COLD LAKE - A sewage flow control cabinet located north of 54th Avenue in Cold Lake was allegedly set on fire on Jan. 8, resulting in its complete destruction.
The incident has left residents in the Forest Heights and Tri-City Estates areas at an increased risk of sewage back-ups as City staff work to address the loss, according to information from the City of Cold Lake.
“We are devastated and frustrated by this level of deliberate destruction,” said Mayor Craig Copeland. “It’s clear the infrastructure was targeted for some reason, but we can only make guesses as to why. Everything is destroyed.”
The control cabinet is an important component in monitoring surges in sanitary sewer flow and plays a key role in preventing back-ups. Its destruction has forced City staff to temporarily monitor surge levels manually, while planning for a replacement system.
“Control cabinets and infrastructure like this can’t just be replaced overnight,” Copeland explained. “Staff will be looking to monitoring these surge levels manually until the controls and monitoring systems can be replaced.”
Although no sewer surges are anticipated in the near future, residents in the affected neighbourhoods are being asked to keep an eye out for backflow in lower-level bathrooms as a precautionary measure.
According to the City of Cold Lake, the site of the fire is near a known location for homeless camps, and Municipal Enforcement teams have been actively working to clear sites in recent weeks.
Replacing the damaged control cabinet is estimated to cost over $20,000, and no timeline has been set for the completion of the replacement. The fire remains under investigation, according to the City.
