City of Regina still trying to fix 73 water leaks

The City of Regina revealed Monday that it’s currently dealing with 73 water leak situations.

“We still have deep frost. As the weather warms up, the frost will actually drive down a little further before it comes out of the ground. We’re still going to see some breaks and we’ll hope as the weather continues to be warmer that that’ll ease off,” said Pat Wilson, the city’s water, waste and environmental services director.

Last month, the city dealt with 52 water main breaks, a new record. The average number of breaks in February over the last five years was 17.

Wilson said the warm temperatures will also result in surface ponding. She’s warning people, especially children, to avoid puddles if they cannot see the bottom of them. The concern is that there may be a sinkhole underneath.

“And also pay attention to our storm channels and the creek. They are starting to break up as well and even though it may look like there’s solid ice, there’s high risk so children and pets need to be kept away from those areas,” she said.

Crews are working on clearing catch basins and road workers are creating pathways so water can drain, she said.

The city is asking residents to help by clearing snow, ice and debris from nearby catch basins. Hot water can be poured over catch basins that are plugged by frozen water.

Wilson said the city is preparing for events like this in the future by continuing to reline and replace water mains.

“What we have is a lot of pipe that was put into the ground from the ’50s and ’60s and it’s reaching its end of life and there’s quite a substantial amount that needs work,” she said.