Latest news with #watermainbreak
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
St. Andrew's Public School in Cambridge closed for water main break
St. Andrew's Public School in Cambridge was closed Thursday, due to a water main break. In a release by the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), they confirmed facility services staff and contractors were on site working to address the break. Students were switched to learn remotely for the day. WRDSB said staff would provide updates as they became available. A track and field meet happening at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School resumed as normal.
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Review finds no evidence of 'unprofessional conduct' in Calgary water main break
Social Sharing As the one-year anniversary of last June's catastrophic water main break approaches, an independent review of the incident suggests that there was no wrongdoing by the City of Calgary's engineering or geoscience services. The findings of a new report by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) suggest that the pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) failure experienced by the Bearspaw south feeder main is consistent with incidents across North America. "PCCP manufacturing standards were relaxed from the late 1960s to the early 1970s by the American Water Works Association, resulting in a high rate of premature failures, and standards have since been strengthened," reads a release by APEGA. WATCH | Pipe material to blame for rupture: Independent engineering report says city's response to water main rupture met professional standards 1 hour ago Duration 1:43 The report found "no indications of unskilled practice or unprofessional conduct." Had such evidence been found, APEGA would have launched a formal investigation. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek told CBC News that she's pleased with the findings of the independent review. "I think that's the kind of reassurance that Calgarians are seeking, that this incident was managed in a professional manner," she said. The Bearspaw south feeder main, Calgary's largest water feeder main and the pipe that transfers the majority of the city's treated water, ruptured on June 5, 2024. Since then, the water main has undergone significant repairs, while the incident prompted the City of Calgary to add water distribution infrastructure failure to its list of high-risk emergency scenarios. The independent report's findings are consistent with the results of a review commissioned by the city in 2024. Last year's forensic investigation, led by Associated Engineering, cited microcracking along the protective mortar outer layer of the pipe, high chloride levels in the soil at various locations, and snapped wires following corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement as factors that contributed to the failure of the feeder main, though no singular factor could be identified as the primary cause of the rupture. Rupture was 'hard to predict' Kerry Black, a civil engineering professor at the University of Calgary, said it's important for people to understand that the factors behind the rupture "are hard to predict," even by experts. "They really did have a robust maintenance and prevention plan in place at the time of the rupture," she said. "Certainly we've seen other municipalities looking to the City of Calgary as a model, as an example of how you can do monitoring and prevention well, but that even when you do, things can go wrong." The city is responsible for 16,000 kilometres of waste, storm and drinking water pipes, according to its own figures. "There's a reality that monitoring and maintaining all of those kilometres of pipes is difficult," said Black. While she believes Calgary has "a good plan in place," she said the city could do a better job of communicating its water infrastructure work, and the costs associated with that, to Calgarians. "I know it's something that nobody really wants to hear about, but there's a reality: infrastructure costs money," she said. "For me, [it's] that long-term planning of how are we getting everyday Calgarians to understand how costly it is to provide the infrastructure that we all rely on so much, and are we willing to help shepherd a path forward to acknowledging that?" Gondek said that she and the city's infrastructure services general manager Michael Thompson will present "a detailed summary" next week, highlighting what's been done by the city since last year's incident.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Residents still frustrated nearly 3 months after massive water main break in Southwest Detroit
Nearly three months after the major water main break in Southwest Detroit, residents say they are still recovering and frustrated with the city's response. "We have not been able to use the building at all. We have no gas and no electricity, still, from that day," said Jaime Carrillo. Jaime Carrillo, the owner of the Ballet Folklorico Moyocoyani Izel studio on Rowan Street, says he has been working to get the space back open, but is running into one obstacle after another. Those delays have led to little progress, leaving the studio in the same shape it was in three months ago. "We still had to do a lot of clean-up on our own, and we still have to. I still have to get some basic like inspections and stuff like that from engineers and stuff, but I've not been able to get anybody out here," said Carrillo. "I drive by here every day hoping that everything is done." Carrillo says he's not alone in the community's growing frustrations with the city, energy and insurance contractors regarding what he calls a complicated and lengthy claims and repair process. "People are still worried, mad. I mean, I think they have a mix of emotions and stuff, just because things have not been done the way they said they were. Of course, it's taken a lot longer," said Carrillo. One of Carrillo's biggest problems is electricity. He says the city installed new circuit panels quickly, but nothing since. CBS News Detroit reached out to DTE, which said it hadn't received any calls about reconnection from Carrillo's address but would send a crew immediately. Carrillo says the pain of starting over has been a big burden on this tight-knit community. "All these people that live here, they work really hard and a lot of them work paycheck to paycheck, and for this to happen to them, it's devastating," said Carrillo. Bryan Peckinpaugh with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department says Carrillo's concerns are hard to hear. "We've been striving to be very compassionate with everybody there and making sure that we extend our hand whenever possible to offer assistance," said Peckinpaugh. He says that, in an effort, the city has held two in-person meetings for residents on April 26 and May 17 with claims adjusters to discuss any issues and hopes to have every claim settled by the end of June. "Just because the disaster ends doesn't mean we won't be in the community, in the months and years to come," said Peckinpaugh.
