Halifax Infirmary fire suppression services about 2 weeks away from being fully restored

It will be another two weeks before water service is fully restored at the Halifax Infirmary following two water main breaks earlier this month at the hospital's steam plant.

The breaks on April 3 resulted in the loss of drinking water, fire suppression services and the ability to flush the toilets. They were repaired over several days, but not without requiring the cancellations of some surgeries and other services.

The site returned to normal services on April 8.

Health Minister Michelle Thompson told reporters Thursday that preparation work to replace aging pipes at the Halifax Infirmary allowed for faster repairs.

"Because of the work that they had done in advance around pre-fabrication and making sure they had everything they needed for the planned change of the pipes, it actually allowed them to respond more quickly."

There is still a portion of the pipes that need to be replaced and Thompson said crews are working now to get the specialized steel equipment ready for the changeover.

In the meantime, the hospital's fire suppression services are still not back to full strength because of insufficient water pressure.

"We do have the ability to have sprinklers working, but not to the [fire] code," Eileen MacGibbon, vice-president of operations for Nova Scotia Health, told CBC News earlier this week.

Until service is fully restored, MacGibbon said there are people dedicated to walking throughout the three buildings on the Infirmary campus to check for things that could create a risk of fire.

The situation has resulted in helicopters not being able to use the landing pad on top of the hospital. Until the fire suppression system is back to full power, helicopters are using the landing pad by Point Pleasant Park.

MacGibbon said health authority staff have been working with the fire marshal's office to ensure they're taking the right steps to mitigate risk until the system is back to full strength.