The City of Prince Rupert has declared a state of local emergency due to an escalation of water main and water service breaks in the past week.
Mayor Herb Pond says six water mains have burst in the past week, including three on Saturday.
Several water service lines have burst as well.
“We don’t want to alarm the community, and are working to manage the situation as best we can to ensure continuity in our water service,” said Pond. “Calling a state of local emergency allows the city to call in the additional capacity and resources required to manage this situation.”
According the Pond, the condition of the city’s water distribution system and increasingly colder temperatures are likely the cause of the breaks, which have caused millions of dollars in damage.
With temperatures set to drop even further and the city’s crews stretched thin, a state of local emergency was declared to open up more resources.
Pond says, while it’s unlikely, the city’s water system could be compromised if more water mains burst.
“We don’t think that’s going to happen, I don’t want to panic people but depending on what happens, depending on the weather, depending on our ability to keep up, there is certainly a risk to the continuity of water supply, at least for a period of time,” said Pond.
The city is asking residents to run their taps at a slow drip to prevent their own pipes from freezing.
Residents are also reminded to keep a four-litre container of water at all times for emergency purposes.
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