Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink in Cambridge as main bursts

12:20 a.m. update: Water from the MWRA coursing through Cambridge mains is bringing the pressure back up. Jesse Kanson-Benanav reported: "My toilet water tank suddenly just started filling itself up."

Flooded Cambridge street, by Ron Adams. Posted under this Creative Commons license.

A 30-inch water main ruptured shortly after 9 p.m. at Broadway and Trowbridge Street, sending water gushing into the streets (photo via Channel 7), causing major outages across the city (except in parts of north Cambridge).

MIT called in emergency workers to help protect buildings - in part by telling any researchers doing work with flammable materials to wait until the water came back on. Cambridge Hospital stopped admitting patients. Police shut down roads around the break - and had waterlogged cars towed away.

As Cambridge residents were quick to remind Bostonians during last year's aquapocalypse, Cambridge has its own water system, so the break didn't affect surrounding communities. Cambridge Police report the city hopes to connect to an MWRA main to help restore pressure.

Some more observations:

David Krancher:

The water has been shut off in Cambridge. Undaunted, citizens are flushing their toilets with extra-virgin olive oil.

With no water, Ana washed her hands in seltzer. With no water, Trinity Simons boiled pasta in beer.