Flooding, sinkhole close southeast intersection

A huge sinkhole left by flooding from a ruptured water main has shut down a southeast intersection in Calgary.

Crews found water bubbling up from the ground in various locations around Sun Valley Boulevard and Sunpark Drive at about 11 a.m. Thursday.

The leak started as a small pool and spread to several blocks near Centennial High School.

"It was a growing lake," said assistant principal Pam Conrad. "It doubled in size in probably about 20 minutes. There was water fountains, coming up all over the place, of this brownish water."

About 600 summer students and staff were in the building when the high-pressure water line broke, No one was hurt.

The city's water services department shut down valves feeding the area which allowed the water to recede — revealing a sinkhole about five metres in diameter.

City officials said the rupture occurred in a 30-centimetre plastic water pipe, installed when the Sundance community was being built around 1981.

There appears to be no damage to nearby buildings, other than a disruption to water service to the school. The public school board is arranging a temporary supply in the meantime.

Water service to nearby homes was not affected, said city officials.

The intersection will remain closed until Sunday for crews to repair the road and the broken water main.