Sometimes workers might be turning the valves and they might break, he said. At other times, he said it would take more time to knock on doors and alert residents than it would to shut down water, make the necessary repairs and restore it again. But in the situations De Santis described, the contractor responded within an hour and a half, which Kocher described as reasonable.
"We'll revisit this issue to see if we can do any additional notification," Kocher said.
He recommended that residents, knowing that sudden water outages may occur, keep some buckets and bottles of water handy for immediate needs.
WHO CAN FIX THIS Paul Burgee, construction projects supervisor, Baltimore Department of Public Works, 410-396-3671. City residents can also call 311 to report problems.
Liz F. Kay
UPDATE
The railroad tracks have been removed from Reisterstown Road in Owings Mills, a Watchdog spy reports.
Several readers had complained in June about a stomach-dropping dip and uneven road surface near Owings Mills Boulevard due to tracks that had sat unused for years.
Last weekend, CSX workers removed the tracks, and the State Highway Administration assisted with lane closures.
Watchdog's spy reports that the road is "much much much improved."
Some readers had expressed concern that fixing the road would prompt motorists to speed through the intersection. However, the spy said a slight dip still remains, although it's definitely better than the bone-rattling jolt that one used to experience in this area. The bottom line? Drivers should still slow down, the spy said.
