A Denver Water maintenance worker died early today when a high-pressure, 24-inch underground water line let go and flooded the hole he was working in.
Shawn Patilla, 35, of Denver, died at Swedish Hospital from head and neck injuries he received when a faulty water valve exploded around 11 p.m., Thursday. Co-workers said he was married and the father of three daughters. He had worked at Denver Water for five years, starting as a meter reader, they said.
Patilla, standing in an eight-foot deep hole that had been dug through the asphalt at 4100 S. University Boulevard opposite the entrance to Cherry Hills Country Club, was pinned down by “extremely high-pressure” water, said Denver Water spokeswoman Trina McGuire-Collier. Denver Water said that waterline held the water at a pressure of 90 pounds per square inch.
One co-worker in the hole with Patilla climbed out and another attempted to help him, along with two others who were on the roadway. Cherry Hills Police, who were directing traffic around the hole, called South Metro Fire, which assisted in pulling Patilla from the hole. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
“We’re just devastated by this,” she said. “I’ve never seen one of the valves let go, ever.”
Denver Water operates 2,600 miles of water pipelines through metro-Denver with more than 42,000 valves similar to the one that let go today, she said.
No customers were expected to lose water service as back-up lines were diverted to supply the affected area.
University Boulevard remained closed today between Hampden and Quincy Avenues. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s office estimated it would reopen around 6 p.m.
Workers said the excavated hole was less than 10 feet square, but that the escaping water quickly made it larger, encompassing more than half the width of the boulevard.
St. Mary’s Academy cancelled all classes today. Nearby Cherry Hills Elementary School and Kent-Denver Prep School, both on Quincy, remained open.
The work crew had been performing routine maintenance work on the waterline, disconnecting a service line from one source and hooking it to another, she said. A T-valve connecting the main 24-inch line with an 8-inch spur line let go for unknown reasons. Denver Water Manager of Safety Craig Austin said a thorough investigation will attempt to find out why.
Austin said routine maintenance work on heavily traveled roadways must be done during the night, as required by the Colorado Department of Transportation
