TEXAS - Water Tank Being Repaired Explodes, Injures 2

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Title: Water tank being repaired explodes, injures 2

March 21, 2000, 8:51PM

A woman and child were injured Tuesday after a privately owned water tank exploded next to their north Houston home.

The explosion occurred in the Willow Run subdivision about 2:15 p.m., just as a repairman was attempting to fix a large leak in one of the pressure tanks, located at Mosher and Aransas.

Elizabeth Huff, 27, and Michael Huff, 7, were taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital after they received cuts from flying debris while in their home next door, police said. They were in good condition and were expected to be released later Tuesday.

Police said the lid blew off the water tank and ricocheted as the man tried to shut down the system for repairs. The tank moved back a distance of eight feet, but the repairman escaped injury.

The impact caused minor damage to homes on each side. One house had broken windows and a damaged roof.

"The leak progressed sufficiently enough for the cap of the tank to blow off," said Rick Melcher, a spokesman for AquaSource, the company that owns the water system.

The water system, acquired by AquaSource in December, helps supply water to about 1,200 homes in the subdivision. Residents were asked to help conserve water because another water plant serving the neighborhood was not expected to adequately meet their demands throughout the night.

AquaSource officials called for another pressure tank to be delivered. They said they would work throughout the night to have it operating by this morning.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/499117

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), March 22, 2000


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