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
Lax standards more than 50 years ago contributed to Calgary water main break, report says
A report says lax manufacturing standards more than 50 years ago and the breakdown of pipe materials likely caused the water main break that devastated Calgary's water supply last year. The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta says there's nothing to suggest malpractice by the city led to the rupture and that it was complying with group regulations. 'No indications of unskilled practice or unprofessional conduct were found during the practice review,' the association wrote in a news release Wednesday. Calgarians were asked last June to severely limit their water use after one of the city's two main water pipes burst, flooding a street with clean water. The city found numerous sections of pipe needed repairs, extending water restrictions into late September. After Calgary's water crisis, a Globe analysis finds trouble brewing in Canada's pipes The feeder main was expected to function for 100 years, but the report says relaxed standards around the time it was built in the 1970s may have led to the premature failure. Standards have since improved, the professional association said. The report suggests the pipe's concrete coating generated small cracks over the years and wires around it eventually snapped. 'The design of the pipe in the 1970s, while acceptable at the time, may not have been sufficient to prevent microcracking, leading to accelerated corrosion from aggressive environmental conditions over the entire life of the pipe,' the association wrote in the 596-page report. Soil chemicals such as chloride, found in snow and ice melt, often attack the concrete and steel wires that envelop the pipe, and the authors said the city should consider sampling the soil along its key water mains – particularly along major roadways and snow-removal routes. The report adds that strong monitoring and predictive technologies won't prevent a rupture from happening in the future. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said spending more to maintain Calgary's water system isn't optional and she's preparing to share an update next week on current and future improvements. 'We're taking this seriously,' she wrote in a statement.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Bellevue intersection reopens after water main break, but rough road conditions remain
A major water main break forced the closure of a key intersection in Bellevue for much of Monday, impacting traffic, public transportation, and nearby businesses, according to city officials. Crews closed 148th Avenue Northeast between Northeast 20th Street and Bel-Red Road early Monday after water began gushing from underground pipes, raising concerns about road damage and structural stability. The break caused pavement buckling in some areas, prompting a full closure of the intersection. Nearby businesses, including an IHOP and a Fred Meyer store, told KIRO 7 they were forced to temporarily close or turn customers away due to the lack of water service. Utilities crews spent the day locating the source of the break and making repairs while Redmond and Bellevue fire and police departments responded to assist with traffic and public safety. All lanes of the intersection were closed throughout the day, and King County Metro adjusted routes to accommodate the disruption. City officials announced late Monday that repairs were completed and water service was fully restored to affected businesses. The road reopened in all directions in time for the Tuesday morning commute, but city crews warned drivers to expect rough pavement and ongoing construction. Temporary warning signs have been posted at the intersection to alert drivers to the uneven and bumpy road surface. Officials say permanent road repairs will take place over the next few weeks and urged drivers to use caution while traveling through the area. The cause of the water main break has not yet been determined.
