UPDATE: Major water main break in downtown Penticton

PENTICTON – City public works crews and the Penticton Fire Department were called to the intersection of Wade Avenue and Main Street around 10 a.m., Sunday, Feb 1 after an 18-inch diameter water main burst.

Some flooding of the City Centre building has taken place and street pavement has buckled at the intersection.

Main Street remains partially open, but Wade Avenue is closed between Main Street and Martin Street.

Crews successfully stopped the water flow at 11:40 a.m. and flooding was contained as much as possible, according to a media release from the city.

“This includes pumping water that has accumulated under the surface and digging down to reach the water pipe,” city spokesperson Simone Blais say in the release. “The water is off to properties in the 300-block of Main Street and the each establishment has been notified.”

Blais says the cause of the break is unknown at this time, but will be investigated as “repair solutions are developed.”

She promises updates on the City of Penticton website.

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To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

— This story was updated at 12:11 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 01, 2015 to add more up-to-date information.

— This story was updated at 4:06 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 01, 2015 to add information from the City of Penticton.