On June 20, a broken sewer main in the Olympic Village area of Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) caused raw sewage to spill onto the streets and into the nearby False Creek. The sewer main in question was built in 2000 and runs underground on Columbia Street between Second and First Avenues.
The leak started around 5 a.m. and was reported to authorities around 8 a.m. The sewage overflowed onto the street, emitting a foul odor, and flowed into False Creek, but the exact amount was not known. The broken water pipe was then shut off and cleaned up. Metro Vancouver, the agency in charge of the broken sewer pipe, announced at around 1:00 p.m. that the leak had completely stopped.
Vancouver Coastal Health has advised residents to stay away from sewage. No contamination has been found in restaurants or other facilities in the area. The Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival, scheduled for June 22-23 in False Creek, went ahead as scheduled.
While swimming and other primary contact activities have long been considered inappropriate in False Creek, secondary contact activities such as boating are now permitted, but people are advised to take precautions against contamination by washing their hands and showering.