About a dozen people remain excluded from their apartments in a South Birmingham Avenue building after a water pipe break last saturday caused to building to be condemned.

Avalon borough manager Harry Dilmore said that the break occurred in a third floor apartment in a section of the building that was vacant and being remodeled. No one knows how long the water poured from the pipe, but it was not noticed until Saturday morning when someone spotted water on Florence Avenue and suspected a water main break in the street. Police traced the flood to the apartment building, where it was discovered that it had damaged all three floors plus the furnace room in the basement.

With the heavy water damage and sparking outlets, gas, electric and water service to the building were terminated and the dozen or so residents still living in another section of the building told they would have to leave. They were taken to the Avalon borough hall, and then transported to a motel by volunteer firefighters after the Red Cross made housing arrangements.

Dilmore said that the company that manages the building is in the process of repairing not only the water damage, but several building and safety code violations observed by various inspectors .