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Massive geyser spews fountain of water during construction in Port Coquitlam

Backhoe hitting a water main causes a geyser but quickly brought under control, city says.
WaterGeyserMcAllisterAvenuePortCoquitlam
A geyser spews water in Port Coquitlam after a McAllister Avenue main was struck by a backhoe.

A fountain of water spewing out of a construction site in Port Coquitlam's downtown probably turned some heads this morning (Nov. 5).

The geyser erupted at about 11:30 a.m. during construction on the McAllister Avenue upgrade project, sending a spray of water several meters into the air.

Sarb Attwal, the city's engineering projects manager, told the Tri-City News it was caused by a backhoe that "inadvertently" struck a water main blow off valve.

Attwal said the geyser was quickly brought under control. However, a minor repair was needed to fix the damage.

There were no injuries or disruption to water services due to the incident, Attwal explained.

The $4.3-million McAllister Avenue road and pedestrian improvements project is 50 per cent complete, according to the city, and is slated to be finished this year.

Heather Andrews, who was in the area at the time, posted a video of the surprising sight on the Port Coquitlam Community Facebook page.

"Who knew they were installing a fountain as part of the McAllister Street project," was her cheeky comment.