New West residents still without hot water after water main break

Some New Westminster residents are still dealing with the aftermath of a massive water main break which displaced 50 people from their homes and caused widespread power outages.

Nearly a week after the incident, there are still problems, especially for residents on the upper floors of Jamieson Court.

One resident tells The Leader Spirit that they still don’t have access to hot water.

“People from 12 up, we’re still waiting,” he said.

Clean-up crews are still vacuuming up the water and sewage left over from the flooding, and parking garages are still off-limits, leaving side streets lined with vehicles.

“Things are slowly coming together, but of course, we only have temporary power, thank goodness for that,” he added.

Many residents have been staying at hotels or with friends and family. But those who have stayed have not had it easy.

“There’s a little bit of room temperature water at the moment,” another resident said.

“Hopefully we’re going to get the hot water soon, but I’m going to my friend’s or my mother’s place to take a shower,” she added.

Residents are currently unsure about when the elevators will be available for use again.

“Seventeen, 18 floors, they’re going up there. We’re getting stronger, but for some people, I know someone on 17 and they’re stuck there. They may have to call the fire department to get her out of there,” a resident explained.

“So many people are staying here because they have no other options. Some of the old people, without hot water, they cannot go out because they have mobility issues,” another added.

In a statement to The Leader Spirit, the City of New Westminster says its engineering team has “confirmed that while the water pressure at 69 and 71 Jamieson Court might be slightly lower than normal, it should not affect hot water in the buildings.”

“The hot water issue is likely due to compromised internal building mechanical systems,” it added.

Metro Vancouver has yet to determine the cause of the break, and repairs are expected to take a few more weeks.