SOHO — The 1 train was disrupted through lower Manhattan during Friday morning's commute after a Varick Street water main ruptured and spilled "tens of thousands of gallons," officials said.
The 12-inch pipe started flooding the east side of the street about 5:45 a.m. after breaking outside 150 Varick St., near Spring Street, officials said.
"Tens of thousands of gallons of water have flowed [out]," according to FDNY Battalion Chief John Dunne.
Crews were worried that the water might damage a high-pressure steam line encased in asbestos, Dunne said.
"They were concerned that the cold water might cause that line to blow, which would've been a much more major problem," the chief said.
Trains along the 1 train were briefly suspended but resumed with delays about 8:20 a.m., the MTA said.
A nearby Starbucks was temporarily shut down, but no other buildings lost any water, Dunne said.
ConEd shut off steam to six buildings, a spokesman said.
The Department of Environmental Protection was able to shut off the water main and stop the water from flowing, but officials had no estimate for when full repairs would be complete.
