Regina neighbourhoods left with dry taps as water main breaks continue
Alex Soloducha | CBC News | Posted: August 29, 2017 11:32 PM | Last Updated: August 30, 2017
City plagued by 102 water main breaks in August
Many residents in Regina have been left without water for hours as city workers battle 65 active water main breaks.
John Erina-Holmes, a homeowner on the 2200 block of Robinson Street, realized his water wasn't working at about 8 p.m. CST on Monday.
There was absolutely nothing done for most of the residents in the area. - John Erina-Holmes, Regina homeowner
When he went outside to speak to a city worker, he was told there were two water main breaks, one on Victoria Avenue and another on College Avenue.
That makes 102 so far this August — a new high for that month in Regina, which previously saw a record of 72.
"There was absolutely nothing done for most of the residents in the area," said Erina-Holmes. "I think a lot of the reaction starts out as confusion as to why such a normal necessity [water] isn't there."
Water shut off without notice
A spokesperson with the City of Regina said workers are going door-to-door to notify residents if their water service needs to be cut or providing a written notice in their mailboxes. She said sometimes workers respond to an emergency situation, resulting in water being shut off without notice.
Erina-Holmes, who is a father to a one-year-old daughter, said he wasn't given notice on Monday evening. In fact, a city worker told him his water should be working when he asked.
"We were actually getting ready to give the little one a bath. I was able to get enough water out to make a bath, but of course because the hot water heater had no real supply to it, it wasn't a lot of hot water," he said.
"We had to resort to heating up water on the stove ... just for her to be able to have a bath at a comfortable temperature."
Although Erina-Holmes saw city workers giving people on the 2300 block of Robinson Street jugs of water, he said those on the 2200 block didn't get any.
"I like to be a little bit prepared, so we had a couple flats of bottled water set aside for something like this, but I know there are a few seniors in the area. I know this had to be a fairly big impact on some people," Erina-Holmes said.
Bracing for more breaks
Erina-Holmes said his water was restored 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
He said his street was a "patchwork quilt for 30 years," but in the past summer, it was torn up by the city and paved.
"I'm just wondering: How long is it going to be before we have a water main break here and they have to tear up part of this new roadway?" he said.
In September 2012, there were 115 water main breaks, which holds the all-time record. A spokesperson with the city told CBC on Tuesday that the record could be broken this month if the rate of breaks continues.
If someone is without water and does not know why, they are encouraged to call water works at 306-777-7000.
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