A punctured water main has resulted in significant localized flooding in the Silverspring neighbourhood.
City of Saskatoon officials said the break was caused by a contractor working near Central Avenue and Garvie Road at around 1 p.m. CT on Monday.
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Jason Archibald is from Alberta and was visiting family when he spotted the gushing water.
“The water was cascading, blasting up and just pouring all across,” he said.
Video posted on social media showed water ripping through a section of fence behind a nearby home.
Water also washed out a section of Garvie Road and will require it to be closed for repairs over the next few days, according to Mike Gutek, the city’s major projects manager.
“Accidents do happen,” Gutek said, saying the probability of accidents increases when there is more work happening.
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Crews have since isolated the water main break and stopped the leakage of water.
Initial information indicates that the disrupted line connects to the primary water main that crosses the South Saskatchewan River. There was no loss in water pressure, despite the significant puncture.
“Aside from the surface flooding, the water main network wasn’t affected in the vicinity,” Gutek said.
It’s too early to tell if the contractor will face any penalties, according to Gutek.
Motorists are being asked to reroute their commute and take Konihowski Road while Central Avenue remains closed. There is no access to Garvie Road at this time.
The city said there are no concerns about drinking water quality.
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