A large water main break early this morning shut down a stretch of Anaheim Street and knocked out some water service near the Traffic Circle, according to authorities.

“Avoid Anaheim,” Rick Bylsma, a water utilities supervisor, simply put it.

Long Beach Water Department crews clean up the mess left by a large water main break early this morning. Photo by Steven Smith.

Anaheim Street was completely shut down between Park and Roswell avenues, Arantxa Chavarria from the Long Beach Police Department said. The water main on 14th Street and Ximeno Avenue broke just after midnight on Saturday.

“Long Beach Water is on site working quickly to make repairs,” Kaylee Weatherly from the Long Beach Water Department wrote in an email Saturday afternoon. “We anticipate repairs will be completed by the next eight to 10 hours.”

Water service has been shut down in the immediate area, but Long Beach Water is providing bottled water at the corner of 14th Street and Ximeno, under the Long Beach Water blue pop-up canopies, she said.

Employees are also going door-to-door to explain the situation to residents and give them water if needed.

The Long Beach Fire Department, along with police and the water department responded to the scene last night, Capt. Matt Dobberpuhl said. The fire department cleared the scene around 3:30 a.m., with crews from the water department still cleaning up the muddy mess and police directing traffic.

Anaheim Street should reopen later this afternoon, but Ximeno will not reopen until Sunday, Bylsma said.

Officials were unable to say what caused the break.

Valerie Osier is the Social Media & Newsletter Manager for the Long Beach Post. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @ValerieOsier