The water stopped flowing late Wednesday night, but crews have their work cut out for them after a water main break in a river valley neighbourhood flooded streets and basements.
EPCOR Crews said they started receiving calls about the water gushing from the ground after 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
The water continued flowing for more than two hours – the water partially submerged some parked cars, and flowed into basements.
“It had literally pushed the windows open, my husband went and shut them,” Resident Charity Ambs said. “After that it was just pouring through any kind of crack.”
The ice buildup forced the closure of the Dawson Bridge.
“This is the time of the year when water main breaks do occur,” EPCOR spokesperson Michelle St-Amand said. “What happens is the frost layer is being pushed down into the ground, and it causes the ground to shift and infrastructure often doesn’t shift with the ground.”
EPCOR said water main breaks happen more often in the winter because of freezing – there are between 3 and 400 each year.
Crews managed to isolate the break and stop the water by 8:30 p.m.
About 20 customers did not have power overnight – EPCOR said service was restored by mid-morning.
A number of neighbours banded together to help eachother cleanup the massive mess left in the wake of the break.
“My sidewalks buckled, water in the garage, flooded the garage, flooded the basement,” Resident Carol McDonald said. “Fortunately, neighbours and friends came over.”
Graders have been called in to help clean up the mess, and sanders worked to help make the streets passable.
With files from Dez Melenka
