1,300 properties waiting for water service: city

By: Aldo Santin Posted: 1:55 PM CDT Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2014 Last Modified: 3:12 PM CDT Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2014 | Updates

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The number of properties waiting to have water pipes thawed reached 1,300 today.

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The number of properties waiting to have water pipes thawed reached 1,300 today.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/03/2014 (4226 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The number of properties waiting to have water pipes thawed reached 1,300 today.

The City of Winnipeg released new figures this afternoon that showed:

Thirty-eight more properties reported frozen water lines between Tuesday and today, for a total since November of 2,052.

KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES
In this file photo, a city worker thaws frozen pipes, which have plagued hundreds of Winnipeggers this winter.
North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty said the city should waive the $305 fee assessed to all private landowners to thaw frozen water pipes. — KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES In this file photo, a city worker thaws frozen pipes, which have plagued hundreds of Winnipeggers this winter. North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty said the city should waive the $305 fee assessed to all private landowners to thaw frozen water pipes.

Full water service has been restored to another 16 properties in the past 24 hours, for a total of 752.

Thirty-three more properties received temporary water service through a hose connection from a neighbour, for a total of 524.

The official waiting time to get frozen pipes thawed has lengthened considerably. On March 7, the waiting time was 14 days.

Today, the wait is 24 days.

Diane Sacher, the director of water and waste, earlier today said the frost has penetrated to eight feet underneath the paved roadway.

“We don’t know how deep it’s going to go,” Sacher said. “What we do know is it’s continuing to grow so it will get deeper.”

Sacher said the city has experimented with other thawing equipment but while some are able to deal with frozen pipes on private property none of it has worked on the city’s frozen water lines that stretch underneath roadways.

“When we get suggestions from the public we always investigate whether it’s viable,” Sacher said. “We’re trying all of it….The only thing that works is (the city’s equipment).”

Sacher said she remains surprised and puzzled that so few affected property owners are requesting temporary water service through a hose connection to a neighbouring property.

Temporary hook-ups are being done seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., she said, adding there are always appointments available.

Officials said some water lines could remain frozen until late May or June.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca