VERNON, B.C. – Brown water and debris filled Kal Tire Place Saturday morning following a sewer pump station failure.
Restoration crews continued work on cleaning up the smelly mess through the Labour Day long weekend.
“We walked in the room and it was definitely a smell that I don’t want to remember,” said Vernon Vipers assistant coach Kevin Kraus.
The Vipers first exhibition game of the B.C. Hockey League season was canceled Saturday night due to the sewer backup.
As about two inches of brown water covered floors, most of the equipment in the way of the foul mess was moved to higher ground.
The city of Vernon is blaming the flooding on a pump station failure following a water main break at 35A Street and 40 Avenue.
“Kal Tire Place, because the bowl of the arena is cut down into the ground and it is below ground level, we were affected by that because all of our drains are below ground level,” said Doug Ross, Vernon’s director of recreation services.
Ross said damage to the city owned arena is significant.
“It’s throughout the whole lower concourse,” he said. “Anywhere where there was a drain there was water and sewer coming up.”
Ross said, “all of our flooring down here has been affected. Luckily there was very little drywall mostly cinderblock and concrete, so that is lucky for us.”
Restoration crews are working to have the arena ready for use again Saturday, September 10.
Other teams affected by the flood have had to move to other facilities until Kal Tire Place is clean.
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