A freshwater leak has been running for months under the bridge near Santa Barbara Boulevard and Cape Coral Parkway East in Cape Coral. The culprit: an old, corroded above-ground metal water pipe. Because that pipe sits exposed to sun, rain, and humidity, it’s wearing out faster than pipes usually do.
The city admits it just learned about the leak last month, but neighbors say they spotted it long before then. Frustrated residents started contacting the city’s 311 Call Center and posting about the leak online. While the city insists it’s not a major break, it’s not pouring out hundreds of gallons an hour, the delay drags on. The reason is that workers had to place a special order for six new valves, and they’re still waiting for the parts.
In the meantime, people living nearby are worried, especially with the current watering restrictions. The city estimates repairs will start and finish within the next month, but there’s more disruption ahead. Fixing the pipe means shutting off water temporarily for businesses and medical facilities in the area, and traffic on Cape Coral Parkway could get messy.
City staff say they’ll coordinate with contractors to limit the headaches as much as possible and promise to notify affected businesses once they sort out the timeline. For now, everyone’s waiting on those elusive replacement parts.
