Huge water main break forces New West residents out of homes, destroys priceless items

As the repairs continue in New Westminster from a massive water main break late last week, residents are trying to clean up the mess caused by the sudden overnight flood.

Zell Rocha was woken up by alarms on Friday morning in the suite at 71 Jamieson Court that she shares with her mother.

“I was asleep and I heard the announcement through the building speaker,” Rocha told Daily Hive. “I assumed it’d be a small accident but when the repetitive alarm wasn’t going away, I looked outside and noticed the street was heavily flooded.

“I went to the lobby with my phone light because the corridor lights were all off. By the time I reached it, the water was already flooding the lobby and the parkade. The cul de sac was overflooded by the water main pipe uphill and it was non-stop. The grounds were also covered with black ice and people kept slipping.”

You might also like:
• Video shows shocking footage of fatal crash on Pattullo Bridge
• SUV driving on Surrey sidewalk sparks disbelief and ridicule
• BC's largest indoor bike park is closing its doors in North Vancouver

The City of New Westminster announced at 2:53 am on Friday, February 14, though the water main was later estimated to have broken near 240 Francis Way a few hours earlier.

Multiple locations on Francis Way and Jamieson Court were impacted, with residents of several buildings in the neighbourhood forced to evacuate. A number of roads were also closed off by the New Westminster Police Department for several hours as crews worked on-scene.

“Residents of first-floor units in 225 Francis Way are permitted to return to their homes to collect belongings,” said the City in its most recent update on February 16 at 8 pm. “At this time, it is unknown if they will be able to remain in the building; an engineer is assessing the situation. Residents who live above the first floor will be able to remain in their units.”

“All residents of 245 Francis Way have been able to return home.”

Artwork destroyed, hot water and power cut

For Rocha and her mother, the current situation at 71 Jamieson Court and its sister building at  69 Jamieson Court feels in limbo.

“I live on the 7th floor with my mother so our unit wasn’t badly affected, but the building didn’t have any heat, power or electricity over the weekend until yesterday, February 17,” explained Rocha, who works as an artist and a music instructor.

“The power here is currently being powered by a generator that only lights the units. The stairwells are lit by a string of lights and there are no elevators because they were affected by the flood. There is also no hot water.”

Rocha also lost some irreplaceable artworks that she had kept in the building’s storage area, which was also flooded along with the building’s parking area.

The parking levels were without power, leaving her barely able to see anything.

“However, I quickly realized that not only did the flood affect the bottom parking lot, which is where my mom’s car was placed, but also the storage locker room where I store some of my art supplies and pieces I’ve created over the last 5 years,” she explained. “I was very devastated to find out from the building management and other residents that it destroyed what we had in the locker.

“The paintings I made over the last five-plus years were part of my identity as a queer, disabled Asian person coming to terms with the upbringing of Chinese heritage and disability experiences. Most of my canvas and paper art pieces were destroyed by 36 inches of overflowing water. I can’t afford to replace it.”

Cleanup could last for weeks

The City of New Westminster said in their latest update that residents whose property was affected by the water main break should contact their insurance provider and Metro Vancouver’s Risk Management Office for any claims against the regional district.

However, Rocha’s mother told her that making an insurance claim wouldn’t be worth it in the long run.

“My mother said that even if we claim insurance for the damages of over $500, it would mean she would have to pay a larger increase annually to the insurance provider. Because of that, I wouldn’t be able to claim free accommodations via hotel or Airbnb, so she advised me to stay at a friend’s place instead. She’s currently staying with my uncle.”

Rocha, who is on disability benefits, is grateful to her friends who have allowed her to sleep on their couches and use their hot water. But she isn’t sure how long she will need to continue doing so.

“As far as I know right now, it could take weeks to a month to get all the dirt and water cleaned out,” she said. “As a disabled artist with benefits that barely cover most of the expenses, I could barely earn enough to pay for our food or repairs, [let alone] natural disasters.”

The City of New Westminster announced that its crews and Metro Vancouver are working in tandem to try and repair the break as quickly as possible. It urged residents to check its website for further updates as they become available.