People living in a southwest Vancouver neighborhood say they're concerned about the possibility of sinkholes on their properties as crews work to contain a massive breach of an underground aquifer.
According to City of Vancouver staff, contractors working for a homeowner on Beechwood Street drilled into the aquifer in September.
Since then, water has been flowing unchecked and people living nearby say they've been told as much as 2.5-million litres per day has spilled into the neighbourhood.
City staff said the workers who caused the breach were not licensed, did not comply with provincial regulations and mishandled their response.
Another company, BC Groundwater Consulting has been contracted by the homeowner to cap the aquifer but it is unclear when that will happen. A representative from the company says his client has asked him to refrain from commenting publically at this time but he may be able to do so soon.
BC Groundwater Consulting says it remains in constant contact with the city about the situation.
The property was purchased by Feng Lin Liu in 2013 for $2.75-million and neighbours say it sat unoccupied until the house was bulldozed in late summer 2015 and a hole dug in preparation for new construction.
The costs are currently being covered by the homeowner who hired the contractors to drill on his property but neighbours worry he may not be able to afford the bills much longer.
Liu is currently out of the country and a man working on his behalf says he is not authorized to speak with the media.
Two nearby homes have already been evacuated due to safety concerns and people living in 10 others have been told to be prepared to leave with 24 hours’ notice.
Multiple homeowners told CTV News they are planning legal action against the city and the province, saying they have concerns about the stability of the ground under their multi-million dollar homes after so much water has flowed into the area.
The city says the matter is the legal responsibility of the homeowner and falls under the jurisdiction of the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations but the city will work to minimize risks to public safety.
The ministry said it's "working closely" with both the city and homeowner to see the issue resolved.
"This is a highly unusual situation," a ministry spokesperson said in an email. "The ministry issued an order under the Water Act to the landowner requiring them to control or stop the flow. The landowner is responsible for all associated costs."
As crews work to cap the aquifer, a plan is being developed by BC Groundwater to reroute the flow of water into city storm drains.
