Town of Drumheller crews have been hopping this week dealing with what lurks beneath the ground.
Just as they were getting a handle on these breaks, a spring Chinook overwhelmed some of the infrastructure that is still frozen.
“Storm drains are the biggest issue we are dealing with right now," said Keith Russell, operations manager for the Town of Drumheller. “With the warmer weather, the streets with hard packed ice are now falling apart.”
Crews spend much of this week working to free up frozen storm drains and catch basins. Despite their efforts, some in the valley have experienced pooling on the front streets, lawns or seepage into basements or garages.
He said they have also had to deal with some shallower sewer pipes that have frozen.
Simon Wunsch of Rosedale has been dealing with flash melting. He lives along Pinter Road and the water came quickly, turning yards into swimming pools. With the cooling, they became skating rinks.
“It gets better in the morning because it is freezing overnight but at 3 or 4 p.m. it starts again,” he said.
While his yard is covered with ice, he said so far there is no water in his house. He said some of his neighbours on Pinter Drive have had their basements flooded.
The cooler weather on Wednesday and Thursday has helped to slow the water. Russell said the slow down has allowed them to catch up.
He said residents can continue to communicate with the town on water issues.
“The public can continue to report the frozen catch basins and if there is imminent danger of property being damage to report, and we will try to prioritize,” said Russell.