A sewage pipe break that flooded Olympic Village this morning (June 20) has likely impacted False Creek, but that won’t be enough to stop the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival from going forward this weekend.

The broken pipe spewed over six inches of raw sewage onto the streets of Olympic Village, with overhead camera footage showing the waters of False Creek turning brown, presumably from overflow from area catch basins.

In a statement, the Dragon Boat Festival said that, despite optics, water quality should not be an issue. Still, it’s taking precautions.

“The Festival will have hand-wash stations and mobile showers to help put racer minds at ease and to ensure this weekend’s events are enjoyable for all participants,” Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival organizers stated. “All racers are encouraged to use these stations, and to wash their hands after racing with soap and water.”

Since the pipe break, Vancouver Coastal Health’s environmental health officer has been onsite to conduct tests on the water quality in various places in False Creek. The water in the area has been cleared for boating activity.

This year’s Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival runs June 22 to 23. Organizers are continuing to work with Metro Vancouver, the City of Vancouver, and Vancouver Coastal Health to monitor the water quality situation.