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Epcor repairing burst water distribution line that flooded into Rossdale

"Last night our priority was, of course, public safety, getting the water main isolated and getting the roads cleared"

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Epcor is repairing a downtown water distribution line that burst on Monday night, flooding roadways down the hill and into the Rossdale neighbourhood and the North Saskatchewan River.

Pipes next to a transmission line erupted at 99 Avenue and 103 Street around 7:30 p.m., the utility confirmed Tuesday. On Monday night, a heavy stream of water was seen gushing down 103 Street and pooling up around the Bellamy Hill and Rossdale Road intersection. Drivers struggled to pass through the pooling water at the intersections, swerving through the rushing water that suddenly appeared.

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The roads were soon blocked off by emergency workers and the water was shut off about one hour later. It’s unclear how much water was released and when the repairs will be completed.

“The volume of water for this particular main break was a little bit larger than what we typically see just based on the volume of water going through the pipe transmission line going through north of Rossdale,” Kate Kirk, a senior manager with Epcor, said on Tuesday.

“Last night our priority was, of course, public safety, getting the water main isolated and getting the roads cleared.”

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What caused the burst isn’t yet known.

However, main breaks are more common when temperatures fluctuate above and below freezing —  the very situation the city experienced over the last several days. Breaks can also happen with older pipers or if there is a change in pressure.

“Typically, we see increased main breaks around freeze-thaw cycles in the system. Our priority right now is completing the repair safely and getting the roads back open,” Kirk said.

Karen Lynch looks out at the flooding in front of her home near Rossdale Road and 102 Street on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023.
Karen Lynch looks out at the flooding in front of her home near Rossdale Road and 102 Street on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. Photo by David Bloom /Postmedia

This break was made worse Monday night because stormwater catch basins were frozen, although cleared of snow, said a city spokesperson.

“City staff have been working closely with Epcor staff since the incident to drain the water as quickly as possible, while also deploying sanding equipment for safe mobility on roads and sidewalks,” Val Dacyk, supervisor for infrastructure field operations for the City of Edmonton, said in an email.

Epcor spends about $40 million a year replacing and maintaining infrastructure by following a plan to repair the oldest or most risky parts first, and aims to replace 2.75 kilometres in the city per year.

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This includes swapping cast iron pipes with PVC — 90 per cent of breaks happen with cast iron piping — of which there are about 540 kilometres in the city, or about 13 per cent of Epcor’s pipes. The utility also plans to install new or replace existing ‘cathodic protection,’ which means installing a ‘sacrifice’ piece of metal into a pipeline to protect the original pipes from corrosion.

Kirk said main breaks have been declining over the years — 277 in 2022 — however, there were fewer in 2017 at 256, according to this newspaper’s archives.

Asked if this pipe had already been identified as needing replacement, Kirk only said it had no history of breaks.

“This is a new occurrence and that’s what we’re going to be looking into. We’re focused right now on the immediate repair and from there we can learn what we can find out.”

In 2019, a different break in central Edmonton at 109 Street and 104 Avenue turned that intersection into a lake, and another significant break at 109 Street and Jasper Avenue in 2018 triggered evacuations.

Epcor’s public predecessor created a long-term plan in 1986 to reduce breakages after 1,600 mains broke that year alone.

Water around Monday’s line break was shut off for one high-rise condominium and a house until 10:45 a.m. Tuesday. Epcor provided water jugs in the meantime.

Apart from calls from the public, the burst was detected at the plant because of a change in pressure. Anyone who suspects a water line leak or burst can report it to Epcor at 780-412-4500 or call 911.

lboothby@postmedia.com

@laurby

A motorist makes their way through a flooded Rossdale Road near 102 Street in Edmonton on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023.
A motorist makes their way through a flooded Rossdale Road near 102 Street in Edmonton on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. Photo by David Bloom /Postmedia
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