(UPDATE: Feb. 13 @ 5:02 pm) – The City of West Kelowna says water main repairs on Hudson Road are now completely finished.
The road will need to be repaved but the street is fully open to traffic.
A statement issued Thursday afternoon said that final testing will be carried out before a precautionary boil water notice is lifted for 26 homes on Hudson and Paula Roads.
The city is expected to share more details related to those homes in the future.
(UPDATE: Feb. 12 @ 5:55 pm) – The City of West Kelowna says the repairs on the Hudson Road water main are nearing completion with some work required on Thursday.
A few minor touches are needed but the water main is repaired and is being charged.
Water service is now returned to all customers but some minor work will continue on Thursday.
A precautionary boil water notice remains in effect for 26 homes on Hudson and Paula Roads.
That includes the following addresses:
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1009, 1019, 1029, 1039, 1049, 1059, 1079, 1089, 1099, 1107, 1119, 1129, 1139, 1149, 1159, 1169, 1179 and 1189 on the south/southwest side of Hudson Road.
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1060, 1098, 1132, 1142, 1150 and 1152 on the north/northeast side of Hudson Road.
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2643 and 2653 on the north/northeast side of Paula Road.
Flushing will be performed to remove as much of the sediments as possible and residents are being told to flush their cold tap until the water runs clear.
Parents in the Rose Valley Water Service Area are still being advised to use an alternative source of water if they feed their children formula.
Hudson Road is on schedule to reopen at 8 pm Wednesday night.
On Thursday, there will be single-lane alternating traffic with some minor delays expected between Guidi and Concord.
Transit and pedestrian access will resume in the area on Thursday.
“Thank you to everyone – customers, motorists and transit users – for your patience during the significant repairs that have been required following this emergency water main break,” the city said in a statement.
“Thanks also to everyone who has assisted in ensuring the integrity of adjacent infrastructure and assisting with response, repairs and restoration.
(UPDATE: Feb. 12 @ 2:25 pm) – The City of West Kelowna says crews are still working on the water main break on Hudson Road.
Not much has changed from the update provided Tuesday evening (see below) but a more comprehensive update is expected later in the day, around 5 pm, to give crews more time for repairs.
Fourteen residents are still without water on Hudson Road and a boil water notice is in effect for another 26 properties on Hudson and Paula Roads.
Additionally, Hudson Road will remain closed between Guidi and Concord Roads until 8 pm tonight.
Residents in adjacent neighbourhoods that notice discolouration in their water are advised to run the cold tap until the water runs clear and parents feeding their infants with formula are advised to use an alternative water source.
This story will be updated later in the day once the city provides their evening update.
(UPDATE: Feb. 11 @ 5:10 pm) – The City of West Kelowna says crews are making progress on the Hudson Road water main break but repairs will take a while longer.
Work will continue into Tuesday evening, on Wednesday and possibly into Thursday, the city said in an update Tuesday evening.
Fourteen homes on Hudson and Paula Roads remain without water and the city said it will be prioritizing support for those residents.
Another 26 homes in the area remain on a precautionary boil water notice until further notice.
That includes:
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1009, 1019, 1029, 1039, 1049, 1059, 1079, 1089, 1099, 1107, 1119, 1129, 1139, 1149, 1159, 1169, 1179 and 1189 on the south/southwest side of Hudson Road.
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1060, 1098, 1132, 1142, 1150 and 1152 on the north/northeast side of Hudson Road.
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2643 and 2653 on the north/northeast side of Paula Road.
Hudson Road will be closed on Wednesday between Guidi and Concord Roads from 8 am until 8 pm to allow for repairs.
Transit will be rerouted on Lakeview 20 and Bear Creek 29.
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Any pedestrians in the area will need to talk with traffic control personnel if they need to pass through the area.
Anyone in the area of the water main break is encouraged to let their taps run if there is discolouration until it runs clear.
The city said high velocities and flows have sitar dup sediment in pipes around the water main break.
The city said parents in the Rose Valley Water Service Area are encouraged to use an alternative source of water if they are making baby formula until the repairs are completed and the city provides additional information.
The bulk water stations at Shannon Lake and Asquith Roads remain open for those uses.
(UPDATE: Feb. 11 at 11:27 am): The City of West Kelowna has provided more information about the water main break last night, with 25 homes currently deprived of water.
The break occurred on Hudson Road, the city said, and caused "significant flows."
Emergency crews "isolated" the leak last night, allowing crews to begin repairs after dawn.
Those repairs are ongoing, but due to the cold weather there is an added "complexity," the city explained in a public notice.
"Water flows throughout the area were significant due to the size of the main," the notice adds. "Efforts were made to redirect as much water as possible away from homes and businesses. Reports from crews overnight indicate that the flows continued for significant distances along Hudson Road, Westlake Road and Highway 97, giving indications of the size of the main that broke and the volumes of water involved."
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The 25 homes without water are on Hudson and Paula Roads.
A "precautionary" boil water notice has also been put into effect for 12 homes on Hudson Road.
The city added: "The high velocities and flows may have stirred up sediment in pipes in some nearby areas of the Rose Valley Water Service Area. Residents are advised not to use the discoloured water, but to first run their cold taps until the water runs clear. This should only take a few minutes to clear from the taps.
"Also, as an added precaution, parents in the Rose Valley Water Service Area are advised to use an alternative source to reconstitute baby formula until the water main repairs can be completed."
Hudson Road remains at single-lane alternating traffic.
(Original story: Feb. 11 at 6:10 am): An overnight closure on Hwy 97 in West Kelowna has been cleared.
According to DriveBC, there was a water main break late last night.
It reduced the road to single-lane traffic in both directions between Boucherie Road and Hudson Road.
The traffic monitor also said the speed was reduced to 30 kilometres an hour “due to icy conditions.”
At about 2 am, however, DriveBC said the lanes had been reopened.
Drivers have been urged to use caution on the road.
According to Environment Canada, it’s about -17ºC in West Kelowna this morning.
