City of Port Alberni officials will begin a review of last weekB次元官网网址檚 water main break now that repairs have been done and water restored to the city.

Water was cut to parts of the city shortly after noon on Wednesday when an unloaded logging truck crashed through cement barriers on Franklin River Road and tumbled down a six-metre (20-foot) ravine, severing approximately 10 metres of the cityB次元官网网址檚 main water supply line and damaging structural supports on the way down. Nearly 5,000 cubic metres of water gushed from the watermain before an emergency shutoff, city director of engineering and public works Rob Dickinson said.

The city issued an emergency via the VoyentAlert! system, imposing Stage 3 water restrictions and asking people to curb their use of water until repairs could be made. The city and Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District activated their Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in response to the incident.

B次元官网网址淣ot knowing the severity of the incident at first, we wanted to be able to pull the resources we needed to be ahead of this,B次元官网网址� city CAO Tim Pley said.

On Friday morning, Dickinson said the city had approximately one day of water left in its reservoirs, where normally it would have four.

Water restrictions affected the city, Hupacasath First Nation, Tseshaht First Nation, Beaver Creek Water Local Service Area and Franklin River Road area. Water quality was not affected.

Approximately 12 homes and businesses on Franklin River Road were without water for more than 24 hours following the incident. Colin Murray, whose property is around a kilometre away from the site, was one of those residents.

Murray said he learned about the incident when the firetrucks and ambulances passed his driveway with lights and sirens flashing. A contact who lives closer to the scene sent him a text to alert him to the watermain break. B次元官网网址淭hey told me to fill up everything I had with water because I was going to be out any minute, but it was too late.B次元官网网址�

Murray improvised a water system for his property. B次元官网网址淚 put a siphon hose in the culvert coming across the road and plumbed it into my house,B次元官网网址� he said.

City Mayor Sharie Minions said the city went straight to Stage 3 restrictions because it was thought maintaining that stage would help keep the reservoir at an acceptable level. She said this decision would be part of the post-incident review.

B次元官网网址淲e may need to look at changing our water conservations to look at an emergency situation thatB次元官网网址檚 more applicable for time of year. But really we just wanted to get the message out to the community that it was important to conserve,B次元官网网址� she said Friday.

The city had a backup plan if repairs to the watermain werenB次元官网网址檛 completed by Friday. There is a pump station on the Somass River and water could have been pumped from the Somass into the cityB次元官网网址檚 water system, Minions said.

The city did not immediately have an estimate for how much the emergency repairs cost. The public works department had most of the material needed, and both Nanaimo and Courtenay were able to help with the rest. Contractors Coastal Bridge and Bowerman Knappett assisted the cityB次元官网网址檚 crews with repairs through the night Thursday and water service was restored by 4 p.m. Friday.

B次元官网网址淥nce the incident is wrapped up weB次元官网网址檒l report out to the public on that,B次元官网网址� Minions said.

Mosaic Forest Management has also begun an investigation; the truck involved in the incident was contracted to them, the company explained in a statement provided to media. B次元官网网址淔ortunately, no one was injured in the incident. The driver was transported to the hospital by ambulance and has since been released.B次元官网网址�

Mosaic procured third-party security to help facilitate public access to Cameron Main, a privately owned road, while Franklin River Road was closed to accommodate emergency repairs to the watermain pipe.

Minions said the city and Mosaic have been in contact. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檝e committed to a full review of the incident and reporting back to the city on that. They have telematics on their trucks so theyB次元官网网址檒l have full details on what happened, how the accident was caused.B次元官网网址�

Dickinson said the cityB次元官网网址檚 water system is insured B次元官网网址渂ut I presume under these circumstances somebody elseB次元官网网址檚 insurance will be paying for this.B次元官网网址�

The city put out a a statement of thanks on Monday, March 13 thanking workers, residents and local governments who helped out during the emergency.

B次元官网网址淭he Alberni Valley always pulls together when we need each other, and this was no exception,B次元官网网址� the release stated. B次元官网网址淭hank you for your understanding, patience and hard work.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址� With files from Elena Rardon, Alberni Valley B次元官网网址