Prince Rupert under state of emergency due to water main breaks

Prince Rupert is under a state of local emergency due to a number of water main breaks that happened in quick succession.

According to the City, there were three water main breaks in a matter of hours Saturday morning. It prompted an emergency session of council on Saturday afternoon to call the state of emergency.

Mayor of Prince Rupert, Herb Pond, says the declaration isn’t meant to alarm the community.

“Calling a state of local emergency allows the city to call in the additional capacity and resources required to manage this situation,” he said in a statement.

Those additional resources, the city says, could come in the form of provincial and federal aid to help pay for “extraordinary costs,” racked up during the emergency.

Along with the service disruptions already caused by water main breaks, the city says there is the risk for more in the days ahead.

“Increasingly colder temperatures forecast over the next six days presents a significant risk for additional water main breaks, and potential complications with water service delivery,” the city said.

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Temperatures in the area will be frigid over the next few days, remaining below zero until Friday, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. An Arctic outflow warning has been issued for the area due to the frosty conditions, with wind chill making overnight temperatures feel like -22 C.

The city recommends people have a reserve of at least four litres of water per person as part of their emergency kits. Residents in the city are also being asked to leave their taps on a slow drip to prevent pipes from freezing.