Between April 12 and 22, crews worked to fix a leak in the main transmission pipe that prompted Stage four water restrictions in the Comox Valley. Photo courtesy Youtube/Comox Valley Regional District.
An emergency repair of the main transmission pipe to the Comox Valley Water System is complete, and the highest level of restriction for water use has been lifted.
The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) said Tuesday morning a leak in the water main was fixed from April 12 to 22 while communities that use the system were under stage four restrictions.
The restrictions applied to Comox, Courtenay, Arden, Comox Valley, England Road, Marsden/Camco and Greaves Crescent water local service areas and prohibited use of water for reasons other than drinking, food preparation and personal hygiene.
The CVRD says the system had to rely on a single smaller pipe to supply water for the majority of the system in order to isolate the leak.
The repair involved installing new valves on the water main to temporarily re-route the bulk of the water.
A diver was then sent into the water-filled 900-millimetre pipe to weld and patch the leak.
The CVRD is thanking residents for their part to conserve water to help get repairs done on time.
“We know that these restrictions had a big impact on our community, especially local businesses,” CVRD General Manager of Engineering Services Marc Rutten said in a statement.
“Stage 4 is reserved for emergencies, and we really depended on the community to help out in this case. We really can’t thank residents and businesses enough for cutting back on water use for the duration of the repair.”
The CVRD says once welding was complete, inspection, flushing and disinfecting the line was next, followed by samples taken to a lab for testing to ensure water safety before putting the water main back in operation.
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