Dundalk businesses, residents frustrated after third water main break this summer

Parts of Dundalk, Maryland, are without water for at least the third time this summer after another water main break.

The latest break happened near the intersection of Merritt Boulevard and Wise Avenue, forcing businesses and residents in the area to deal with another disruption.

"We don't know when we're going to open either. That's another scary thing," said Marc Tsakiris, the owner of Boulevard Diner, which sits near the intersection.

Tsakiris said the restaurant was forced to close because of the water outage. He said this marks the third time in the last three months that the business has been impacted by a water main break.

"Numbers are down overall, especially summertime," Tsakiris said. "I guess people don't really go out as much. Maybe they're away. The economy is a little rough right now. So when you have a closure like this, it sets you pretty far back. You have utilities due, food costs, payroll — those bills don't stop coming."

"It's very inconvenient"

According to the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW), crews were called to the intersection of Merritt Boulevard and Wise Avenue Tuesday night and found a 12-inch break in a water main.

Officials said the break caused a sinkhole, forcing crews to shut off water in the area while repairs are made.

However, residents said they had not seen crews working at the site for much of the day.

"It's very inconvenient. You can't shower, you can't bathe, you can't cook. You can't do laundry. You can't do anything," said Shayna Blankenship, who lives across the street. "And you call 311, and they say, 'Oh, we have crews out there working.' And I come up here to the site. It's been like this since 7 o'clock this morning. I've been up here a few times and nobody is up here working. No one."

Blankenship said her water has been shut off four times this summer, and despite calling 311 multiple times, she has not received many answers.

She believes increased tractor-trailer traffic on Merritt Boulevard following the Key Bridge collapse has contributed to deteriorating road conditions.

"They definitely need to get the trucks, these big tractor-trailers, off these local roads in these tight communities because these roads were not built for that," Blankenship said.

Tsakiris said he hopes to reopen Boulevard Diner Thursday, but if the issues continue, he would like to see the city provide assistance to businesses affected by repeated closures.

"When you pay taxes as a business, you do contribute quite a bit annually between sales and use and property tax — probably over $200,000, I'm sure. There should be a little bit set aside. We're not asking for millions of dollars here, just a couple thousand to be able to push us through the difficult months," Tsakiris said.

DPW is investigating the water main breaks

In a statement, DPW said its Office of Engineering and Construction is analyzing the increase in water main breaks in Dundalk.

DPW has not provided an estimated time for when water service will be restored.