Narrative:

At cruise FL350 autoplt on; water started dripping from ceiling aft of overhead panel. Contacted maintenance via ACARS. Drips increased. While contacting dispatch water flow increased to stream with most of the water going on center panel and me. Declared an emergency and landed at ZZZ. Exceeded 250 KTS below 10000 ft. Maintenance found broken potable water line in overhead panel just aft of crew entrance door. As it appears corrosion caused the water line to fail; perhaps all B737 aircraft should be inspected. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the leak started as a small drip and gradually deteriorated into a full spray covering the captain and the center electronics control panel. The loss of the #1 communication and navigation systems was immediate requiring the first officer to use the usable #2 system for descent and landing. The potable water 20 gallon water tank is pressurized with pneumatic air at 25 psi and has no water shutoff at the tank. Supply line to each galley and lav can be shut off but the supply line is still pressurized. The reporter said the technicians who removed the ceiling panel suspected corrosion ruptured the supply line. Supplemental information from acn 643716: maintenance found an overhead water line running from fwd galley to fwd lav; just over the cockpit door had ruptured. Various radios and ACARS were inoperative; and had to be replaced due to water damage. When I first noticed the water; I wish I could've removed the panel and possibly 'plug it' but since I had no screw driver; I was unable to do so. I feel we need some sort of tool kit available for emergency use. Luckily a divert airport was very close.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-500 AT FL350 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO PRESSURE WATER LEAK SPRAYING CAPT AND CTR ELECTRONICS CTL PANEL.

Narrative: AT CRUISE FL350 AUTOPLT ON; WATER STARTED DRIPPING FROM CEILING AFT OF OVERHEAD PANEL. CONTACTED MAINT VIA ACARS. DRIPS INCREASED. WHILE CONTACTING DISPATCH WATER FLOW INCREASED TO STREAM WITH MOST OF THE WATER GOING ON CTR PANEL AND ME. DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AT ZZZ. EXCEEDED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT. MAINT FOUND BROKEN POTABLE WATER LINE IN OVERHEAD PANEL JUST AFT OF CREW ENTRANCE DOOR. AS IT APPEARS CORROSION CAUSED THE WATER LINE TO FAIL; PERHAPS ALL B737 ACFT SHOULD BE INSPECTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE LEAK STARTED AS A SMALL DRIP AND GRADUALLY DETERIORATED INTO A FULL SPRAY COVERING THE CAPT AND THE CTR ELECTRONICS CTL PANEL. THE LOSS OF THE #1 COM AND NAV SYSTEMS WAS IMMEDIATE REQUIRING THE FO TO USE THE USABLE #2 SYSTEM FOR DSCNT AND LNDG. THE POTABLE WATER 20 GALLON WATER TANK IS PRESSURIZED WITH PNEUMATIC AIR AT 25 PSI AND HAS NO WATER SHUTOFF AT THE TANK. SUPPLY LINE TO EACH GALLEY AND LAV CAN BE SHUT OFF BUT THE SUPPLY LINE IS STILL PRESSURIZED. THE RPTR SAID THE TECHNICIANS WHO REMOVED THE CEILING PANEL SUSPECTED CORROSION RUPTURED THE SUPPLY LINE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 643716: MAINT FOUND AN OVERHEAD WATER LINE RUNNING FROM FWD GALLEY TO FWD LAV; JUST OVER THE COCKPIT DOOR HAD RUPTURED. VARIOUS RADIOS AND ACARS WERE INOP; AND HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WATER DAMAGE. WHEN I FIRST NOTICED THE WATER; I WISH I COULD'VE REMOVED THE PANEL AND POSSIBLY 'PLUG IT' BUT SINCE I HAD NO SCREW DRIVER; I WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. I FEEL WE NEED SOME SORT OF TOOL KIT AVAILABLE FOR EMER USE. LUCKILY A DIVERT ARPT WAS VERY CLOSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.