After being severed by a landslide, Abbotsford and Mission's water supply pipe is estimated to be repaired and operational by early December.
A 300-metre slide on Oct. 2 broke the pipe and blocked off the Forest Service Road, causing the city to shut down its Norrish Creek water source. The city is currently receiving water from wells and Cannell Lake.
The city states that work crews have been working 16 hours per day clearing away the debris and have been able to access the damaged pipe at Norrish Creek late last week.
However, the debris removal has been taking longer than originally expected due to the instability of the rock face at the site.
Work crews have also started the process of repairing the support structures for the pipe and assessing the requirements for pipe replacement and/or welding repairs.
The city said further excavation work will continue to be done around the pipe this week in order to assess the full extent of the damage. There is concern that the pipe may be twisted, which will mean a greater time for removal and repair.
The watermain repair, rock scaling and cleanup is estimated to cost $300,000.
The city websites states that some resident may have noticed their water tastes of smells different than usual, but is safe to drink.