Regina sees record number of water main breaks in February

More water mains broke in the City of Regina last month than any February ever before.

Regina saw 52 water main breaks during 2019's second month, breaking a February record set in 1996 and far-surpassing the five-year average of 17.

"That is a very high number for February," Pat Wilson, the City of Regina's director of water, waste and environmental services said. "The frost line is down six to six and a half feet, it's getting to the point where that frost is having an effect on our pipes."

Wilson said repairs are prioritized based on their severity, whether residents are without water and how many people are out of service due to a single break.

Wilson said city crews might stop working on a lower-impact break to fix a higher-severity break if needed.

"We are always assessing and reassessing those locations," Wilson said. "We're getting to them as quickly as we can in priority order and we will keep working until they're done."

Wilson said that in general, the city's older neighbourhoods are more affected by water main breaks.

She said older areas are serviced by concrete pipes, whereas newer areas have plastic piping that is a bit more flexible in cold temperatures.

Wilson noted that sometimes when a main breaks the water it leaks can get under the ice, making it particularly difficult for crews to pinpoint where exactly the line broke, which can sometimes slow repair efforts.

March traditionally a challenging month

Wilson said the city has historically seen more breaks occur through March as the temperatures warm up.

"As we get the warm up, the frost actually drives down a little bit further before it comes back up out of the ground," Wilson said.

"We're going to hope for a bit of slow warm up and see those breaks start to ease off."