Burst pipe causes minor basement flood at Child Development Centre

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A couple of local businesses quickly assisted the Fort St. John Child Development Centre (CDC) Wednesday after a pipe burst, causing a minor basement flood.

Tana Millner, the executive director of the CDC, told Energeticcity that an old copper pipe burst, causing about four inches of water to pool in the basement quickly.

She added that within two hours, the water in the basement was cleaned up, and the affected area is now drying out with the help of air blowers.

“Optimal Trucking, CEDA, and Bauer Mechanical were all here within half an hour. They started doing all the work to get it all cleaned up and helped us then pack stuff out. It was great.”

Millner said the flood was discovered by a plumber working on one of the centre’s air conditioning units.

“I walked down there, and [the water] was down to my ankles. Everyone mobilized really fast, and we had lots of people come to help us, so we came out relatively unscathed,” Millner said.

She estimated the cost of the damages from the flood to be less than $1,000.

“We have our basement arranged so that most everything is up off the floor. And the stuff that wasn’t was stuff that we probably didn’t have too much stock in,” Millner explained.

Millner noted the irony of having a basement flood at a time when much of the region is feeling the impacts of wildfires and abnormally high temperatures.

“What are we going to have next? Locusts? Like, come on, give us a break,” Milner quipped.

She adds that the centre is very thankful for the assistance from local businesses and that the flood didn’t cause more damage.

The Child Development Centre is a local non-profit that supports children in the community with special needs.

To learn more, visit their website at cdcfsj.ca