Ruptured water main in Kitchener could cost region $63,000

As Lancaster Street in Kitchener is paved over and reopened to traffic after a water main break earlier this week, city staff say the total cost to repair it could reach $63,000.

And repairing it won't mean it doesn't have to be replaced in the foreseeable future.

Water was noticed on Lancaster Street between Hill and Louisa streets Monday evening. Around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, the break blew out a 16 by 10 inch section of the bottom of the 18 inch pipe.

That caused water to rush out, which lifted the road, sending some asphalt pieces onto nearby Hillview Street, washed out the dirt and fill that form the base under the road and left a crater the size of a cargo container in the asphalt.

Some homeowners and businesses in the area were without water for more than 16 hours.

The cost to repair the water main itself is approximately $28,000, City of Kitchener staff told CBC News. There is an additional cost to repair the road of between $25,000 and $35,000.

That brings the total price to between $53,000 and $63,000.

The water main under Lancaster Street is regionally owned and the City of Kitchener maintains it on the region's behalf, which means the cost of repairs will be billed back to the region.

And this is just a repair, not a replacement. The pipe, which was installed in 1938, will still need to be replaced at some point.

Repairs to the road are projected to wrap up Thursday afternoon and Lancaster Street was expected to reopen for traffic by 5 p.m.