Vince Calleado was sitting in the living room of his home on the corner of 8th Avenue and Maluhia Street watching TV about 8:30 yesterday morning when he heard what he thought was the whoosh of a passing road sweeper.

When the sound grew louder and lasted longer than it should have, Colleado peered out his front door and saw where the sound was coming from.

"The water was just flying up out of the hole in the ground coming down right on top of that house," Colleado said, motioning to the home across the street.

An older house at 1505 Pukele Ave., which is also at the intersection of 8th and Maluhia, bore the brunt of the geyser, with thousands of gallons of water slamming down on its roof each minute.

A woman who lives in the house declined comment, saying only the ordeal lasted about 45 minutes. With two pre-teen girls standing next to her, she watched from across the street as the virtual waterfall poured off the home she lives in while Board of Water Supply workers tried to shut off the valve to the water main.

Board of Water Supply officials yesterday were still working on an estimate of the damage to the home, said spokeswoman Wanda Yamane.

The problems began when a service line to a nearby fire hydrant erupted and cut off water service to 15 homes in the area until about noon.

The water stopped short of Colleado's house, but he made sure all of his windows were closed just in case the geyser changed direction.

"Nothing like this ever happened during the seven or eight years we've lived here," Colleado said.

He also estimated the deluge lasted a good 45 minutes before work crew members managed to turn the water off.

A late-model Chevrolet parked on the street in front of Colleado's house received a thorough drenching but appeared unscathed and looked like it had just come from a car wash.

Ellen Rogers was visiting an aunt who lives around the corner when the water cut loose.

"It began to bubble up through the ground closer to the sidewalk, and then it started shooting up through the street," Rogers said.

Reach David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com.