Water main break in Bay View, residents share photos of flooded Milwaukee street
Updated: Feb. 23, 2026
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee Water Works responded to the scene of a water main break in Bay View on Sunday, Feb. 22.
The water main break happened in the area of Kinnickinnic and California. A spokesperson with the Department of Public Works said about 30 customers were without water as crews addressed a 16-inch water main break.
Milwaukee Water Works Superintendent Patrick Pauly said the call came into his department on Sunday around 1 p.m. Crews were on scene working into the late evening hours in cold temperatures.
“The repair turned out to be a replacement of 5 feet of pipe, because there was 5 feet of pipe that had multiple corrosion holes that were of a larger size than we typically see, which explains the volume of water,” Pauly said. “It was far worse than what we typically experience.”
Pauly estimated a total of 100,000 gallons escaped the pipes. Lori LaGrow lives in the area and sent CBS 58 photos of the flooding.
“I’ve had power outages and everything else in Bay View, but never a water main break,” LaGrow said. “I was concerned about my neighbors and the businesses around here.”
Milwaukee Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic commended crews for working in difficult conditions to fix the water main break.
“I want to thank our public works and water workers for their swift action to deal with this situation,” Dimitrijevic said to CBS 58 in a statement.
On Monday, most of the water had frozen to ice or went down the drain and was no longer a concern for neighbors in the area.
To report a water emergency in Milwaukee, such as a water main break, broken fire hydrant, or no water service, call the Milwaukee Water Works 24-hour Control Center immediately at (414) 286-3710. This line is staffed 24/7 to handle urgent repairs and service issues.
Published: Feb. 22, 2026
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee Water Works is responding to the scene of a water main break in Bay View on Sunday, Feb. 22.
The break happened in the area of Kinnickinnic and California.
A spokesperson with the Department of Public Works said about 30 customers were without water as crews addressed a 16-inch water main break.
Photos shared by Lori LaGrow show the area flooded.
Megan Husband sent over her video of the water main break to CBS 58. She said the area was flooded for several hours.
Crews don't know the cause of the water main break or the extent of the damages at this time.