Serra County Park in San Bruno, SFPUC spokesman Tyrone Jue said.
The pipeline, known as San Andreas Pipeline No. 2, is part of the Hetch Hetchy Water System and serves three Peninsula water agencies, according to the SFPUC.
Despite the loss of "millions of gallons" of water, SFPUC work crews had to keep water flowing in the pipeline through Tuesday morning to allow those agencies, the City of San Bruno, the North Coast County Water District and the San Francisco Jail in San Bruno, to make backup plans for their water supplies, officials said.
In the case of the jail, which has a direct connection to the damaged pipeline, that involved running a 2-inch pipeline as a bypass from another line, Jue said.
If water had been cut off sooner, those agencies could have lost water pressure needed for firefighting and other essential services, Jue said.
The pipeline was shut down and drained as of around 11 a.m., Jue said. It could remain inoperational through tomorrow, depending how repairs go, Jue said.
