UPDATE: 5:00 p.m.
Some Lower Sahali residents may have the taps turned off a while longer after a water main break yesterday.
Utility services manager Greg Wightman says city crews are still trying to find where the break happened, which is impacting about 20 homes on Greenstone Drive.
“That one, unfortunately we’re still just trying to find the break there. That’s been a real challenge throughout the day. We’ve got quite an elevation on that road there, so you end up having to chase that leak up and down the hill. We think we’re getting a little closer but we still haven’t found the source of the break on that one, so hard to make an estimate at this point.”
For the other water main break at 4th and Columbia, Wightman says crews will be done repairs at 6:30 this evening, “which will get water back to the folks at Glenfair Estates, who have been unfortunately without water since about 5:30 p.m. last night.”
Both breaks are believed to have been caused by “recent extreme weather.”
UPDATE: 10:00 a.m.
Work is still ongoing to repair and replace two water main breaks in Kamloops last night.
Utility Services Manager Greg Wightman says heavy frost made excavation difficult last night, but work to replace the pipe began in earnest around 8:30 AM this morning.
“Spent most of the night just trying to locate the source of the break, and it’s right at a hydrant tee actually which is going to make our repair efforts a little more challenging than if it was just on the main,” he said. “But it’s nothing we can’t handle.”
“We will continue to be on site there throughout the day until that repair is made.”
There was another break on Greenstone Drive between Bestwick Drive and Pyramid Court, affecting about 20 houses.
“Again, it’s a bit of a challenge with the slight incline on that street,” he said. “It makes finding the break a little more challenging but we’ll be working on that one throughout the day until we get that one repaired.”
Wightman believes that both breaks are likely the result of recent extreme weather.
“When temperatures are dropping below -20, and you start to see that warming trend after, that’s when we get some shifting in the ground and a lot of the metal mains – and both these mains are cast iron mains – they seem to have some challenges,” added Wightman.
Glenfair Estates is still without water, while the BC government offices nearby are closed for the day.
Ponderosa Lodge was the hardest hit with water damage last night.
ORIGINAL: 5:40 a.m.
City crews worked through the night to fix a water main break last evening in the downtown.
Initially thought to be a private water line that ruptured near the Ministry of Forests building behind the Kamloops Law Courts, the city later confirmed it was one of their lines that was the culprit.
Utility Services Manager Greg Wightman confirmed that the line at the northeast corner of Columbia Street and Fourth Avenue ruptured due to the colder than normal temperatures.
That area was the most affected, with some water damage at Ponderosa Lodge.
“City street crews have been working on clearing the water and ice from these streets and will continue to monitor the roads throughout the night,” Wightman said. “However, drivers should use caution when in the area.”
Wightman expects things to be fixed by this morning.
Also affected by this break is Glenfair Estates, which wasn’t flooded, but at the last update was out of water.
This is 4th and Columbia right now. Looks like some kind water main or pipe break. #Kamloops pic.twitter.com/2qKt7gz7v7
— shane woodford (@WoodfordCHNL) February 8, 2019
