One Additional Leak Overnight - 3 Active Water Main Breaks and 8 Active Service Leaks on City Side
PRINCE RUPERT, DECEMBER 20th, 2022 – The City of Prince Rupert remains in a Local State of Emergency today. Although there was only one additional break overnight last night, there continue to be three water supply main repairs underway at Crestview, 7th Ave East and 1st Avenue East. There are also currently 8 active service leaks on the City side that are either scheduled for repairs or under investigation, as well as four known homeowner-side water service leaks. As previously mentioned, one of these leaks occurred overnight, with the remainder being those that had occurred over the past week. The City also now has three contractors assisting with repairs, as well as two sub-contractors, alongside the City’s own 24-hour rotating crews. Additional resources have been offered by Port Edward, and we thank them for their offer of help during the holiday season. We would also like to extend our thanks to both our own crews and our contractors for their hard work in frigid conditions, when we know many would prefer to be home with their families as we get into holiday season.
Although things trended downwards last night, the overall picture of breaks means that local capacity continues to be stretched thin, which means our Local State of Emergency remains in effect to ensure that we can adequately respond to water infrastructure issues. Emergency personnel are also aware that there may be another uptick in leaks when the weather gets above zero degrees, projected in the next week, with the thawing of the ground contributing to shifting of pipes and potential for additional breaks. Our Emergency Operations Centre is actively monitoring the situation, regular updates will continue to be provided, and the need to continue the Local State of Emergency will be assessed based on emerging conditions.
We continue to ask homeowners to run their taps to prevent freezing, and to be patient with City crews on other issues as the current focus is responding to water repairs as well as salting/sanding. Given local conditions, we ask that if you call our Customer Service or After Hours numbers, that you do so ONLY for emergency repairs or service. If you experience a water break City infrastructure in your neighbourhood, evidenced by significantly reduced water pressure and no indication of a break in your home, please call (250) 624 6795 during regular office hours, and (250) 624 3000 after hours (evenings and weekends). If you experience a water break that is known to be in your home, please shut off your water via the shut off valve in your home and call a plumber directly.
As we stated in our original release, although the City is taking these steps to avoid disruptions in service, it is always recommended that community members have 4L of water per person in your household for a 72 hour period, on hand as a part of emergency kits. This water does not need to be store-bought, but can be filled from your taps, as there is no quality advisory currently in place.
Note that traffic impacts may be experienced in impacted neighbourhoods. Although the City does our best to inform the community about these disruptions, we ask that due to slippery road conditions and limited visibility during evening repairs, that drivers are especially conscientious about potential construction.
For additional information, see the original release on the Local State of Emergency.
Media Contact
Veronika Stewart, Communications Manager, City of Prince Rupert
Office: (250) 627 0976
Cell: (778) 884 6285
Email: veronika.stewart@princerupert.ca