TAMPA -- Water crews continue to work on the large water main break that sent water gushing through a north Tampa neighborhood Thursday.

  • Work continues on water main that broke Thursday afternoon
  • Stretch of Rome Avenue closed 
  • Precautionary water boil notice for hundreds of residents

The situation impacted hundreds of homes and left residents under a precautionary water boil notice Friday morning. 

There was some street flooding and minor damage at homes. 

The massive water main break started around 5 p.m. on Rome Avenue and Powhatan Avenue. As of 8 p.m., the flow of water to the break has been shut off. However, due to damage to the road N. Rome Avenue remains closed from Rio Vista to Hanna.

Crews have started the process of the replacing the 1950s-era pipes that broke. 

Crews will have to remove and replace pipes, then fill in the hole and repave the roadway. The pipe that has to be replaced is about 25-30 feet long.

Tampa Water Department Director Chuck Weber said repairing the pipe should be completed late Friday. Fixes for the road and sidewalks will take at least another week.

"We're going to have this cleaned up as quickly as we can," he said. "If we get the repairs done in a couple days, there's a good chance that we'll have the road restored within a week."

Hundreds will remain under the boil water notice and will be for the next few days. 

The area under the notice goes from Interstate 275 west to Dale Mabry Hwy and southward to MLK Blvd. and Busch Blvd. to the north. The stretch of Rome Avenue immediately around the water main break is blocked off. Hillsborough Avenue remains open.

Drivers are advised to avoid N. Rome Avenue north of Hillsborough Avenue, as work crews are expected to be out there cleaning up for several days.