Repairs on a water main break that left hundreds of East Baltimore residents who have been without water since Saturday have not been holding, preventing crews from restoring water service, a Public Works spokesman said Tuesday morning.

"Every time they put the water in, they find a leak," said DPW spokesman Robert Murrow.

Water was shut off between Fayette and Lombard Streets and Broadway and Caroline Street, he said.

The 20-inch main inside City Springs Park in the 1600 block of E. Lombard St. was originally repaired by 4:23 a.m. Monday morning, but three additional small water service lines also broke when they started allowing water to flow through the repaired main, Murrow said.

City crews repaired those problems and were restoring running water Monday afternoon when the sealing on the repair clamps failed, Murrow said.

Workers then attempted to turn on the water at 5:33 a.m. Tuesday, but it did not hold, the spokesman said.

The city is still repairing the broken pipe, but anticipates that water will be back Tuesday evening, Murrow said in an email at 12:30 p.m.

Drinking water is available at the intersection of North Bond Street and East Baltimore Street, he said.

liz.kay@baltsun.com