Some Pinellas County utility customers have been asked to conserve water after a sinkhole reopened along Mango Street.
A contractor was working on the hole when it reopened, busting a 30-inch sewer force main.
The sinkhole filled up and crews pumped gallons out of it the entire day. They need to do that before they can repair the pipe. Authorities said a temporary repair is not possible until Saturday. Then they can try to permanently repair the pipe.
The sinkhole is located outside of the Tarpon Shores Mobile Home Park. Several homes were evacuated.
Walter Cooper and his wife had to leave their home for a few nights. The Red Cross has offered to help those families who were forced to evacuate.
"When they told me the house might sink, that's fine, as long as she's safe that's all that matters," Cooper said.
Cooper does not know exactly how many days he'll be away from home.
"We just leave it in the Lord's hands and that's it. What he does he does. See in the scripture, it says the Lord will take care of your needs not your wants. So, as long as you need, he'll take care of you. So, I need him to take care of me right now," Cooper said.
The sinkhole is about 80-feet wide. It is unclear how deep the sinkhole is.
Pinellas County Utilities customers who live east of Lake Tarpon and north of East Lake Woodlands have been asked to minimize how much water they use the next couple of days.
Authorities want people to turn off their faucet when they're shaving or brushing their teeth, take shorter showers, use their dishwasher when it's full, and get rid of any excessive water in your garden and not down the drain.
If you would like more information on what you should do, go the county's website.
