Water testing time
Flushing of new main to be followed by pressure and bacteria tests
Water main upgrades at two Sydney Mines locations have been completed.
New water mains were installed at the intersections of Main Street and Pond Road as well as Main Street and Diggin Street along with the entire length of Diggin Street.
“The old mains had reached the end of their useful life, so the installation of this new main will strength the backbone of the water infrastructure in the community for many years to come,” said Greg Campbell, Cape Breton Regional Municipality water system engineer.
“Improvements to fire protection in the area are also expected to be realized with the new properly sized transmission main,” said Campbell. “Residents will not notice any change to their current service, but the risk of future disruptions associated with the aging mains have been greatly reduced.”
Water main upgrades began on Aug. 14 in Sydney Mines. Work was expected to be completed within four weeks of the start date.
The municipal water utility is continuing work at the locations with water testing tentatively scheduled for this week.
Testing is expected to be completed in phases. The first portion of the new water main will be tested from the Main Street-Pond Road intersection to Tobin Road near Bushells Lane.
The first testing was tentatively set for Monday night with flushing of the new main to take place, followed by disinfection, pressure testing and bacteria testing.
According to municipal officials, the process usually takes several days on average to complete.
Once testing is complete with acceptable results, the new main will be put into service and the connection of the new services will begin at the contactor’s discretion.
Jillian Moore, spokesperson for the CBRM, said nighttime flushing in this case has the potential to cause dirty water in Sydney Mines, which is why
the work is being done at night to minimize inconvenience to customers.
Meanwhile, in another construction project on the Northside, the municipality
confirmed the culvert replacement on Regent Street in North Sydney is nearing completion.