Broken sprinkler causes 'waterfall' down front of SF building

A broken sprinkler system at the top of an office building in San Francisco's Financial District sent water cascading down to the street below and drenching passersby Friday morning, according to fire officials.

A broken valve was reported at 9:27 a.m. at a building at Kearny and Market streets.

Justin Wheeler said he was working inside the T-Mobile store on Market Street Friday morning when he heard a commotion outside on the street.

So the St Louis native poked his curious head out the door, and saw an unusual deluge when he looked up.

"Gallons. Just a sheet of water, just pouring down," said Wheeler.

The manager at Hakkasan restaurant on the building's second floor said staff had seen the water falling, but said the flooding had not affected restaurant operations.

"It was a lot of water," said Alexandra Tejada, who works at the restaurant. "It was going on for about 15 minutes."

The San Francisco Fire Department was called and Truck 13 responded. Department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said by the time firefighters got to the 12th floor a building employee had the water turned off.

Talmadge said it was a pipe from a sprinkler system that broke causing the massive waterfall onto the sidewalk down below.

The property manager of the building declined to comment. The building remained open to the businesses located inside the property.

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Broken sprinkler causes 'waterfall' down front of SF building