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Water shoots into air in downtown Pittsburgh because of debris in sewer system

PITTSBURGH — Debris in a sewer system caused a buildup of water pressure, sending a geyser-like rush of water from a manhole on a busy Pittsburgh street early Tuesday.

The water issue was reported beneath the 10th Street Bypass. When crews arrived about 6 a.m., they found water pulsing and shooting from the manhole into the air.

Officials with the Allegheny County Sanitation Authority said recent rains have caused debris to clog sewer outlets that enable runoff to drain into the Allegheny River.

“Those flap gates open to allow those overflows to take place, and some debris from the river got stuck in the flap gate. As the flow is moving down the pipe, it pulsates, and that's why you had what looked like Old Faithful every 10, 15 seconds,” ALCOSAN spokeswoman Jeanne Clark said.

Crews temporarily plugged the geyser by parking a truck on top of the manhole.

A crane was brought in later and debris in the sewer system in the area was removed. The road was expected to reopen by 1 p.m.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.