City ready for a big thaw
SNOWMELT COULD CAUSE DRAINAGE ISSUES
City of Lethbridge crews are standing by and ready for the expected snowmelt which could be coming next week.
Adam Campbell, Water and Wastewater Operations Manager, said with the snow piled up and warm weather on the way, crews will be watching for frozen catch basins and standing water issues.
“Our hydrovac units have boilers on them, and then we have a steamer we use to unfreeze frozen valves,” he said. “We use it to clean out any ice blockages in catch basins.”
The City is asking residents to keep an eye out for major issues with water drainage near their property and to let crews know if they do.
“We will send crews out to respond,” said Campbell. “As well, we have a crew out proactively looking for problem areas right now, and looking for catch basins and getting them unplugged as it happens.”
In regards to water accumulating on private property, Campbell said it is a good idea to watch for water from the street coming on to a property, and to perform some basic home maintenance by ensuring downspouts are free and clear and sump pumps are operational.
The City is not worried about water volume as much as they watch for drainage speed. Campbell said issues can arise when dealing with water that is melting too fast.
“As long as we can get out there and make sure those catch basins are all functioning,” he said. “And we haven’t received very many calls to this point. I’m not forecasting any major issues.”
“The weather is looking pretty good right now, so I’m not expecting a major melt until midweek,” Campbell said. “It looks like we’re going to get a bit of a slow lead-in to this, which is nice.”
Anyone who sees or has standing water or drainage issues is asked to contact Public Operations at 403-3203850.
Lethbridge County is also expecting to deal with snowmelt beginning this weekend and into next week.
County crews are proactively working on any areas that may experience potential flooding issues due to melting snow and ice in ditches.
Crews will also be on standby over the weekend for any emergency flooding situations.
If there is an indication of water backing up with a potential for property damage, please call the Public Works emergency line at 403-328-5525 and follow the voice prompts.
The County is also requesting that residents do not attempt to use social media to relay information with the county as accounts are not monitored 24/7.
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