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UPDATE 11:15 a.m.
In a brief statement, the City of West Kelowna says public works staff responded to water service calls in Glenrosa Wednesday afternoon.
City crews determined the issue was due to an equipment failure at a pressure reducing valve near McIver Road and completed repairs that evening.
“We are actively working with individual homeowners today, as they are calling in, to help them with their questions.”
ORIGINAL 10:30 a.m.
Some residents of Glenrosa are mopping up and looking for compensation after their basements flooded.
Several people reported coming home Wednesday afternoon to find water everywhere. Most say the release valve on their hot water tanks let go, and they blame the city.
Dan Goy lives on McIver Road. He was surprised his hot water tank failed because it was just installed a couple years ago, when he and his wife moved into the home.
“I’ll be honest, I’ve been in a lot of homes and have seen a lot of hot water tanks go. Typically they start leaking from the bottom and, you know, it’s time to go, right.
“I’ve never had one where the pressure relief valve – I’ve never had that go. So, that seemed pretty odd to me,” said Goy.
He’s heard that more than 20 homes have been affected, and it wasn’t just hot water tanks. Some had the hoses burst on their fridge icemakers and overflowing hoses in their laundry rooms.
A plumber was at his house this morning to fix his hot water tank.
Another man who lives on McIver Road at McTaggart Road said he spent $800 out of pocket to get his relief valve repaired.
Goy has emailed the mayor and council asking for an explanation of what happened, and for compensation to cover the cost of the plumber, insurance deductible and the increase in residential insurance premiums. He says he'll be lucky if the bill comes in under $1,000.
He got a response from executive assistant Collette Beggs, saying she would forward his email to the Utilities Department.
Marni Murray, who lives on McBain Road, was one of the first to notice something was wrong.
She got home early in the afternoon and saw water bubbling up in her yard. When she went inside, she heard a strange noise coming from her utility room, and when she opened the door she saw water gushing out.
She called the city. A utilities worker came and told her they were investigating if a valve let go.
Murray guessed it could be related to the new $3.2 million reservoir being built up Glenrosa Road near Turnbull Road.
Castanet has reached out to the City of West Kelowna for details. City utility crews were in the neighbourhood dealing with the situation Wednesday evening.
