45 replies to this topic

[manuel]

Bingo - I don't know much about the phone upgrades - looked on-line, but didn't find any information (my better half would know more than me). btw - would it be possible to keep sewage treatment out of this thread - it is about the water main break - thanks.

[HB]

http://www.youtube.c...eature=youtu.be

[Bingo]

Bingo - I don't know much about the phone upgrades - looked on-line, but didn't find any information (my better half would know more than me). btw - would it be possible to keep sewage treatment out of this thread - it is about the water main break - thanks.

Sewage pipes or water main pipes, they are all aging, and related. So it would make sense to ensure the pipes are replaced and maintained so as to transport the product to the consumer. In the case of sewage it presently goes to an outfall, but some believe it needs to be treated.

[Bingo]

In hindsight the second thing to do was to surround the watermain break with sandbags, and open all the nearby storm drain covers. I wonder how much water would have escaped down Bowker if this was done immediately?

The incoming water is bubbling up at middle left in the first picture, and is surrounded with sandbags.

In the second photo there are three storm drain covers removed to allow the contained water to get away.

Of course knowing how to shut the water off would be the first thing on the list

[sebberry]

I wonder how long it took to get all the sandbags in place.

I think they make inflatable dams that could quickly spread out to cover a large area. Perhaps something like that would have contained the flood better too.

[VicHockeyFan]

I wonder how long it took to get all the sandbags in place.

I think they make inflatable dams that could quickly spread out to cover a large area. Perhaps something like that would have contained the flood better too.

How about this, when work is being done on a high-capacity or high-pressure main or whatever that is (they said it comes down from Mt. Tolmie and is a very major one) then they have a guy somewhere around within radio/cell range that knows the system really, really well, and knows where to go to hit the shut-off valve. Not one that needs 6 or 8 hours to find it.

I don't know how modern fire hydrants work, but in the olden days if you snapped one off with your vehicle, you got the same result. So quick shut-off is what is needed.

I don't like the works forman's automatic defensive nature, but maybe he's not usually a spokesperson being born down on by media. He said that "we don't usually call the fire department when we have a leak". But as long as I can remember, they have never had one this big, so maybe make an educated exception. And sorry if we "inconvenienced anyone" was real lame. "If?" People were more than inconvenienced. How about a whole-hearted apology. I'm happy with the Mayor's actions. Having said that, I'm not sure if any of our local mayors would not have gone out, would have acted different. But well-done anyway.

[Bingo]

I wonder how long it took to get all the sandbags in place.

Unfortunately that block of Bowker is the low part of the neighbourhood, so surface water is only going to get away through the storm drains. Some of the properties seemed to be lower than the level of the road, so once the water was over the curb it headed for the basements. I only saw sandbags on the north side of the street, so the apartment block on the south side had water inside. Crews were still placing sandbags around the area of the break at 1:30 pm.

[sdwright.vic]

Sorry... but the news sound bite from the woman who said she felt like she was in New Orleans was a bit of a stretch....

[LJ]

Well on the bright side, maybe this will have used enough water that the CRD won't have to raise our rates again.

[D.L.]

Are the water lines supplying fire hydrants separate from the drinking water lines?

[Bingo]

Are the water lines supplying fire hydrants separate from the drinking water lines?

I think they are the the same line. We should see the mains being flushed anytime now, by opening various fire hydrants.

"Water main flushing is a technique used to clean the distribution system water mains of sediments that have accumulated inside the pipe. The flushing program in the West Shore Communities and the other municipalities is conducted annually. This is one of the methods that CRD Integrated Water Services uses to help keep the drinking water in Greater Victoria safe and clean."

http://www.crd.bc.ca...ainflushing.htm

[HB]

Are the water lines supplying fire hydrants separate from the drinking water lines?

Same lines in most cases.



Here is some Trivia for you

You see fire Hydrants all over the city of Victoria but did you know there are different ones sometimes a few feet apart from each other.

Ones in the City of Vic that have WHITE coloured caps are much higher pressure than the regular ones with Orange Caps

[VicHockeyFan]

And I'm guessing we have the dry-barrel type.



Makes sense, it has breakable points for when you back your car into it, so you can break it off without a geyser.

When that truck knocked one off at Paul's Motor Inn, and it flung and hit a pedestrian recently, I don't think there was a geyser.

[D.L.]

Ah thanks interesting

[Mike K.]

Here's another photo by Bingo, this time showing the now infamous fire hydrant.

[sebberry]

Good reporting, Bingo! Thanks for sharing.

[VicHockeyFan]

^ ^ The hydrant is complete with the "yank chain" attached at the top to pull it up. Maybe the fitting where normally it comes apart (presumably after releasing some bolts) was so stuck the yank broke the main instead.

[D.L.]

When the water was finally shut off, does anyone know how wide an area was without water supply, and for how long?

[Sparky]

That was fantastic photo journalism on this story Bingo. I was in Alberta at the time, but your stories and photos kept me well informed......quite timely as well. Three thumbs up to you and your camera.

[Bingo]

"...huge volume of water, the equivalent of six olympic-sized swimming pools..."

"Residents say that although the mayor and a few others have been on the street, no one has come to the door to apologize or accept responsibility for the harm that was done. It also appears that another breakdown in communication managed to add insult to injury in the flood’s aftermath."

“We were told that Oak Bay would pay for three nights of hotel,” said Diane Heavener. “On the second day people were being told by the hotels that Oak Bay was paying only one night and they needed to come up with cash if they wanted to stay longer.”

read more;
http://www.oakbaynew.../181078991.html