A large water main break has flooded streets and buildings, closed roads, and led to some evacuations in New Westminster.
Jerry Dobrovolny, chief executive officer of Metro Vancouver, said a three-foot diameter pipe ruptured shortly before midnight on Feb. 13. Metro Vancouver crews and staff in several City of New Westminster departments attended the scene near 240 Francis Way, which affected locations on Francis Way and Jamieson Court.
“It's been very impactful for residents, and we understand that,” he told the Record. “And there's going to be a lot of work to clean up and repair and get people back to where they were.”
Emergency Support Services is working with residents to try to minimize the impact as best they can, Dobrovolny said.
“This has [had] a tremendous impact on residents in this immediate area, and we're working with them. It is difficult when we have this big infrastructure like this that's in close proximity to residents,” he said.
Dobrovolny confirmed comments posted on social media saying water was in parkades, including some vehicles, as well as lobbies and elevator shafts in some buildings.
While the pipe burst around 11:45 p.m., water was still flowing out of the pipe 11 hours later. Dobrovolny explained why that occurred.
“Think of it as a freight train barrelling down the tracks. The weight of the water that's in that pipe; you can't just stop instantaneously,” he said. “It takes hours to throttle it down.”
According to Dobrovolny, crews also need to isolate all the valves that are connected to the water main, as water service needs to be maintained to Royal Columbian Hospital.
“These pipes flow for miles across the region, so you have to do all the isolation,” he said. “You have to throttle down the (water) main gradually and then drain. And so, we're still draining the pipe, because there is a tremendous amount of water in a pipe that size.”
When the pipe burst, Metro Vancouver estimated the rate of discharge at 40,000 litres/minute. It was flowing to the roadway and nearby properties.
City crews worked to divert water from getting into residential properties, including Royal City Manor.
“They've been doing a lot of work to divert,” Dobrovolny said.
Water was still being drained from the pipe at 11 a.m. Friday, but Dobrovolny said it was a “controlled flow” compared to earlier in the day.
“New West crews and Metro crews are all on site, managing that flow and starting some of the cleanup,” he said. “But the cleanup will be extensive, and it'll be a long period of time.”
A large watermain break is affecting locations on Francis Way and Jamieson Crt. Columbia Street from McBride to Richmond is closed in both directions. Power to 69 & 71 Jamieson Crt has also been impacted. Please avoid the area. More info: https://t.co/cGJpvRSow6
— City of New Westminster (@New_Westminster) February 14, 2025
City crews respond
Brad Davie, the city’s deputy fire chief, said about 50 people had been displaced and two towers were left without electrical power because of the incident.
“City public works is assisting Metro Van to shut down the ruptured water main and reroute water to the rest of the city to ensure continuous water,” he told the Record early Friday morning.
Davie said the city’s fire, police and public works department have assisted with displaced residents, traffic control, water flow diversion and mitigation of damage to the scene.
As a result of the burst water main, the City of New Westminster reported that East Columbia Street from McBride Boulevard to Richmond Street is closed in both directions until further notice. Westbound traffic is also being diverted from Brunette Avenue to Braid Street.
According to Dobrovolny, Metro Vancouver will be helping with the cleanup on the on the streets and in the area and will work with the insurance companies.
Pipe only halfway through life cycle: Metro Vancouver
The burst pipe carried drinking water from Coquitlam Lake and Seymour Lake to New Westminster.
Once the water is drained from the pipe, Dobrovolny said Metro Vancouver’s focus will be to determine the cause.
“One of our focuses will be excavating down and inspecting the pipe to see why it failed, and then doing the repair,” he said. “That that work will happen either maybe end of today or start over the weekend.”
Dobrovolny said the pipe that burst dates back to the early 1960s, so it's only about halfway through its life cycle.
“We are looking at aging infrastructure challenges, like all cities across North America are. This wasn't one of our end-of-life pipes,” he said. “It's also not one of our largest.”
Dobrovolny said the burst pipe measured three feet in diameter, while Metro Vancouver’s biggest pipes are 10 feet in diameter.
“What's really difficult with this situation is the close proximity of residents,” he said. “It's right in a dense area, so it's a medium-sized pipe, a three-foot diameter pipe, but right in a residential neighbourhood. So, when something goes wrong, there's immediate neighbours that are affected right away.”
Like an atmospheric river, Dobrovolny said the “overland flow of water” is what creates the damage when water mains burst.
“And so, this looks like a flood scene now, where landscaping and land has been washed away and eroded,” he said.
If you live in #NewWest you may experience pressure changes or some cloudiness in your water. Consumers do not need to take any actions at this time. We are monitoring closely and will update the public should the water quality become a concern.
— Metro Vancouver (@MetroVancouver) February 14, 2025
