A burst water main flooded a basement substation, cutting power to thousands in Melbourne's CBD.
A burst water main in a carpark on Little Collins Street flooded a basement substation, leading to a power shutdown that affected approximately 10,000 customers in Melbourne's central business district (CBD). CitiPower confirmed the incident and initiated repairs.
Incident Timeline and Scope
- The water main burst at a carpark on Little Collins Street on Monday evening.
- Floodwaters entered a zone substation in the basement of the property.
- CitiPower turned off power from the site for safety reasons, impacting approximately 10,000 customers in the south-eastern sections of the CBD.
- As of 5:30pm, approximately 5,700 customers were without power.
- By 7pm, approximately 5,000 customers remained offline.
- As of 8pm, approximately 1,000 customers remained without power.
Crews restored power to over 4,000 customers by redirecting supply.
Response and Repairs
CitiPower restored power to over 4,000 customers by redirecting supply. Crews remained on site to remove thousands of litres of water from the substation using pump trucks. Following water removal, crews will conduct damage assessments and begin repairs. CitiPower stated that crews would work through the night. Customers were provided with updates via SMS and the company's website.
Broader Impacts
- Traffic: Up to 40 sets of traffic lights lost power across the CBD, East Melbourne, and South Yarra. VicTraffic advised drivers to treat non-functioning traffic lights as stop or give-way intersections.
- Public Transport: Some Metro train lines experienced delays.
- Hospitals: Power was restored to Epworth Freemasons hospitals on Albert Street and Victoria Parade after a couple of hours. Emergency lighting was activated, and no patients were moved.