Colder temps put Thunder Bay water mains at risk of breaking

The early January cold snap has city crews in Thunder Bay watching for more water main breaks.

The supervisor for sewer and water on the city's north side said, so far, about a dozen water main breaks have been repaired.

But Gerald Luty added that with colder weather, that could all change.

“As the frost goes deeper into the ground, we could be anticipating a few more water main breaks,” he said.

"The frost is, depending on what area you're in, between three-to-four feet right now. Usually, once the frost gets down into where the services are, you know, five-, six-, seven-feet deep, that's where we can start getting frozen services."

According to information on the city's website, Thunder Bay's Water Authority repairs and maintains water delivery to about 40,000 service connections. Staff are available 24 hours a day to respond to emergencies or customer concerns.

The city repairs, maintains and inspects 3,402 fire hydrants, 719 kilometres of water mains, 9,212 valves, chambers and pressure reducing stations and six river crossings. Electronic locating equipment is used to detect the location of leaks or water main breaks.

To report water trouble, phone (807)625-2195.