Water Service Disrupted to 4 San Diego Hospitals

For hours, a main resource needed in medical care - water - was not available to several San Diego-area hospitals, cut off by a water main break.

An 18-inch cast iron water pipe burst and caused street flooding waist-deep in parts in the Birdland community, located between State Route 163 and Interstate 805.

At Rady Children's hospital, it happened during a critical moment.

"We did have one surgery that was underway at the time. We were able to finish that up using bottled water and other infection control measures," said Rady Children's Hospital spokesperson Ben Metcalf.

They were the lucky ones, nearly an hour and half later, water was back on.

But at three major Sharp Hospitals had low water pressure.

However, a hospital spokeswoman says it didn't disrupt service.

"Currently we are operating as normal. We are accepting patients thru our emergency rooms, both walk ins and ambulance arrivals,"said spokesperson Paula Berberick. [[273936271,C]]

The hospitals say they have stockpiles of water in case of emergencies like these.

At Juvenile Hall, the building closest to the water main break, there was no water.

Portable toilets were brought in and there were talks of transferring the inmates. [[273936291,C]]

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