Cleanup continues in New Westminster as residents remain without power after water main break
New Westminster resident Andre Pellerin never expected to be camping in his own home, but after living without power for the last two days, he said that's exactly what it feels like he's doing.
"We are using all our camping stuff to cook food," he told CBC News.
Pellerin has lived in a highrise at 71 Jamieson Court near East Columbia St for three years. Late Thursday night, a three-foot diameter pipe burst near 240 Francis Way, sending torrents of water into his building and others nearby.
Floodwaters rushed into the lower floors of his building and the neighbouring tower at 71 Jamieson Court, submerging cars in parkades and damaging storage lockers.
Andre Pellerin said his new Hyundai Santa F was partly submerged in water when he went to check on it on Friday morning. (CBC)
"The water was up to my knees," Pellerin said, recalling what he saw when he went to check on his Hyundai Santa Fe, which he bought just three months ago. "I think [the water] was over the handle or something, so I knew my car was gone."
Power to the two highrises was shut off after water entered the electrical rooms, and the City of New Westminster says the outage will continue until they dry out and are deemed safe to reconnect.
"They put out a notice that some generators are gonna come by. Beats me when it's gonna happen," said Pellerin.
WATCH | New Westminster water main break shuts down roads and causes some evacuations:
He says he has already submitted a claim request for his car to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) and is waiting to get a response.
For some other residents though, the damage has been irreplaceable.
Zell Rocha, an artist and music teacher, who has lived in the building for five years, said she fears most of her artwork in the building's storage lockers has been lost.
"A lot of those artworks had to do with my stories as a disabled person and with my heritage," she said. "They are hard to replace…I am told that it can't be retrieved right now."
Crews are working to remove water from two buildings on Jamieson Court. The City of New Westminster said Columbia Street will remain closed in all directions for several more hours while this work continues. (CBC)
Around 50 residents evacuated from nearby residences
Water also flooded nearby buildings and around 50 residents from approximately 20 units along the 225 and 245 Francis Way had to be evacuated.
According to the city, some residents of the first-floor units were permitted to collect their belongings, though an engineer is still assessing whether they can remain. Most residents of 245 Francis Way have been able to return home.
Metro Vancouver said in an update Saturday that crews had stopped the flow of water from the water main "within a few hours of the leak being isolated."
Cause yet unknown
The cause of the water main break remains under investigation, said Brant Arnold-Smith, Division Manager of Protective Services and Emergency Management with Metro Vancouver.
"Our engineers and water services teams will be conducting a full investigation and then sharing updates on that investigation and the outcome of that investigation with the public, once we have more to share," he told CBC News Saturday afternoon.
Metro Vancouver chief administrative officer Jerry Dobrovolny said the pipes were built in the 1960s and are halfway through their life cycle.
"We'll have to take a look once we can excavate ... to see what the cause of the failure was," he added.
Excavation began Friday afternoon to assess the cause of the break, and work continued through Saturday.
The regional district said it is working with the City of New Westminster to pump water out of buildings and restore access and power.
Metro Vancouver said residents may notice cloudiness or reduced pressure in their drinking water, but the water remains safe to consume.
The city said Columbia Street remains closed in both directions between McBride Boulevard and Richmond Street as crews continue to pump water from the buildings.
There is no timeline yet for when power will be restored to Jamieson Court or when all displaced residents will be able to return home.
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