Ucluelet First Nation under state of emergency after barge, tsunami damages water main
Residents in the Ucluelet First Nation on the west coast of Vancouver Island have been warned not to use their household water for anything besides flushing toilets after an underwater water main that serves the community was damaged.
The Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ government has declared a state of emergency over the water main break, which occurred Monday.
The District of Ucluelet believes that Saturday's tsunami near Tongo, and a passing boat, are the causes of the damage.
District officials say they could see the water level rising and lowering in the inlet every few minutes for an hour and a half after the tsunami occurred.
"We think it dislodged the line from its anchorage in the bottom of the inlet and what would have happened then is it would have floated up to the surface, and that's where the tug would have impacted it," said Duane Lawrence, chief administrative officer with the District of Ucluelet on Wednesday.
As repairs are underway, bottled water is being trucked into the community. A local motel is also offering shower services.
"Much gratitude is extended to the West Coast Motel and their staff," said an update from the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ government Tuesday.
The District of Ucluelet and an industrial dive team have been working to repair the damaged water main.
The damaged section of the water main must be floated out of the water, inspected, repaired, then reattached underwater, says the municipality.
On Tuesday, the district said about 300 metres of line was cut and brought onshore for inspection.
"Work on the damaged water line is progressing well and our public works team is moving quickly to re-establish this critical line back to service and re-supplying water to Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ," said the district in an update Tuesday.
Both the district and Ucluelet First Nation say there's no timeline for when residents can use water again safely.
"In order for the state of emergency to be lifted, the water system needs to be flushed and thorough testing must be done on the tap water to ensure it is safe for consumption," said the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ government in an update Tuesday.
"This process will take some time," reads the update. "As more information is gathered, further updates will be issued."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Party's over: Coyotes play final game as Arizona franchise before move to Salt Lake City
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah.