As crews in Calgary wrap up what has been a three-week project to repair a major water main break that caused widespread flooding, water shortages and even boil-water advisories in parts of the city, Lac La Biche County officials say they have plans in place if a similar scenario ever played-out locally.
According to Jon Skjersven, the manager of Utilities Services for Lac La Biche County, in the municipality’s Standard Operating Procedures, there are written plans for dealing with such situations.
“It outlines reporting procedures, and Alberta Health Services would be the authority to issue a boil water advisory order,” he told Lakeland This Week, adding that there are preventative measures built into every shift. Regular maintenance checks on water mains and pipes, he continued, are done by the County’s Department of Utilities Services. Pipes found to be defective are fixed immediately.
However, because they are buried three-plus metres deep into the ground, inspecting water mains once they are in service is difficult. That means attention must be paid when any new construction is being done.
“This is why it is important to have very high standards and conduct strict inspections during new installations,” he stated.
120 kilometres of underground pipe
Lac La Biche's Hervey Marchildon water treatment plant was built more than 15 years ago, with a capacity to serve 25,000 users. The water plant is currently connected to about 1,100 residential and commercial users through more than 120 kilometres of water pipe. It's a lot of utility pipe to monitor, and while there are methods of inspecting water mains such by using ultrasound technology, as Skjersven explains, this process requires the water line to be excavated, taken out of service, drained and cut open to allow it to be scanned.
During daily operations, he said, Lac La Biche County officials monitor the entire system through specialized data systems to maintain consistent pressures and avoid fluctuations in the water and sewer distribution systems.
“We have flow meters in all the reservoirs, which are checked and logged every day,” he stated.
When repairs are need, or upgrades made, Skjersven says that close attention to detail continues. With each job, he says, the most important factors are getting it done properly and getting it done with as little disruption to residents as possible.
In February, a section of 100 Street and Churchill Drive was blocked off while municipal crews worked on fixing a broken water main. That water break, Skjersven said, was on a small, four-inch water line. By comparison,the main feeder line where the break occurred in Calgary, had a diameter of more than five feet. In February's Lac La Biche water break, municipal staff were alerted and able to isolate the leak by closing valves, which he says minimized the impact to residents living in the surrounding area.
The line was repaired immediately, flushed, and tasted for water quality, then turned back on – all within 24 hours.
Skjersven says that the new pvc pipes installed in new construction replaces, in some areas, cast-iron pipe that is more than 70 years old. The new pipe has a lifespan of 100-plus years.
While many water main breaks have occurred in Lac La Biche County in recent years, they have been less frequent thanks in large part to the County’s 10-year plan for replacing aging infrastructure that has also involved investing millions in upgrades.
“This has significantly reduced the amount of water breaks,” he said.
Currently, there are two major water and sewer projects happening in Lac La Biche. The project on Churchill Drive from 100 St. to 101 St. is a water and sewer rehabilitation project that is new for 2024, while the construction taking place near Britton’s Independent Grocers on 105 St. south of the railway tracks is a carryover water and sewer installation from 2023.
