A SINKHOLE caused by a water main break has swallowed a car in Wickham.
The break, which happened at about 6am, also caused 38 homes to lose water around Albert Street, Wickham on Thursday morning.
Owner Simon West said he first saw emergency services lights about 5am and went outside to investigate.
“It’s the worst I have seen, and there have been a few on this street,’’ Mr West said.
“You could see it was bubbling around my car. There was no way I could move it.
“The main was turned off and about an hour later we heard a crunch and it had fallen in.’’
The car was pulled free about 9am although it may be a write-off.
It’s the family’s only car.
“They didn’t believe me at work when I told them I wouldn’t in this morning, that I had a broken water main under my car,’’ Mr West said.
“I sent them in a photo.’’
But what was a headache for Mr West, was a bit of fun for his seven-year-old son, Gus.
Gus West spent the morning watching the repair works to the water main from the verandah of his family home.
“I think it’s really fun because it’s never happened before,” Gus said.
“It’s the best day of my life so far.”
The best part of it all, according to Gus, is he cant get to school because his dad can’t drive him.
Mr West’s sister, Nina West, has lived on Albert Street for five years and said problems with the water main were ongoing.
“It is not the first time a water main has burst on this street,” Ms West said.
“Talking to the guys at Hunter Water, they said they don’t get enough money to replace the pipes, it’s all just bandage jobs.
“It is going to keep on happening and it is pretty scary to think about the privatisation of Hunter Water because when that happens we will all pay for the cost of replacing the pipes.
“It’s a much bigger issue, not just a burst water pipe. Something really needs to be done about it. Every time it rains the pipes back-up and there is flooding.”
Patrick Mulroy has lived in Albert Street for 50 years and said this was the third time the street had been flooded due the water main bursting in recent years.
“Two years ago the place nearly got washed out,” Mr Mulroy said.
He said in 2014 the front of his house became undermined after the water main burst just a few metres from his home.
“I had to pack sand underneath it, I had to do it myself,” he said.
“The pipes bust because they are old and dilapidated, they need replacing.”
Comment is being sought from Hunter Water.
Chris Wheatley lives on Albert Street and woke up this morning to the sight of his neighbour’s car stuck in hole.
“We live right in front of where it happened. I woke up and the neighbour’s car was in the ditch,” Mr Wheatley said.
The force of the rushing water had deteriorated the soil beneath the road, which led to the subsidence on Albert Street.
Hunter Water arrived on the scene to find two wheels from one car collapsed in the hole, which would have been about one metre deep.
To repair the street, the cars will be removed from the area, the street will be de-watered and then the mains will be repaired.
Preliminary repairs are expected to be completed by midday, which is the same time residents are expected to get their water back.
Further works will need to be completed over the next few days to repair the road.
