Watermain rupture displaces Burnaby residents, shuts down businesses
A watermain break is causing a massive headache for hundreds of residents living in two condo towers in the Brentwood neighbourhood.
Shoolin Saini was in his condo when he heard a loud noise, prompting him to go downstairs to investigate where he saw a few other residents who were alerted to the commotion.
“The floor was absolutely shaking -- really violently -- almost like there was an earthquake happening right at the front door,” he said.
The rupture happened early Monday morning, impacting Tandem A and Tandem B, buildings at the corner of Dawson Street and Gilmore Avenue which have more than 800 combined units.
When the residents went down to the parkade, they were shocked by how the parking lot had turned into a lake, with water reaching the hood of some vehicles.
“I think the biggest danger was just the water because it was flooding the cars and there was an electrical room, I think, nearby too. So the biggest hazard was just water being near electric,” Saini said.
Property management group Stratawest Management said plumbers and restoration crews have been pumping water out of the building but the work was difficult due to the presence of oil.
Water has been emptied out of the elevator shafts but when the elevators will be operational is unclear.
Since there’s no running water and no working elevators, residents have been told to find accommodation elsewhere in the meantime.
But some have decided to stick it out.
“For us, we have to walk up 20 flights of stairs, so it’s a bit much – forced exercise. We don’t have any water, no toilet, no anything,” said resident Kelly Hubert. “It’s more inconvenient, I would say, for elderly people in the building or people with children.”
Some businesses on the ground floor of the building have also been forced to close.
Saini said if he and the few others didn’t happen to notice something was wrong, the rupture could’ve flooded more than the parkade.
“There was no actual alarm system going off. I would like to see either a shutoff valve or some sort of alarm,” he said. “We just got lucky here because we were awake, otherwise this could have been a lot worse.”
Stratawest told CTV News that may be something the strata council looks into in the future. But for now, the focus is on the repair and remediation work.
There's no estimate for when people may be able to return home, and the cause of the rupture is under investigation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.