On February 13, 2025, a significant rupture occurred in a water main in New Westminster. Metro Vancouver responded immediately and worked in coordination with the City of New Westminster to isolate the damaged section while ensuring uninterrupted drinking water service for residents and Royal Columbian Hospital.
Independent investigations confirmed that the rupture was sudden and unforeseeable, with no prior signs of leakage or failure. Contributing factors may include ground settlement, nearby construction, aging infrastructure, and seismic activity in the area.
We understand the disruption this incident caused and sincerely appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation throughout the response and repair period.
| Incident timeline and responses FAQ | Incident timeline and responses FAQ | <div class="ExternalClass3CB3A4E923EA4980BC05D92B68EE9F56"><h4>What was the timeline of events?</h4><p>Metro Vancouver was notified shortly after midnight on February 14, 2025 and was on site by 1:30 am. Staff immediately began planning the isolation strategy in conjunction with New Westminster staff. Isolation began at 4:00 am. Isolation involves manually and remotely operating valves from both Metro Vancouver and New
Westminster’s systems. The isolation valves for the leaking main were closed around 8:00 am and the main was fully isolated around 11:30 am on February 14, 2025.</p><h4>Why did it take so long to turn off the water? </h4><p>The water main that experienced the break was a 36-inch pipe. This main typically delivers 32 million litres per day of drinking water to almost 100,000 residents. These large transmission water mains require multiple valves to be closed in a specific sequence. This ensures water continues to flow where needed while minimizing disruption to residents and critical facilities. If water is turned off too quickly, it can cause breaks or damage in other parts of the system and can disrupt water quality.</p><h4>What was Metro Vancouver’s role and responsibilities during the response? </h4><p>Metro Vancouver’s role was to isolate the system and repair the pipe. </p><h4>How old was the pipe?</h4><p>The pipe was installed in the early 1960s. It is a welded steel pipe. </p><h4>Do we know what happened and why the water main broke? </h4><p>We do not yet know what caused the break in the pipe. The section that broke was removed and has been sent to a third-party for investigation.
</p><h4>Do we need to worry about additional pipe breaks? </h4><p>Originally installed in 1960, Sapperton Main No. 1 was considered to be in generally good condition, with an estimated 40 years of useful life remaining. </p><h4>How long will it take to investigate the cause of the break? </h4><p>The investigation into the cause of the water main break is already in progress, with more in-depth testing to occur in the coming weeks. A specialized engineering firm is conducting detailed testing, including expert review and reporting. Metro Vancouver will provide updates as more information becomes available. </p><h4>What steps were taken after accessing the pipe and draining the water?</h4><p>Metro Vancouver excavated the area to expose the damaged section of the pipe and secured the site to ensure public safety. Staff carefully assessed the damaged section to determine the most appropriate repair approach and promptly ordered necessary materials from local suppliers and fabricators.</p><p>While the pipe was accessible, Metro Vancouver engaged experts to examine adjacent sections of the water main to identify any additional damage or areas of concern. These experts are also conducting a detailed causation analysis on the removed section of the pipe to determine the cause of the break. The findings from this analysis will help inform future maintenance and mitigation strategies.</p><p>Following the assessment, Metro Vancouver staff installed a new section of pipe, applied protective coatings to prevent future corrosion, backfilled the excavation, removed the temporary shoring and fencing, disinfected the pipe, and restored the water main to normal service.</p><h4>Who is responsible for repairs to the buildings? </h4><p>Insurance providers are responsible for compensating residents for their losses based on their specific policy wordings. In the case of the strata building, the strata’s insurance provider is responsible for supporting repairs to the buildings to the extent consistent with any relevant and specific policy wordings. As part of the investigation, Metro Vancouver provides the opportunity for the strata’s insurer and your personal insurers to participate in the testing phases of the investigation while we work to determine cause and responsibility. The investigation includes looking into the reason the water main failed and other historical data. </p><br></div> |
Turning off water mains – how it’s done and why it takes time
The water main that experienced the break was a 36” pipe. These kinds of large transmission water mains require multiple valves to be closed in a specific sequence. This ensures water continues to flow where needed while minimizing disruption to residents and critical facilities. If water is turned off too quickly, it can cause breaks or damage in other parts of the system and can disrupt water quality.
