Regina sees record number of water main breaks in February

The City of Regina saw a record number of water main breaks last month, with 52.

Over the last five years, the city averaged 17 water main breaks in February.

The extreme cold weather is being blamed, causing the ground to shift.

“The frost line is down, six to 6 1/2 feet. It’s getting to the point where that frost is having an effect on pipes,” said Pat Wilson, the city’s director of water, waste and environmental services.

To maintain water service for customers in affected areas, the city allows the water to keep running provided that it does not create problems for public safety.

At this time, there are about 60 leaks, some of them single-service connections, Wilson said.

Water can also flow beneath the frost and appear away from the actual leak. In those cases, the city would have to do more digging to find it, she said.

Wilson is also asking members of the public to notify the city if they believe a water leak is getting worse or if they do not have water service and to drive carefully around working crews.

Older neighbourhoods are more likely to be affected as they still use concrete pipes while newer areas have plastic ones, Wilson said.