Clean-up continues one month after water main pipe burst in New Westminster
Posted March 14, 2025 6:26 am.
Last Updated March 14, 2025 9:44 am.
It’s been one month since a massive water main pipe burst, flooding a handful of residential towers in New Westminster, and at least one resident is frustrated by the clean-up response.
Zoran Filipovic lives on Jamieson Court and was among those affected by the water.
He tells 1130 NewsRadio the water was gushing for hours before officials did anything to stop the flow into the underground parkade and lower-level suites.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!Filipovic lives on the third flood; his unit wasn’t severely damaged; however, his locker storage on P3 was destroyed.
“Tires, luggage, personal belongings, a lot of memories from [my] kids. My wife tried to save some of the soccer medals.”
He says things were so bad in the aftermath that the couple was forced to move out temporarily.
“We didn’t have electricity. We didn’t have water. We had to move my mother-in-law’s house, and we stayed there for three days,” explained Filipovic. “You know, 80 per cent of the people in the building have already moved out because we had two weeks without an elevator. There were a lot of older people. The people next to me — they have three kids and are long-time [residents] — they moved out.”
Filipovic is also concerned about the loud generator outside his unit. He says he hasn’t slept properly since the pipe burst and was forced to step away from his job earlier this week.
“It’s a nightmare for me. I’ve worked for the same company for 31 years, and I’ve only taken one sick day. Now I’m on stress leave because I can’t sleep. I can’t concentrate on my work, and I can’t drive in this condition.”
The City of New Westminster says the Metro Vancouver Regional District is the lead agency for the investigation into the burst pipe. Filipovic isn’t pleased, as he says neither entity has answered some of his questions, including why it took so long to stop the water.
“Who is responsible for that? The city said it’s Metro Vancouver. Metro Vancouver said it’s the city, and we are in one circle all the time. I am really frustrated, and I am not happy.”
In the meantime, Filipovic says some of the damaged cars in the underground have yet to be moved.
ICBC tells 1130 NewsRadio that tow companies went to assess the situation this past Monday to understand what equipment was needed, with towing getting underway on Wednesday. ICBC added that it should be done by this week.
“As of today, there are 63 claims with ICBC related to this incident. We have a dedicated claims team set up to streamline the settlement process for these impacted customers. These claims are covered by Optional comprehensive or specified perils coverage through ICBC or private insurers,” ICBC stated.
Pipe repairs are almost complete: Metro Vancouver Regional District
Metro Vancouver says it did respond right away.
“Our response involved isolating valves in a large water transmission system in conjunction with local jurisdictions to ensure continuity of water supply to three million people. There is no immediate method of shutting off the water in a large transmission system – the flow of water must be stopped gradually,” it said in a statement to 1130 NewsRadio.
It added that its first priority was to make sure everyone was safe and that water flowed to nearby infrastructure, including the hospital, saying the city “led the initial response and emergency services.”
Metro Vancouver says repairs are almost complete, and the pipe should be back in service next week.
“The water main break did not cause any interruption to drinking water supply, and there have been no pressure or quality concerns in Metro Vancouver’s system. The cause of the break and total cost of the repairs have not been determined.”
The regional agency says it knows people are frustrated, and it’s trying to help where it can.
“The building stratas and insurance companies are leading the restoration efforts, which is the normal course of action in an incident like this. Metro Vancouver has worked throughout the response to connect with affected residents, including providing information for insurance claims. Staff also held open houses in recent days to provide information to and hear concerns from those in the towers on Jamieson Court and the immediate area.”
