A water main leak under Boyle’ s Healthcare Centre has resulted in the closer for non-emergency admissions and inpatient services. On Feb. 27 from 2 to 3 p.m.
A water main leak under Boyle’ s Healthcare Centre has resulted in the closer for non-emergency admissions and inpatient services.
On Feb. 27 from 2 to 3 p.m., Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) had to completely close the facility to ensure the safety of the patients.
Kerry Williamson, AHS north zone communications director, said water was restored to the facility at 3 p.m. on March 3 through a temporary above-ground water line, allowing the emergency department to reopen. A boil water order is currently in place for the facility until system flushing and testing can be completed.
Until the testing is finished, staff of the emergency department are using bottled drinking water and alcohol-based hand hygiene products.
No other buildings adjacent to the hospital were affected by the leak.
“In order for us to operate a hospital safely we need to ensure that we have good strong, clean water supply,” Williamson said. “We felt it was probably in the best interest of the patients to shut the hospital down.”
Williams said that for the “foreseeable future” any patients needing non-urgent healthcare services should contact their family doctor or go to Athabasca Health Care Centre.
During the time of the leak, Williamson said there were only four patients being treated in the hospital. Two of the patients were transferred to the Athabasca Health Care Centre and the other two were fit for discharge.
Boyle’ s Chief Administrative Officer Charlie Ashbey said the Village has brought in a temporary above ground service connection, which connects to a fire hydrant.
He added that they have to flush the pipes and test the water to ensure it is not contaminated.
“They got to do a lot of flushing and testing before it’ s live,” he said. “I don’ t know how fast they can get a result of the sample, but as soon as they get that it should be open.”
Williamson said the temporary system will help the boiler system run to heat the facility and prevent the water pipes from freezing.
There is no timeline for the removal of the temporary water supply. Ashbey and Williamson said that with the centre currently undergoing renovations, there were plans on upgrading the water service line.
“We’ re hoping it won’ t be long,” Williamson said. “Obviously we want to get our hospital back open and look after our patients at the hospital.”
Ashbey said that an attempt to repair the water system would risk destabilizing the slab noting it was AHS’ s call on getting by on the temporary service.
“Right now there’ s so much material that’ s washed out under the slab that if we were to excavate to expose the pipe, the slab would be undermined and we’ d risk having the slab collapse,” Ashbey said.
