Cleanup underway after major downtown water main break

Water main break causes flood downtown As CTV Edmonton's Timm Bruch reports, a water main break is blamed for closing a busy block Friday night. EPCOR and the city have begun cleanup.

Cleanup got underway Saturday as the effects of a water main break in downtown Edmonton became clear.

“It's part of our transmission system, so it's a larger diameter pipe. So when it fails, you get larger volumes of water,” said Keath Witwicki, Construction & Maintenance with EPCOR.

That large pipe burst just after 9 p.m. Friday night near 108 Street and 104 Avenue, flooding streets, sidewalks and at least one business.

Diners at a nearby Denny’s say they saw up to two feet of water come pouring into the building. The parking lot turning into a skating rink Saturday morning with the cold temperatures.

Other business were fearful they would be inundated with the same amount, but walked away unscathed.

“It was nuts. I didn't think the salon was going to make it but we're a little higher up than the rest of the buildings here. So we were in luck,” said Melissa Bunker of Salon Front Stylist.

After hours of gushing water, the crack in the water line was finally isolated. But throughout Saturday crews were still on scene dealing with accumulated ice and washed up concrete.

“We have no gas and so because of that we have no hot water and no heat,” said Bunker.

The recent wintry plunge that has taken hold of Edmonton for the past two weeks makes water main brakes much more common.

“This time of year, main breaks are a little more common. What happens is the cold weather causes the frost to go a little deeper into the ground and it causes a shift in the earth and that ultimately causes the water mains to break,” said Witwicki.

The cost of flood damages to affected businesses is yet to be determined.

With files from Timm Bruch