Main road to North Shore University Hospital reopened after water main break, officials say

The main road serving North Shore University Hospital’s Manhasset campus was temporarily closed after an "unprecedented" water main break forced a shutdown Thursday morning, officials said.

The hospital remained open, as did the emergency department, hospital spokesman Jason Molinet said.

Community Drive was temporarily shut from the Long Island Expressway to Valley Road, a Nassau police spokesman said. The break was reported at 8:05 a.m., the spokesman said.

Paul Schrader, superintendent of the Manhasset-Lakeville Water District, said repairs to the 24-inch concrete-reinforced pipe that ruptured should be done by the end of the day.

"It’s the largest transmission main in the district," Schrader said. 

Schrader said parts of the hospital complex were without water, adding water pressures across the district fell from 15 to 30 pounds per square inch, depending on the elevation.

The hospital has other sources of water so it remains supplied, Molinet said.